The Englewood Review of Books launches landmark study of clergy reading habits

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.” | More

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