Appendix B: Profiles of Bible Engagement
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The following pages are fact sheets about each of the four Bible-engagement groups—their beliefs, perceptions and practices, including:
- Beliefs about God
- Beliefs about Jesus’ sinlessness
- Perceptions of and beliefs about the Bible
- Bible reading habits
- How the Bible influences their lives
- Faith practices such as church attendance, volunteering and charitable giving
A Profile of the Bible Engaged
A person who is “engaged” has a high view of Scripture and reads the Bible four or more times per week. They view the Bible as 1) the actual or 2) the inspired word of God with no errors, or as 3) the inspired word of God with some errors. They must also read, use or listen to the Bible four times a week or more to be considered Engaged.
A Profile of the Bible Friendly
The “friendly” person also has a high view of Scripture, but reads it less frequently. Like the engaged, they hold a high view of Scripture, but read or use the Bible fewer than four times in a week.
A Profile of the Bible Neutral
Someone who is “neutral” has a lower, but not negative, view of Scripture. This person neither chooses the top two statements about the Bible (i.e., the highest views) nor the most skeptical statement about the Bible. They tend to pick the “middle options” in the survey. They rarely or never read the Bible.
A Profile of the Bible Skeptic
Someone who is a “skeptic” believes the Bible is just another book of teachings written by men. The Bible skeptic selects the statement in the survey that reflects the lowest view of the Bible—that it is “just another book of teachings written by men.” In other words, there is no God “behind” the Bible according to skeptics. They rarely or never read the Bible.
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