African-Americans are more engaged with the Bible than any other group, according to a survey conducted by the American Bible Society.

According to a press release sent to EBONY entitled State of the Bible, 71 percent of African-Americans are considered to be biblically engaged or “Bible friendly.” They cited positive beliefs and hope found in the Scriptures for their commitment, compared to just 58 percent of all Americans.

A small segment of African-Americans (6 percent), identified with having hostile feelings toward the Bible, four percent are skeptical and 19 percent are neutral.

Key findings from the survey include:

  • When African-Americans sit down to read the Bible, 29 percent read it for an hour or more
  • 51 percent cited feeling encouraged and hopeful (53 percent) as a result of reading the Bible
  • When asked if the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life, 77 percent agreed that it does
  • While all Americans believe morality on is the decline (81 percent), 35 percent of African-Americans blame the decline on lack of Bible reading

“African-Americans are much more inclined to recognize the value of reading the Bible,” said Roy Peterson, president and CEO of American Bible Society. “Anyone who devotes time to the Word of God can discover its unique ability to help make sense of life.”

The findings are a result of a nationwide study commissioned by the American Bible Society. It was conducted by Barna Research, and included responses based on 1,025 telephone interviews with adults in all 50 states. It also consisted of responses gathered from 1,028 online surveys using a nationally representative panel. The online surveys were conducted Jan. 20-30, 2017, and included Americans who were 18 years of age or older.

State of the Bible is an annual report commissioned by American Bible Society and conducted by Barna Group on behaviors and beliefs about the Bible among U.S. adults. For more information about the latest State of the Bible research, visit StateoftheBible.org.