The top 101 questions people ask about God, Christianity, and apologetics based on Google search queries with links to Biblical answers – updated with 2019 data.
Editor Note: The updated Top 101 Theology Questions in 2020 is available now.
Last year, we created our inaugural version of the Top 101 Theological Questions in 2018. It was the most popular post on the blog. The aim of this post is to provide a list of questions that people type into Google every day: questions about God, Christianity, apologetics, and anything else related to Christian theology – aka theology questions. In addition, to the questions, we added a link to a Biblical or true, authoritative post that answers the question.
This year, we wanted to replicate the post with some notable changes:
- Added ‘denominations’ and Christian groups that were mostly absent last year.
- Added sins and doctrines that were mostly absent last year.
- Added Bible characters that were mostly absent last year.
- Added Bible verses that were mostly absent last year.
Methodology for Compiling the Top 101 Questions
Every list of popular Christian apologetics questions will be different. Each researcher will filter out good queries that could be considered theology questions or apologetic queries by another researcher. So it’s important to list the assumptions for any set of questions.
- We used Google’s Keyword Planner (a keyword research tool) to compile a new list of theological queries. This year’s research captured more queries not in the last year’s list.
- All search queries are questions, though not all are phrased as questions.
- Many query variations of the same general question. We did compress some queries into one query.
- Initial queries are not necessarily directed towards Christians, but queries can be answered by Christian theology. Ex. “What is the meaning of life”
- Questions are asked by Christians and non-Christians.
- Results are a snapshot of questions the broader culture is asking at the time the keyword research was accessed. In 10 years, the list may be significantly different.
- Like last year’s 101 questions, results are worldwide – NOT just from the US.
Inclusions
- Basic Christian theology questions.
- Psychological questions: who am I.
- Varieties of Christianity: Catholic Church, Methodist Church, etc.
- Science: cosmology, evolution, etc.
- Philosophical questions: what is truth, etc.
- Trustworthiness of Biblical doctrines questions.
Exceptions
- Names and books were removed.
- Types of meditations were removed.
- Individual churches or ministries were removed.
- Bible versions and Bible references were removed.
- Other gods / goddesses were removed.
- Philosophies and religions were removed (unless compared with Christianity).
- Noteable related exceptions: what is freedom, what is philosophy.
* Queries are rephrased in the form of a question. The original query is in parentheses based on the original keyword export.
** Monthly search volume is based on global search volume for all languages for the exact query typed from January 2019. Numbers are estimates based on data Google shares with its advertisers.
Great post.
Appreciate it!
Over the next 101 weeks, I’ll be attempting to answer these queries one at a time, and I’m challenging myself to answer each one in two minutes or less.
https://youtu.be/v7IySlkRxIk
Great work, George. I love how you used 1 Corinthians 13 to define biblical love.
Pleasantly surprised to see a reformist as the author when I looked for & found this list of theological questions.
Hey Sherrie – I am a Reformed Christian. Have a great weekend!
really helpful post
Thanks, Evan!