AI, the Church, and the Creeds

I've hesitated to write about artificial intelligence — not because it lacks relevance, but because so much has already been said. Yet AI presents a distinct challenge to Christians, one that demands not just reaction, but a looking back to our past. In this moment, we must turn to the wisdom of the Church: the creeds of the historic faith.

A creed is more than a summary of belief. It is a declaration of identity and a theological foundation for our faith. Derived from the Latin credo — "I believe" — creeds like the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed have served as theological anchors for centuries. They remind us who God is, who we are, and what we confess in the face of uncertainty. Denominations also have their own statements of faith, which serve a similar purpose.

Noll continues: churches who disregard these creeds "cut themselves off from the vitally important work that has been accomplished by the numberless assemblies making up the communion of saints." In an age where AI can generate endless streams of information — religious, secular, and everything in between — the creeds serve as landmarks of our faith, keeping our compass oriented as AI integrates itself into every field of knowledge.

Christians must be clear on what we believe — not just emotionally or experientially, but doctrinally. The creeds provide that direction. AI challenges us in areas that have historically been in the Church's domain: What defines life? How is morality determined within our society? The Church has faced intellectual conflicts before — Darwin's theories, Galileo's discoveries, Gutenberg's press. Each brought disruption. Each ultimately turned the Church back toward Scripture, community, and the creeds.

Today, some experts claim AI will rule our lives. I'm not convinced. If we remember who we are in Christ — through Scripture, through the Church, through the creeds — we are not in danger. The Holy Spirit still guides. But we must be careful. As AI becomes embedded in daily life, the idea of a Creator God may be blurred by the allure of human-made intelligence. Machines that think and act independently may tempt us to see ourselves as creators.

That opening line alone destroys any notion that human ingenuity rivals divine creation. The creeds remind us that Jesus Christ — not technology — is Lord. That the Holy Spirit — not algorithms — is our guide. AI can analyze, but it cannot discern the Spirit. It can imitate, but it cannot create. As AI becomes a kind of teacher, we must ask: who is forming our minds? The creeds remind us that our formation belongs to the divine.

For Christians, it will be important not to allow AI to provide theological information without understanding the biases built into its programming by its designers. This will demand a basic understanding of the Church's theological foundations and a knowledge of Scripture — otherwise, our doctrines of the faith may be subtly manipulated and twisted to fit into societal norms.

The Church must not retreat. We must engage. Scholars are already doing so, exploring AI's implications for theology, ethics, and discipleship. Christians can harness AI for mission, education, and research. My own tradition — rooted in holiness and Pentecostal practice — has long embraced innovation while holding strictly to moral standards and theological integrity, both through our statements of faith and the Nicene Creed.

In the field of Christian academia, I am concerned because scholarship is a process of research, analysis, and writing — with all three elements contributing to the thinking process. Using AI can short-circuit this by allowing scholars to accumulate information and analysis without doing the hard work of thinking. Historically, the Church has been led by theologians who faced societal challenges with outstanding apologetics and polemics. I hope our scholars will have the integrity to hold the line on AI and use it only as a tool.

Our overworked pastors face a similar temptation — to let AI design sermons and discipleship programs. If AI is used simply to organize and streamline, this is probably fine. But if pastors use it as inspiration for messages, the Church will be placed in great danger.

In conclusion, I believe AI is often oversold. Its promises are inflated. My instinct is to use what is useful, reject what is harmful, and live with integrity and devotion to Jesus Christ. Whatever the future holds, the creeds will remain — not just as statements, but as testimonies of faith across time.