Read, Pray, and Attend Worship... Bible Sales Surge 36% After Charlie Kirk's Death

2.4 Million Bibles Sold in the U.S. in September, Marking Highest Monthly Sales This Year
WSJ: "Sales Surge Attributed to Charlie Kirk's Death and Nationwide Mourning"
Kirk's Wife: "People Opened the Bible for the First Time"

Reports have emerged that Bible sales surged across the United States during September, the month when right-wing activist Charlie Kirk passed away. According to Yonhap News, on October 20 (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing the book sales tracking service Circana BookScan, reported that approximately 2.4 million Bibles were sold in the United States last month, a 36% increase compared to the same month last year. This made September the month with the highest Bible sales so far this year. Bible sales from January to September this year increased by 11%, in contrast to an overall 1% decrease in print book sales in the United States during the same period.

On the 21st of last month, President Donald Trump stood with Erica, the wife of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist from the United States, at a memorial event. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Kirk exerted his influence by founding Turning Point USA, an organization that promotes Christian values primarily among young people. The group has become a central force within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, which played a decisive role in President Donald Trump's re-election campaign.

On September 10, during a Turning Point USA-sponsored debate at Utah Valley University in Utah, Kirk was engaging in a Q&A session with the audience when he was fatally shot by an assassin at the age of 31. Following Kirk's death, President Trump and other government officials fostered a nationwide atmosphere of mourning. For five days after Kirk was killed, flags across the United States were flown at half-staff by President Trump's order.

The memorial service for Kirk, held on September 21, was attended by President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, among other government officials who filled the venue.

On the 21st of last month, the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where Kirk's memorial service was held, was packed with people. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

At the event, Kirk's wife Erica said, "Over the past week, some people opened the Bible for the first time in ten years, some prayed for the first time since childhood, and others attended a worship service for the first time in their lives." President Trump stated, "Kirk was brutally murdered by a radicalized, cold-blooded monster for the crime of speaking the truth. Now, he is a martyr for American freedom."

Kirk's death, portrayed as martyrdom, may have led more Americans to seek out the Bible. Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, told the WSJ, "Kirk's death awakened many people," adding, "They began to think about what they believe and why they believe it."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.