One in 4 Americans and nearly half of senior Protestant pastors have a dim outlook on Islam, according to a new survey by LifeWay Research.

The poll by the non-profit Christian group asked the views of 1,000 Americans and 1,000 senior Protestant pastors from across the United States.

The findings indicated that just over a quarter (27 per cent) of Americans agree that the ISIS is a reflection of Islamic society.

Forty five percent of the pastors surveyed agreed that the Islamic State "gives a true indication of what an Islamic society looks", while 47 per cent of the number disagreed with the sentiment.

The survey indicates a grimmer view of Islam among the clergy than regular Americans.

Sixty one per cent of the pastors surveyed disagreed that "True Islam creates a peaceful society", while only 30 per cent agreed.

In comparison, 43 per cent of regular Americans agreed with the statement, while 40 per cent disagreed.

Seventy six per cent of pastors also see the need for airstrikes against the Islamic State to protect the Christians in Iraq and Syria. Only 13 per cent disagreed.

"People are increasingly antagonistic, and religious leaders are particularly antagonistic towards Islam, and perhaps what people are seeing nightly on TV news is driving this," Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research said. "They think about it and say, 'I see this every night. I don't want this here.'"

Meanwhile, 37 per cent of Americans have expressed anxiety over the application of Sharia, or Islamic law, in the US.

The survey comes on the heels of atrocities committed by the ISIS, who have kidnapped and killed journalists and aid workers deployed in Syria, as well as terrorised and displaced Christians in Iraq. In its latest barbaric act, the group executed 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya.