Bible engagement surges as Gen Z seeks spiritual meaning and truth

The Bible is having a moment. It’s true: Younger generations are showing an unmistakable but surprising openness to the Bible. They are driving a sizable increase in Americans who have seemingly rediscovered the Bible and made a personal commitment to Jesus, according to many sources, including a recent Barna study. 
 
It’s happening across the globe, as well. The UK’s Quiet Revival Report showed a 16% increase in church attendance among 18–24-year-olds — findings that “completely reverse the widely held assumption that the Church in England and Wales is in terminal decline,” according to the report’s coauthor. Bible sales grew 50% in Russia in 2024, following two straight years of record-breaking increases. 
 
The trend features a myriad of other Gen Z trends that confound older generations, such as their sharp decline in partying and teen drinking. There is a “Catholic boom” in France, the U.S. and the UK, where Catholics are on track to surpass Anglicans for the first time ever. Monasteries and convents are reporting wait lists with younger guests booking silent stays to escape technology. 

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But that’s not to say that they’ve abandoned technology. Indeed, the rise in Bible engagement is likely linked to the plethora of Bible apps and viral videos from new sources. Many of those who are encountering the Bible are doing so through new media of videos and podcasts, as we’ve seen with the work of the Bible Project and others. 

The causes of these complex social patterns do not lend themselves to easy explanations. But, as the former president of Ashland University, I witnessed the stirrings of these trends firsthand. Students were earnestly praying for one another and engaging in a way that we had not experienced previously on our campus; faith-forward student groups surged to new heights, and recruiters affirmed that many students were attracted to our Christian ethos. 
 
I continue to see the same desire for the truth held in these ancient words at Museum of the Bible. Scores of new seekers are flocking to the timelessness of the world’s most read book in history. Young people seem dissatisfied with the materially focused status quo, and crave, even actively seek real meaning in their lives. Gen Z is not a generation satisfied with half-measures. 

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Thankfully, our God — and His Word — are not half-measures. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:9-10 NIV) Simple, powerful verses like these have become Gen Z favorites as a new generation has seemingly discovered the Bible again. 
 
The book of Nehemiah tells how the Israelites worshiped and wept when they “rediscovered” the Scriptures in the temple after the Babylonian exile. 

These were people seeking God with intense earnestness, intention and openness. These were people who’d confronted existential loss, confusion and suffering while living in a foreign land. 
 
Unearthing this power — and the ability to be deeply moved by it — is essential if we want to understand younger generations’ unexpected draw to the Bible, and to Jesus. 

AMERICA IS REDISCOVERING ITS SOUL AND REVIVING THE SACRED
 
We should also listen to those young adults who prayed at the Asbury Revival two years ago, which at its peak featured an estimated 50,000 visitors from nearly 300 colleges and universities. Firsthand accounts described participants rejecting “hollow words and hypocrisy,” desiring “values embodied in action,” and exhausted with “the spiritual diseases of modern life.” 

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All too often, discussions about the Bible can be filled with a certainty that can feel like smugness and border on hubris. Some apologists can act like they have something privileged and invaluable that audiences will miss out on if they don’t embrace the message right then and there regardless of their current beliefs. 

The book of Nehemiah tells how the Israelites worshiped and wept when they “rediscovered” the Scriptures in the temple after the Babylonian exile. 

At the Museum of the Bible, I’ve seen firsthand the appreciation from young visitors that we aren’t trying to convince them of anything. We give them space to explore the Bible and its impact throughout the centuries and come to their own conclusions. Our trust in the Holy Spirit’s work supersedes our urge to control the outcome. As Charles Spurgeon said: “The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and it will defend itself.” 

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The fact is that we’re daily seeing a desire for a genuine encounter with God. It’s clear that younger generations are hungry for existential and spiritual meaning, and value authenticity and virtues that lead to lives modeled on truth. 
 
It’s an honest search which demands a genuine invitation to dialogue and encounter – not soundbites, crafty answers, or facile, textbook responses. 

The fragment of the Syriac translation of the New Testament under UV light. (Vatican Library)

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As we lean into this generation’s spiritual quest, educational institutions, churches and ministries focused on the Bible need to provide rigorous and respectful guidance to a curious generation that will otherwise end up with a BYO faith comprised of a patchwork of spiritual influences. An authentic and relevant movement for Bible literacy and relevance must build on an intellectual, emotional and spiritual transformation driven by the Bible’s timeless truth, historical context, its inherent narrative and tangible impact on society and personal lives. 
 
Only then will a seeking generation discover in the Bible more than just a book, but sustenance for our longing souls.