What’s This? Academic Researchers Say Bible Reading Reduces Gen Z Stress?
New analysis in which researchers from the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center (NORC) teamed with those at the American Bible Society (ABS) confirmed that members of Gen Z – those Americans born between 1997 and 2012 — are among the unhappiest people in the country:
“We see the effect of Scripture engagement even more clearly as we examine the Human Flourishing Index … In each of the six domains, Gen Z scores lower than any other generation, 7–15 percent below the overall average,” according to the 2022 edition of the State of the Bible Report.
But when researchers focused specifically on those members of Gen Z with an active Christian faith and regular reading of scripture, a much different picture emerges:
“When Gen Z adults are Scripture Engaged, they overcome the downward trend of their generation. In every domain, their Human Flourishing scores are better than the overall average,” according to the report.
The report authors caution that they “do not want to imply that picking up a Bible will instantly cure a person’s mental health issues and make them thrive in every aspect of existence.
“Scripture engagement is a way of life, in which people meet with God regularly and recast their thoughts and activities in response to God’s guidance. According to our data, this ongoing interaction is associated with mental health and human flourishing.”
The data behind the accompanying chart on how respondents rate themselves on the five measured factors of Human Flourishing is especially revealing because of the three factors on which Gen Zers who regularly engage with Scripture are strongest, compared to all other groups within the Gen Z generation.
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The Scripturally Engaged Gen Zers pegged the average at 7.7 for “Meaning and Purpose” and “Character and Virtue,” as well as 7.3 for “Close Social Relationships.” They also led on the other two factors, though by not quite so distinct a manner.
The “Close Social Relationships” is especially interesting, given the widespread attention given in recent days to claims that Gen Zers are the least socially engaged because of their oft-observed preoccupation with social media.
Keeping your nose in your cell phone can be a sure way to alienation and loneliness, but it doesn’t have to be. That ought to be good news for Gen Zers working on Capitol Hill. And it is why HillFaith’s weekly “For Hill Aides Only” Monday noon Bible apologetics study is worth looking into.