Smartphones and high-tech gadgets may dominate modern life, but the timeless truth of Scripture is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in the United States. Bible sales are up 22 percent in the U.S. this year compared to the same time frame last year, according to Circana BookScan book tracking data cited by The Wall Street Journal. The data included sales through the end of October. By comparison, book sales in 2023 were up only 1 percent compared to the same time frame the previous year.
Anxiety combined with a desire for certainty are driving the surge, experts say.
“People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren,” Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, told The Wall Street Journal. “It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles…and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK.”
Bethany Martin, manager of the Faith & Life Bookstore in Newton, Kan., told the Journal she has seen many first-time Bible purchasers this year.
“They’re looking for hope with the world the way it is, and the Bible is what they’re reaching for,” she said.
Cely Vazquez, a 28-year-old artist, told the newspaper she recently bought a Bible for the first time in her life.
“I’ve had Bibles that my mom gave me, but I felt I needed my own to start my own journey, that it symbolized I was starting a walk with God,” she said. “I felt something was missing. It’s a combination of where we are in the world, general anxiety, and the sense that meaning and comfort can be found in the Bible.”
Meanwhile, the annual State of the Bible report from the American Bible Society indicates that Bible reading does, indeed, reduce anxiety. That 2024 report found that Americans across all generations who regularly read the Bible report less anxiety.
“The Bible says, ‘God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him’ (1 Peter 5:7); ‘Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything’ (Philippians 4:6); and ‘Don’t worry about tomorrow’ (Matthew 6:34). From these and another dozen references, we see the Bible promoting trust and prayer as powerful responses to anxiety. So, do people who engage with Scripture report less anxiety? Yes, and the difference is stunning,” the report said. “Throughout all generations, but especially among Generation Z, Scripture Engagement is associated with lower anxiety levels.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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