Fewer than half of American adults believe that Jesus was born through the miraculous conception of Mary by the Holy Spirit, according to a new survey by the American Bible Society (ABS), which found that belief in the supernatural remains widespread across the United States.
The findings appear in the seventh chapter of the organisation’s 2026 State of the Bible report, released on Thursday. The research examines American beliefs about God, heaven, hell, Satan, angels, demons and biblical miracles, drawing on responses from 2,649 adults surveyed between 8 and 27 January.
According to the report, about 171 million Americans, representing 62 per cent of adults, believe in the supernatural. However, only 49 per cent said the virgin birth was at least probably true, marking the first time a major national survey has recorded belief in this central Christian teaching falling below 50 per cent.
Belief in Jesus’ resurrection remained higher, with 53 per cent of Americans saying they believed in the miracle. The survey also found that only 44 per cent believed in the biblical account of God parting the Red Sea.
Earlier research by the Pew Research Center found that 66 per cent of Americans believed Jesus was born to a virgin in 2017, down from 73 per cent in 2014. However, the earlier survey used telephone interviews and different question wording, meaning the results are not directly comparable with the latest findings.
The American Bible Society’s report found substantially higher levels of belief among practising Christians. Among this group, 97 per cent believed in the virgin birth, 99 per cent believed in Jesus’ resurrection and 92 per cent believed God miraculously parted the Red Sea for the Israelites.
The survey also found that most Americans continue to believe in God, while around one in eight said they did not. Just over half of respondents said they believed in the existence of Satan, hell and demons.
Among practising Christians, many also reported personal experiences they regarded as supernatural. Some 58 per cent said they had experienced a spiritual attack, while 69 per cent reported experiencing divine healing and 90 per cent said they had experienced an answered prayer.
John Farquhar Plake, the American Bible Society’s chief innovation officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series, said the findings suggested that many Americans believe life involves more than the material world.
He said people were seeking answers to spiritual questions through different approaches, including traditional religious practices and other paths. Plake added that the Bible could help people understand the relationship between the natural and supernatural worlds and encouraged Christians to help others engage with Scripture.
Researchers also asked respondents who said they had experienced a spiritual attack which practices they found most helpful in dealing with it.
Prayer was the most frequently selected response, chosen by 74 per cent. Another 36 per cent said declaring the authority of Jesus Christ was helpful, while 24 per cent selected listening to praise and worship music.
Meditating on or quoting Scripture was selected by 15 per cent, making it the least frequently chosen option among those listed.
The American Bible Society highlighted this finding by pointing to the Gospel account of Jesus’ temptation in Matthew 4:4, 7 and 10, in which Jesus responds to the devil’s challenges by quoting Scripture.
The organisation said it hoped to encourage greater use of biblical passages as people seek to respond to spiritual challenges.
Based on reporting by The Christian Post.
