by Campbell Campbell-Jack, TCW
A BIBLE in a believer’s hands can be incredibly powerful. A Bible can transform an individual’s life, a whole community, or a nation. There is no accounting what doors will be opened by God’s Word let loose. He is, after all, ‘able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine’ (Ephesians 3:20).
Perhaps this is the fear in the nations named on the Bible Access List. Founded by Open Doors International and the Digital Bible Society, the list identifies the countries where access to Scripture is most restricted and Bible shortages are most severe.
The research upon which the list is based examined multiple factors including church growth, literacy rates, infrastructure challenges, import restrictions, printing limitations, ownership laws, and the impact of violent attacks on Bible access.
After several years of research, including many hundreds of interviews with country and mission experts, the data reveals an alarming reality: persecution and Bible access are intimately connected.
There are 88 countries identified as placing some form of restriction on access to the Bible. Nearly half of all members of the United Nations restrict access to Scripture. These range from minimal restrictions to extreme restrictions. Of the 15 countries with extreme restrictions, 14 are Muslim. Among those imposing the most extreme restrictions it is only Communist North Korea that is a non-Muslim state.
The Bible Access List highlights where Bible access is blocked by law, the actions of religious extremists or other non-state actors or even one’s own extended families, as well as limitations due to socio-economic indicators. The Bible Shortage List estimates how many Christians still want a Bible but don’t yet have one.
The top five countries on the Bible Restrictions List are: