Well, the results of the new State of Theology survey from Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research is now available, and it’s as disappointing as the 2022 version. The answers were an inconsistent mess, highlighting US Evangelicals’ lack of knowledge regarding what the Word of God teaches regarding doctrine and theology. Biblical illiteracy is an epidemic.
I’ll give you just a sampling of the results, filtered for Evangelicals, but first, here is their definition of an Evangelical:
Evangelicals were defined by Lifeway Research as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:
- The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.
- It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.
- Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.
- Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.
So what do these Evangelicals believe beyond those four basic beliefs?
Well,
- 64% believe that “Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God.”
- 53% agree that “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”
- 53% think that “The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being”—compare this with the fact that 98% agreed with the statement: “There is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.” Talk about inconsistent!
- 47% agree that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”
- 28% say that “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.”
- 17% believe that “The Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true.”
- 19% affirm that “Modern science disproves the Bible.”
- 16% likewise say that “The Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today.”
- 28% think that “Religious belief is not about objective truth”—and another 19% aren’t sure how to answer this question.
Whew, what a shocking mess! To be considered an Evangelical on the survey, each respondent had to answer that they “strongly agree” that “The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe,” and yet 19% think science has disproven it, a similar percentage likewise don’t think what the Bible says about homosexuality applies to us today, and nearly half are confused about objective truth and Christianity!
Similarly, 98% affirm the doctrine of the Trinity, but over half think the Holy Spirit is just a force, and 28% think Jesus was just some great teacher. That doesn’t make sense!
They also affirmed it’s important for them to tell others about Jesus and that Jesus’ death is the only way to be forgiven, and yet nearly half think God accepts the worship of other religions. Again, such inconsistency in beliefs!
The state of theology among so-called Evangelicals is sobering. It really should be a wake-up call to both pastors and parents. We’ve raised generations on “Bible stories” without giving them the meat of God’s Word, teaching them to think biblically, or shaping their biblical worldview. Instead of being guided by Scripture, they’re guided by a mishmash of biblical teaching and our culture’s beliefs.
So what can we do about these kinds of survey results? Well, first, parents need to be teaching their children! Don’t just assume your children are learning what they need to know about God, the Bible, and salvation at church. Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to teach and disciple your children. Have you prioritized that in your home? Are you even equipped to do this kind of teaching with your children? If not, start and learn together!
Secondly, pastors and other Christian leaders need to stop assuming their congregations know the basics of the Christian faith, and they need to start incorporating theology and doctrine into their teaching. Pastors are called to be shepherds, discipling the flock. Part of that is teaching doctrine and theology so their churches are filled with robust Christians who’ve moved on from “milk” to “meat.”
I pray these shocking results serve as a wake-up call to the church to obey Christ’s parting command before his ascension: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matthew 28:18–20).
