Over the past few decades, Christian leaders have been issuing dire warnings about what they perceive to be a precipitous slide toward biblical-illiteracy oblivion. I include myself among those who have sounded the alarm, including an article I wrote in Å·²©ÍøÖ· Magazine 10 years ago.1 The lack of Bible knowledge (and even interest in the Bible) was ominous then. But when a 2022 American Bible Society study registered a massive 10% drop in Bible engagement across all demographics, this seemed to confirm our fears that biblical literacy was decreasing at a faster pace than even the doomsdayers (like me) anticipated.

Moreover, the source of concern was not only in the statistics, but for those of us sounding the alarm, it was occurring in real time. Bible teachers and church leaders frequently encountered people in their spheres of ministry who knew precious little about the Bible beyond a handful of stories.

In many respects, engagement with the Bible — or, more accurately disengagement — continues to be of deepest concern. And yet … it smells like something is brewing. (Yes, coffee drinkers, this analogy is for you.) There are whiffs of increased openness to Christianity, and correspondingly a seeming growing interest in learning about the Bible.

One possible signpost of hope is the number of Bibles sold in the United States this past year. In 2024, Bible sales increased a whopping 22% as compared with 2023, according to The Wall Street Journal. Britain has recorded a similar increase, with Bible sales growing 87% between 2019 and 2024. Such growth in Bible sales is substantial — something to rejoice in. But just because people buy Bibles doesn’t mean they read them. Is there evidence that people are engaging more in Scripture?

The evidence is tentative, but the American Bible Society’s State of the Bible USA 2025 report indicates