Those with more education are less likely to think that the Bible is a comprehensive guide to life than are the less educated. Many Americans report that they would like to learn more about the Bible. Twenty-four percent of respondents report no interest in learning more about the Bible. Those who report the highest levels of interest in the Bible include women and people from the southern part of the United States. Although about six in ten Americans report reading the Bible at least on occasion, most of these people are exploring the text without the help of a Bible study group of any kind.
Bible readership varies significantly by a number of important subgroups.
Marital status has little relationship with readership of the Bible. White Americans are less likely to read the Bible than are nonwhite Americans. Older people are more likely to read the Bible than are younger people. Thirty-six percent of people in their 30s and 40s read the Bible that frequently. Political attitudes also appear to shape Bible-reading tendencies.