What the State of the Bible Report Found with John Plake

The American Bible Society has been taking the temperature of America's relationship with scripture for 16 years, and the honest summary from editor-in-chief John Plake is this: it's complicated. Bible use has been slowly eroding since the 1970s, and while there's a "movable middle" of 74 million curious but unengaged Americans who represent real opportunity, things aren't simply getting better. The newest chapter of the State of the Bible report focuses on AI — specifically, how Americans are using it to try to understand scripture. The findings are nuanced: biblically literate people tend to use AI effectively because they can identify when it gets things wrong, while people with no biblical background are most likely to be misled without knowing it. John makes a pointed observation: following Jesus is not a do-it-yourself task, and a chatbot is no substitute for a community of people faithfully walking together. He also shares the tangible benefits of Bible engagement backed by the data — lower anxiety, better close relationships, higher human flourishing scores across the board — and closes with three practical steps for anyone who's been putting off engaging with scripture. Find the full report at stateofthebible.org and a personalized starting point at nextstep.bible.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.