By CRC Staff
Glendale, AZ (February 18, 2025) — New findings from the American Worldview Inventory 2025 (AWVI 2025)—the sixth annual study conducted by Dr. George Barna and the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University—reveal that American adults have dramatically redefined the very nature and existence of God, contributing to widespread worldview confusion and a significant shift away from the God of the Bible.
Despite two-thirds of Americans identifying as Christians, the majority of adults now reject core biblical teachings about God’s nature, embracing instead an eclectic mix of beliefs drawn from competing worldviews. This phenomenon, known as Syncretism, is now the dominant worldview of 92% of American adults, while only 4% hold to a biblical worldview.
According to Barna, much of today’s worldview confusion stems from shifting beliefs about supernatural powers and spiritual authorities. This shift, he says, has dramatic repercussions for individuals, churches, and the nation as a whole.
“Understanding God—often referred to as ‘prime reality’—is the cornerstone of worldview development,” Barna explained. “Without a biblical understanding of God, it is difficult to develop a coherent biblical worldview built on His truth.”
The movement away from belief in the God of the Bible has been developing for decades, with the 1990s marking an accelerated shift away from traditional views about God. Barna, pointing to his research from 30 years ago, noted that in the early 1990s, more than nine out of 10 American adults believed in a supernatural deity, most often referred to simply as “God.”
Today, however, that figure has fallen to just seven out of 10 Americans. Even more telling, he said, is the decline in belief specifically in the God of the Bible, which has plummeted from 73% in the early 1990s to just 40% today—meaning belief in the God of the Bible is now held by a minority of American adults.
Today’s release is the first in a series of reports from the American Worldview Inventory 2025: A National Study for Strengthening the Worldview of Americans, a year-long research project designed to examine concerning trends in American beliefs about God, truth, sin, and salvation. It seeks to understand why these key aspects of American faith are weak and to provide practical insights for rebuilding a strong biblical worldview in our nation.
The AWVI 2025 research findings released today identify four primary beliefs about gods, spiritual deities, supreme beings, higher powers, and supernatural authorities. While 46% of adults still believe in one supreme spiritual being who created and rules the universe—a description that could apply to God, Yahweh, Jehovah, or Allah—more than half the population holds alternative views.
One in six adults, or 17%, believe that humans are divine or possess a god-like nature, with 14% claiming that “’god’ refers to the total realization of personal, human potential or a state of higher consciousness.” Another 8% believe in multiple gods with different purposes and authority, while nearly three in 10 adults (29%) now align with positions typically associated with agnosticism or atheism.
Barna describes this last group as “the don’ts”—those who don’t know, don’t care, or don’t believe that any supernatural powers exist. This segment has seen extraordinary growth in recent decades, rising from just 8% of the adult population 30 years ago to nearly 30% today.
Surprisingly, this confusion over God’s nature and existence is not limited to secular or non-religious populations; it is also widespread among self-identified Christians.
The research shows that only 60% of self-described Christians believe in one supreme spiritual being who created and rules everything in existence—a belief that is considered foundational to biblical Christianity. The remaining 40% of self-identified Christians hold contradictory views of God. Among those commonly regarded as theologically-defined born-again Christians—individuals who say they are certain they will go to Heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior—23% reject core biblical beliefs about God.
Barna noted another unexpected finding: 36% of atheists and agnostics claim belief in one or more spiritual authorities. “It’s a stark reminder that even those who reject traditional religious structures still seek spiritual meaning,” Barna said.
When asked to name the specific supernatural powers they believe influence human lives today, 59% of Americans listed Jesus Christ, making Him the most recognized spiritual authority. The God of the Bible followed at 40%, with Mary, the mother of Jesus, listed by 21% of adults. Other spiritual authorities included Satan (18%), the Universe (14%), Yahweh (13%), Jehovah (12%) and Mother Earth (12%).
Interestingly, the survey revealed a disconnect between belief and worship. While 54% of adults say they worship or follow Jesus Christ, only 34% claim to worship the God described in the Bible. More than 5 million American adults admit to worshiping Satan, while over 50 million Americans claim to worship Mary, the mother of Jesus.
