Does your congregation consider the Bible to be the literal and inerrant word of God? (Asked only of Christian congregations) (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)

Each question was asked of a key informant from the congregation, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader.

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View of the Bible (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)     [Results weighted by W1]

Related Topics • Formal Affiliation? • Politics • Religious Tradition • Theology • See all Topics Demographic Patterns • Year Founded • Adult Members • Political Ideology • Region of the Country • Religious Tradition • Theology • Year

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View of the Bible (Demographic Patterns)

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View of the Bible by Year Founded

	Before 1900	1900-1950	1951-1999	2000 or Later	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	70.6% 235	82.4% 309	87.8% 477	95.6% 86	84	82.6% 1107
No	29.4% 98	17.6% 66	12.2% 66	4.4% 4	2	17.4% 234
MISSING	26	14	29	8	0	77
TOTAL	100.0% 333	100.0% 375	100.0% 543	100.0% 90	86	1341

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View of the Bible by Adult Members

	25 or Less	26-50	51-100	101-200	More than 200	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	95.0% 172	87.4% 318	87.6% 319	80.0% 216	66.7% 162	4	83.5% 1187
No	5.0% 9	12.6% 46	12.4% 45	20.0% 54	33.3% 81	0	16.5% 235
MISSING	19	11	11	19	18	0	78
TOTAL	100.0% 181	100.0% 364	100.0% 364	100.0% 270	100.0% 243	4	1422

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View of the Bible by Political Ideology

	More on the conservative side	Right in the middle	More on the liberal side	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	88.8% 718	79.3% 367	50.6% 40	66	83.3% 1125
No	11.2% 91	20.7% 96	49.4% 39	10	16.7% 226
MISSING	12	27	32	0	71
TOTAL	100.0% 809	100.0% 463	100.0% 79	76	1351

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View of the Bible by Region of the Country

	New England or Mid-Atlantic	East North Central or West North Central	South Atlantic, East South Central, or West South Central	Mountain or Pacific	TOTAL
Yes	70.9% 117	84.7% 309	89.4% 631	69.8% 134	83.4% 1191
No	29.1% 48	15.3% 56	10.6% 75	30.2% 58	16.6% 237
MISSING	33	21	11	14	79
TOTAL	100.0% 165	100.0% 365	100.0% 706	100.0% 192	1428

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View of the Bible by Religious Tradition

	Roman Catholic	White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist	Black Protestant	White liberal or moderate	Non-Christian	TOTAL
Yes	54.5% 42	95.7% 685	98.3% 348	41.4% 115	0.0% 0	83.5% 1190
No	45.5% 35	4.3% 31	1.7% 6	58.6% 163	0.0% 0	16.5% 235
MISSING	2	20	0	6	51	79
TOTAL	100.0% 77	100.0% 716	100.0% 354	100.0% 278	100.0% 0	1425

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View of the Bible by Theology

	More on the conservative side	Right in the middle	More on the liberal side	Missing	TOTAL
Yes	89.7% 801	79.2% 313	38.5% 37	40	83.2% 1151
No	10.3% 92	20.8% 82	61.5% 59	4	16.8% 233
MISSING	21	30	25	0	76
TOTAL	100.0% 893	100.0% 395	100.0% 96	44	1384

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View of the Bible by Year

	1998	2006	TOTAL
Yes	77.5% 891	83.5% 1191	80.8% 2082
No	22.5% 258	16.5% 236	19.2% 494
MISSING	85	79	164
TOTAL	100.0% 1149	100.0% 1427	2576

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Notes

The National Congregations Study (NCS) dataset "fills a void in the sociological study of congregations by providing, for the first time, data that can be used to draw a nationally aggregate picture of congregations" (Chaves et al. 1999, p.460). Thanks to innovations in sampling techniques, the NCS data is the first nationally representative sample of American congregations. In 2006-07, a panel component was added to the NCS. In addition to the new cross-section of congregations generated in conjunction with the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS), a stratified random sample was drawn from congregations who participated in the 1998 NCS. The 2006-07 NCS sample, then, includes a subset of cases that were also interviewed in 1998. A full codebook, prepared by the primary investigator, is available for download here. The codebook contains the original questionnaire, as well as detailed information on survey methodology, weights, coding, and more.