INDIANAPOLIS — Recent studies have consistently shown that reading is on the decline in the United States. A 2022 National Endowment for the Arts study, for example, showed the percentage of U.S. adults who read at least one book that year was 48.5, a number 6.1 percentage points lower than in 2012. An American Psychological Association study also found that, “The percentage of 12th graders who read a book or a magazine every day declined from 60% in the late 1970s to 16% by 2016.”
But what do these larger trends mean for churches and their leaders? Historically, Christianity has been one the key religious traditions identified as “People of the Book,” but is this identity being challenged by declining reading habits in the broader culture? The Englewood Review of Books (ERB), a leading source of book news and reviews for church leaders, set out to explore these questions. “Reading is a vital part of our Christian faith,” notes ERB Senior Editor C. Christopher Smith, “and the cultural reading trends seemingly pose a threat to the life and flourishing of our churches.”
The ERB was founded in 2008 by Englewood Christian Church in Indianapolis. Although started as an online publication, they also published a quarterly print magazine for a decade. Their readership consists of over 30,000 Christians across a broad spectrum of church traditions, the vast majority of whom identify as church leaders – either clergy or lay leaders.
Working with sociologist of religion John Hawthorne, the ERB designed a survey of clergy reading habits. The survey inquires not only about pastors’ personal reading habits (how much they read, what sorts of books they read, and their preferred reading format – print, ebook, or audiobook), but also about the reading habits of their congregations. The data collected will provide important insight into how congregations learn together and may also present valuable information for Christian authors, publishers, and content creators who desire to reach church leaders and impact congregational formation. This study is funded in part by a grant from the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative.
Active clergy and church staff are invited to participate in this study which will run through September 30, and everyone who participates will receive a copy of the study’s findings after its completion: englewoodreview.org/clergy-reading-survey-2024
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Contact:
C. Christopher Smith
The Englewood Review of Books
317-697-2246
[email protected]
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