Bible sales soar by more than a third after Charlie Kirk's death

The figure represents the single largest month on record for sales so far this year.

Brenna Connor, an analyst at Circana BookScan, told The Wall Street Journal: "September brought a wave of troubling events - violence, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty - underscoring a pattern: In times of crisis, more people turn to faith for comfort and support."

Despite the first nine months of 2025 seeing total print sales fall in the US by one per cent, Bible sales defied the trend and saw an 11 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024.

It is thought that Mr Kirk's death has begun to stir a Christian revival across the country.

The conservative activist, who was shot dead at a rally at Utah Valley University on September 10, was vocal about his faith and its importance to his political beliefs.

Mark Schoenwald, the president and chief executive of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, said the incident had "awakened a lot of people", especially those aged between 18 and 34, adding that people "started to think about what they believe and why".

Mr Kirk's widow Erika said during her speech at his memorial in Arizona that her husband's death sparked a spiritual revival for many.

She said: "This past week, we saw people open a Bible for the first time in a decade.

"We saw people pray for the first time since they were children.

"We saw people go to a church service for the first time in their entire lives."

Pastors across America have also spoken out on the "Charlie Kirk effect" which has seen worshipper numbers surge in the month following his death.

Attendance at Oceans Church in Irvine, California rose by 30 per cent the weekend after the shooting, according to The Boston Globe.

Lead pastor Mark Francey said: "After such trauma or tragedy, people who normally don't pray begin to pray.

"Death awakens people to what is really important about life and funerals remind all of us about our own morality."

The number of Americans who identify as Christian has been steadily declining in recent years, and appears to have settled at around six in 10, according to a survey produced by the prestigious Pew Research Centre.

A research associate at the centre, Chip Rotolo, said it was too early to say if this spike would become the new norm, adding that Christianity gained influence after 9/11 but declined again in the following years.

He said: "While this recent stability is intriguing, it's too early to tell whether it might be followed by religious growth, continued stability, or more decline.

"Sometimes major events can shake up the religious landscape in powerful ways. But we can't predict whether those changes will be lasting or temporary."