Two-Thirds Of Americans Believe In The Bodily Resurrection Of Christ, Study Finds
The latest national survey finds a striking mix: many Americans hold fast to core biblical claims while also embracing views that pull away from Scripture. On one hand, a clear majority affirms central Christian doctrines; on the other, sizable minorities accept ideas that conflict with historic Christian teaching. That contradiction is the story these numbers tell.
What The Numbers Say
The study reports that roughly 65 percent of U.S. adults say the biblical accounts of Jesus’ physical resurrection are accurate and actually occurred. Slightly more, about 71 percent, affirm belief in the Trinity, saying there is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Other traditional statements also find majority support: 68 percent agree God is unchanging, and 66 percent describe God as a perfect being who cannot make a mistake.
More than half of respondents—56 percent—agreed that God counts a person as righteous not because of works but because of faith in Jesus Christ. Those numbers show that essential gospel truths still resonate widely in the public square. That persistence matters because doctrine shapes how people live and worship.
At the same time, the survey revealed sharp departures from biblical teaching on other fronts. About 65 percent said they think God accepts the worship of all religions, and 66 percent agreed that people are basically good by nature and only sin a little. Nearly half—49 percent—said they see Jesus primarily as a great teacher but not as God, which directly contradicts historic Christian confession.
Roughly 18 percent expressed the troubling view that the Holy Spirit could direct them to do something forbidden in the Bible. Those responses suggest many hold a patchwork faith: select orthodox beliefs alongside ideas shaped by culture, politics, or personal preference. The result is theological inconsistency more than confident commitment.
“While many aspects of American society can accurately be described as secular, large numbers of Americans have theological beliefs that line up with the Bible’s teaching,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “A pandemic and debates around moral standards in political spaces appear to have some minor impact on some beliefs, but most Americans are not quick to change their views of matters related to God.”
Why It Matters
The mixed findings matter because belief is not merely private; it feeds worship, moral choices, and public life. When people affirm the resurrection and the Trinity but also treat truth as optional, the gospel’s clarity blurs and the church’s witness weakens. Christians who hold to Scripture should see both the encouragement and the urgency in these results.
These numbers present a pastoral challenge: how to celebrate the truths many still confess while calling people back to doctrinal integrity. Clear teaching, evangelistic clarity, and humble discipleship are the practical responses the church can offer. If large numbers already assent to gospel basics, then faithful preaching and loving correction can press those beliefs into true, repentant faith.
“When a clear majority of Americans think God is flexible when it comes to religion, it’s not surprising that agreement with some teachings in the Bible does not translate to accepting all biblical teaching,” McConnell said. “Americans want the same flexibility they think God has, even if that contradicts other beliefs they have and how God is revealed in Scripture.”
The survey interviewed 3,001 U.S. adults, offering a wide snapshot of belief across the country. The takeaway is not just statistics; it’s a picture of a nation where the bones of orthodoxy remain yet flesh out beliefs in ways that often miss the fullness of biblical truth. That reality should push believers to evangelize, teach, and model the gospel with clarity and conviction.