A recent survey by the American Bible Society reveals a striking link between regular Bible engagement and charitable giving among Americans.
This finding is part of the organization’s 2024 State of the Bible report, specifically in its ninth chapter, aptly named “Giving.” Released on Thursday, this chapter delves into the patterns of charitable contributions made by Americans in 2023, particularly contrasting the behaviors of self-identified Catholics and Protestants.
Survey Methodology
The survey captured responses from 2,506 adults across the United States, gathered between January 4 and January 23.
It has a margin of error of +/-2.73 percentage points.
For the study, participants who scored 100 or more on the Scripture Engagement Scale were deemed “Scripture engaged.” This scale assessed their responses to 14 questions regarding both the frequency of their Bible reading and the role it plays in their lives.
The data painted a compelling picture: an impressive 94% of those classified as Scripture engaged reported making donations to charity over the past year.
Their median contribution amounted to $2,000.
In stark contrast, those in the “movable middle”—who scored between 70 and 99—showed a lower charitable giving rate of 75%, with their median donation sitting at just $288.
Even less encouraging were the figures for “Bible disengaged” individuals, those scoring below 70 on the scale, where only 43% reported charitable giving and their median contribution was $0, indicating that over half of this group contributed nothing to charities.
Generosity by Denomination
John Farquhar Plake, the Chief Innovation Officer at the American Bible Society and editor-in-chief of the report, commented on the findings.
He pointed out that individuals who actively read and apply biblical teachings are generally more generous.
This group not only gives more to their own congregations but also supports a wide range of both secular and religious charitable organizations, making them a substantial force of giving across the nation.
The report also examined giving habits across different Christian denominations, revealing some interesting trends.
Evangelicals emerged as the most generous group, with 80% noting that they donated to charity in the previous year.
Their average contribution was a notable $4,590, and the median donation stood at $900.
Meanwhile, 73% of Catholics reported contributing, with an average of $1,320, which was less than the amounts given by mainline Protestants at $4,066 and historically black Protestants at $1,726.
However, Catholics did surpass mainline Protestants on the median donation front, contributing a median of $300 compared to $250 for mainline Protestants and $127 for historically black Protestants.
Analysis of Charitable Giving
Further analysis of the survey distinguished between different categories of Christians based on their church attendance and faith involvement.
Among “practicing Christians,” defined as individuals who attend church at least monthly and view their faith as significant, an impressive 93% reported making contributions, with an average amount of $5,885 and a median donation of $2,000.
Conversely, “nominals”—who identify as Christians but do not attend regularly—showed a much lower giving rate of 53%, averaging $1,572 and with a median of only $30.
Those labeled as “casuals,” who do attend church once a month but don’t regard their faith as highly important, had a charitable giving rate of 88%, with an average of $2,713 and a median donation of $600.
Interestingly, non-Christians participated in charitable giving at a rate of only 37%, reporting an average contribution of $1,466.
It’s important to note that this average was skewed by one exceptionally large donation.
When assessing the median contribution for non-Christians, it sat at $0, indicating that more than half in this group did not donate to charitable causes at all.
Overall, this comprehensive survey underscores the impact of Scripture engagement on charitable giving, illustrating a clear trend among those who prioritize biblical teachings in their lives.
Source: Christianpost
