Bible reading boosts mental well-being among Christians, U.K. survey says March 3, 2021By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Bible, Feature, News, World News ROME (CNS) — Reading the Bible has had a positive effect on people’s “mental well-being” during the pandemic, according to a Christian Research survey conducted in the United Kingdom. The survey also found that respondents were reading the Bible more and turning to Bible-related videos more during the pandemic. The survey, carried out on behalf of the Bible Society, posed a number of questions to 1,000 people in the United Kingdom who identified themselves as Christians and who had attended church at least once a month before restrictions aimed at curbing the pandemic. The questions were asked in December, and the results were published online by the Bible Society March 1. Forty-two percent of respondents reported that reading the Bible increased a “sense of hope in God during the crisis, rising to nearly half (49%) among 45- to 54-year-olds,” the report by the Bible Society said. “Some 28% said that reading the Bible had increased their confidence in the future,” while 63% said they felt their level of confidence remained the same, rather than dropping, it said. It said 23% of those surveyed said the Bible “had increased their mental well-being, including 47% of 24- to 34-year-olds,” and 33% of 16- to 24-year-olds reported that reading the Bible had helped them “feel less lonely.” The report said 35% of survey respondents were reading the Bible more during the pandemic with the biggest increase among 25- to 34-year-olds in which “53% were reading the Bible more often.” “A quarter of those asked, said that they were reading the Bible ‘multiple times a day’ and half said that they were reading the Bible on a daily basis,” the Bible Society said. It also found that 25% of the 25- to 34-year-olds in the survey said they had begun reading the Bible during the pandemic. While many continue to turn to print editions of the Bible, 23% reported using “a Bible-reading app, 30% are now listening to the Bible” and 59% of those surveyed said that “they now watched more Bible-related videos or had started watching them.” Also see Radio Interview: The Dead Sea Scrolls Bishop: New Bible translation shows ‘God never changes, but always has something new for us’ What is lectio divina? Rediscovering an ancient spiritual discipline New English version of Bible to be called The Catholic American Bible Bible translation debate highlights church teaching on homosexuality A faith that questions Copyright © 2021 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Print