This spiritual inconsistency is especially evident among Christians.
Only 53% of self-identified Christians name the God of the Bible as an existing and influential spiritual authority, while 22% do not recognize Jesus Christ as a present, living force. Even more striking, 21% of self-described Christians believe in the existence of Satan, despite his clearly defined role in Christian theology.
The research also uncovered that many Americans are mixing beliefs from contradictory worldviews. Barna refers to this as “the practical expression of Syncretism”—a worldview that dominates the American landscape today. Four out of 10 adults acknowledge believing in deities from competing religious traditions, and 17% say they actively worship multiple deities from conflicting faith systems. This includes those who, for example, worship Jesus Christ while also claiming to worship spiritual forces associated with Wicca or New Age philosophies.
Barna emphasized the need for greater biblical clarity in the face of such confusion.
“Parents, pastors, teachers, and other spiritual influencers sometimes resist believing that just one out of 10 born-again Christians possesses a biblical worldview,” he said. “But this research may help us realize that simply saying ‘I’m a Christian’ or ‘I believe in God’ doesn’t guarantee shared beliefs. There really is a need to clarify terms and return to biblical basics to ensure clarity and mutual understanding in what we consider the Christian community.”
He noted that these corrective conversations are particularly crucial during childhood and early adolescence. “Since most people’s worldview is formed by the age of 13, regular conversations that clarify biblical truths about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and Satan can have long-term spiritual benefits,” Barna explained.
The AWVI 2025 study also revealed concerning patterns within the theologically-defined born-again Christian segment. While these individuals profess belief in salvation through Jesus Christ and claim certainty about their eternal destiny, the study found that:
- 55% of born-again Christians say they worship the God of the Bible, while 25% admit to not worshipping Jesus at all.
- 31% of born-again Christians say they worship Jesus but not God.
- 7% report worshipping both Christian deities and spiritual figures from non-Christian traditions.
- 21% either worship spiritual entities beyond God and Jesus or claim not to worship any deity at all.
According to Barna, these findings reflect a cultural shift where spiritual flexibility and personalization have become defining characteristics of American faith.
“We’re witnessing the widespread influence of postmodern thought,” he said, “where individuals feel empowered to define their own truth and construct personalized belief systems that blend teachings from contradictory worldviews.”
Barna warned that this spiritual confusion could have significant implications for future generations. While many Christians remain optimistic about the faith commitments of Generation Z, the research found that Gen Z is the generation most likely to mix Christian and non-Christian deities within their spiritual framework.
“Arts and entertainment media frequently challenge or obfuscate our spiritual views,” Barna said.
“For clear-thinking, biblically-solid adults to engage young people in conversations about God, Jesus Christ, Satan and spiritual powers is an essential step in shaping their worldview.”
The American Worldview Inventory 2025: A National Study for Strengthening the Worldview of Americans from Dr. George Barna is designed to examine concerning trends in American beliefs about God, truth, sin, and salvation. It seeks to understand why these key aspects of American faith are weak and to provide practical insights for rebuilding a strong biblical worldview in our nation.
The full AWVI 2025 Report 1: “Most Americans Believe in a Supreme Power, But Not the God of the Bible,” is available here.
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George Barna is a veteran researcher of 40 years and author of 60 books, including his most recent, Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child’s Heart, Mind and Soul, which immediately became a bestseller on Amazon when it was released in late 2023.
Raising Spiritual Champions, published by Arizona Christian University Press, covers a variety of topics helpful to parents and Christian leaders, including research-based descriptions of how a child’s worldview develops; the relationships between worldview and discipleship; how parents can develop a simple plan to guide their child to a biblical worldview, and to become a disciple of Jesus Christ; the role churches and godly church leaders can play in that process; measuring the worldview of children; and more.
For more information about Raising Spiritual Champions—including discounts for quantity orders—visit www.RaisingSpiritualChampionsBook.com.
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