After the shocking assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, some argued that America was having a surprising — but very much welcome — resurgence of conservative Christian faith.
But such narratives do not match the reality in the culture — at least according to one survey from Arizona Christian University.
The school’s Cultural Research Center issued the latest version of its “American Worldview Inventory” on March 3, finding that “any increased interest in the Christian faith spurred by Kirk’s assassination has not produced positive growth when it comes to biblical worldview.”
In both 2023 and 2026, only 4 percent of American adults had a biblical worldview.
By way of comparison, 12 percent of Americans had a biblical worldview in 1994, a figure which dropped to 6 percent by 2020.
The findings were based on a survey of 2,000 adult respondents undertaken in January via phone and online, with a plus-or-minus 2 percentage point sampling error.
Among adults in Generation Z, who are between 18 and 29 years old, only 1 percent have a biblical worldview — a much lower share than the 2 percent of Millennials and 7 percent of Gen X, Baby Boomers, and Seniors who have a biblical worldview.
In their analysis, the Cultural Research Center broke respondents into three categories — Integrated Disciples, Emergent Followers, and World Citizens.
Integrated Disciples are those with a biblical worldview. Emergent Followers are those “who do not have a biblical worldview, but are leaning in that direction, possessing a substantial number of beliefs and behaviors that are consistent with biblical principles.”
World Citizens are meanwhile “people who may embrace some biblical principles, but generally believe and behave in ways that conflict with biblical teaching.”
Beyond a trend away from biblical worldview in the culture, ignorance of the Christian faith increasingly reigns within the professing church.
The survey results noted that “evangelical churches, once the stronghold of biblical preaching and belief, have experienced a sharp decline in the proportion of adherents with a biblical worldview.”
While 12 percent of self-professed “born-again Christians” have biblical worldviews — a rate three times higher than the rest of the population — 19 percent had biblical worldviews in 2020.
Meanwhile, the largest share of American adults describing themselves as Christians are what the Cultural Research Center called “Notional Christians” — defined as “those who self-identify as Christian but do not embrace eternal salvation through a personal confession of sin and accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior.”
The Cultural Research Center reiterated that “despite the increased attention given to faith matters after the Charlie Kirk murder, and the growth in church attendance and individuals purchasing Bibles immediately after that incident, there is no hint of improvement when it comes to biblical worldview.”
George Barna, the veteran researcher who oversaw the survey, likewise discussed the dismal results — especially with respect to Generation Z.
“Make no mistake about it, we are losing American society and all that it has historically represented because we have succumbed to the influence of the culture instead of the exhortations and promises of God,” he commented.
“Entertainment and media messages as well as public policies and errant public education have distorted the thinking and behavior of our young people.”
Barna nevertheless said that with proper education in the Christian faith — which he sees at places like Arizona Christian University — there is reason for hope.
“It is time to reclaim the culture for Christ,” he concluded.
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