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LifeWay Research: Americans Still Appreciate KJV, New Poll Finds

Contact: Jon D. Wilke, LifeWay Research, 615-251-2797

NASHVILLE, April 21, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Four hundred years after it debuted as the first widely distributed Bible for the English-speaking world, the King James Version (KJV) still holds a place of distinction among Americans, according to a recent study by LifeWay Research.

The poll, conducted to mark the 400th anniversary of the KJV, found that more than half of all American adults (62 percent) own a KJV Bible.

Among those who read the Bible regularly the percentage of KJV owners is even higher. A full 82 percent of Americans who read the Bible at least once a month own a KJV.

"Christians believe that God's Word is truth and that truth is conveyed through language," said Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research. "It is hard to overstate the influence of the KJV."

More than a quarter of adult Americans (27 percent) indicate they have never read the KJV for themselves.

Women are more likely than men to own a KJV, with 72 percent of women who own a Bible having a KJV copy compared with 62 percent of men. Women own an average of 4.7 Bibles compared with 3.6 for men.

Age is also a significant factor related to KJV ownership. While 76 percent of Americans 55 years and older who own a Bible have a KJV, only 67 percent of those ages 35 to 54 own a copy.

Younger Americans also have less experience reading the KJV. Thirty-five percent of those under 35 have never read a KJV.

Readers of all generations find the KJV's language beautiful. However, Americans in the South are more likely to say they "have found the language to be beautiful" (44 percent).

When all translations are included, 89 percent of American households own at least one Bible, with the average household owning 4.1 Bibles.

Yet there is a significant gap in Bible ownership between those who read the Scriptures regularly and those who do not. Americans who read the Bible at least once a month own an average of 5.8 Bibles while those who read it less than once a month own an average of 2.2.

Approximately half of all adult Americans (53 percent) indicate they personally read the Bible once a month or more.

Women are more likely than men to be Bible readers, with 60 percent of women and 46 percent of men reading the Bible once a month or more.