Smartphones and high-tech gadgets may dominate modern life, but timeless biblical truths are making a remarkable comeback in the United States. According to book tracking data from Circana BookScan, sales of Bibles in the United States are up 22% this year compared to the same period last year. wall street journal. The data includes sales through the end of October. In comparison, book sales in 2023 increased by just 1% compared to the same period last year.
Experts say a combination of fear and a desire for certainty is driving the surge.
“People are either worried themselves or worried about their children and grandchildren,” Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, told the Wall Street Journal. “It's related to artificial intelligence and election cycles, all of which feed the desire for assurance that we're going to be okay.”
Bethany Martin, manager of Faith & Life Bookstore in Newton, Kansas, told Barron's that she's seen many people buying Bibles for the first time this year.
“They're looking for hope in the current state of the world, and the Bible is where they're coming from,” she said.
Celie Vasquez, a 28-year-old artist, recently told a newspaper that she bought her first Bible in her life.
“I had a Bible that my mom gave me, but I felt like I needed my own Bible to start my journey. It symbolizes my beginning in my walk with God. ” she said. “I felt like something was missing. It was a combination of where we were in the world, general anxiety, and a sense that we could find meaning and comfort in the Bible. It is.”
Meanwhile, the annual current situation of the bible A report from the American Bible Society shows that reading the Bible does indeed reduce anxiety. That 2024 report found that Americans of all generations who regularly read the Bible reported less anxiety.
“The Bible says, 'Cast all your worries on God, because He cares for you.'1 Peter 5:7); “Do not worry about anything, pray about everything” (Philippians 4:6); and “Don't worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). These and a dozen other references show that the Bible encourages trust and prayer as powerful responses to anxiety. So do people who grapple with the Bible report less anxiety? Yes, the difference is striking,” the report states. “Across all generations, but especially among Gen Z, engaging with the Bible lowers anxiety levels.”
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michael faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His articles have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star, and Knoxville News Sentinel.
