The recent State of the Bible survey from the American Bible Society offers a ray of hope for younger generations. More than 20 percent of Gen Z adults say they have increased their Bible reading in the past year.
“They’re leaning into the Bible,” John Plake, Ph.D., the organization’s chief program officer says. “They’re really trying to engage in their faith, and they are kind of a bright hope for us as a young generation of American adults.”
Plake, a former university campus pastor and professor, said he wasn’t surprised by the survey results. In fact, he believes there are some misconceptions surrounding younger Americans. Although some Boomers might see them as being against the Bible or Jesus, the data show more openness and curiosity.
“They aren’t the ‘turned-off, tuned-out generation’ of the 60s,” he told CBN. “They’re more ‘leaning in.’ They recognize that they are spiritual, that they have a purpose — and they really want to discover what that purpose is, so that’s the good news.”
Of course, this positive news doesn’t come without some difficulty and struggle, with Plake also detailing what he sees as challenging news for the church. When it comes to Gen Z, he said, “they don’t give what we call epistemic privilege to the Bible.” This basically means evangelists and apologists can’t assume a bias in favor of biblical truth; instead, its laurels have to be explained and properly synthesized for Gen Zers to comprehend.
“There’s no advantage that you have to come to them with what the Bible says vs. what some other form of scripture or religious tradition says,” Plake said. “What they want to know is, ‘Can the Bible help me? Does God care about me?’ And, if you can answer their questions from a biblical perspective, they’re interested.”
Gen Z adults truly care about authentic engagement, which provides a powerful opening for Christians who have real-life stories of God-ordained transformation.
“What the next generation really cares about is authentic engagement from people who really have a story to tell,” Plake said. “So, that’s really hopeful. If you’re a person of faith who has been deeply touched by God and scripture, then you have a story to tell, and there are a lot of young people in America who’d love to hear your story.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
