It is faith in action.
A recent survey reveals that Americans who are actively engaged with Scripture are significantly more likely to contribute financially to charities compared to those who do not read the Bible. The findings were published in the American Bible Society’s ninth and final installment of the State of the Bible USA 2024 report, released last Thursday. This section, titled “Giving,” analyzed charitable donations in 2023 based on levels of Scripture engagement among self-identified Catholics and Protestants.
The data, collected from a sample of 2,506 American adults between January 4 and January 23, has a margin of error of ±2.73 percentage points. The report measures “Scripture engagement” using a scale derived from responses to 14 survey items addressing how frequently individuals read the Bible and how central its teachings are to their lives. Participants who scored at least 100 on the scale were classified as “Scripture engaged.”
Among this group, 94% reported making charitable contributions in the past year, with a median donation of $2,000. In contrast, 75% of those in the “movable middle” (scores between 70 and 99) donated, giving a median amount of $288. For the “Bible disengaged” (scores below 70), only 43% contributed to charity, and their median giving was $0, indicating that over half in this category did not donate.
“People who consistently engage with the Bible and live by its teachings are more inclined to give, both to their churches and other charitable causes,” said John Farquhar Plake, the American Bible Society’s Chief Innovation Officer. “Scripture-engaged individuals represent a powerful force for generosity nationwide.”
Denominational giving patterns revealed that Evangelicals were the most generous, with 80% contributing a mean amount of $4,590 and a median of $900. Catholics had a giving rate of 73%, with a mean contribution of $1,320 and a median of $300. Mainline Protestants and historically Black Protestants gave at similar rates (68% and 64%, respectively), with mean contributions of $4,066 and $1,726 and median donations of $250 and $127.
The report also examined giving based on church attendance and the importance of faith. Among “practicing Christians” (those attending church at least monthly and considering faith central to their lives), 93% donated with a mean gift of $5,885 and a median of $2,000. In contrast, “nominals” (Christians who attend church less often) had a giving rate of 53%, with a mean donation of $1,572 and a median of $30. “Casuals” (those attending monthly but not prioritizing faith as highly) gave at a rate of 88%, with mean and median donations of $2,713 and $600, respectively.
Non-Christians had a 37% giving rate, with a mean donation of $1,466, though the report noted that one large gift skewed the average. The median donation for this group was $0, reflecting that the majority gave nothing.