According to the American Bible Society and the Barna Group, America’s top Bible minded cities (based on “highest combined levels of regular Bible reading and belief in the Bible’s accuracy.”) are
- Knoxville, TN
- Shreveport, LA
- Chattanooga, TN
- Birmingham, AL
- Jackson, MS
- Springfield, MO
- Charlotte, NC
- Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA
- Huntsville, AL
- Charleston, WV
So What?
Bible minded isn’t a phrase I have ever used nor one with which I claim any prior familiarity. Given the criteria used, it appears to be something close to the ideal of a practicing Evangelical. David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, summarizes the research by noting that it provides statistical data showing great diversity in Bible mindedness among the cities included in the survey while highlighting the small number of cities (5 of 96) in which a majority of survey respondents met the criteria to be categorized as Bible minded. All in all, there are no big surprises in the findings. I wonder, however, what you think of the term Bible minded – especially as it is used in this research.