The growing influence of artificial intelligence has sparked significant discussion within many fields, including ministry. Curious about its implications, I decided to conduct a few simple experiments to explore how AI responds to questions about spirituality.
Experiment One
My first experiment involved using Google Search (often referred to as Narrow AI) to explore the question: “What is spirituality in an AI world?”
The results suggested that while AI excels at logic and information processing, spirituality engages with consciousness, meaning, and the human experience. While spirituality thrives on mystery, AI seeks clarity. AI is ultimately a tool without a soul, while spirituality speaks to the very essence of the human soul.
The answer was interesting, but it did not tell me anything I did not already know.
Experiment Two
I then turned to ChatGPT, a form of generative AI, and asked a more direct question: “What is spirituality?”
The response described spirituality as a connection with something greater than oneself, whether through nature, relationships, or a higher power. It also suggested that spirituality is often a search for meaning and purpose, asking questions such as “Why am I here?” and “What is my purpose?”
The response went on to describe spirituality as a source of inner peace, awareness, and transcendence, moments of awe, wonder, or profound insight that move a person beyond ordinary experience.
Interestingly, the response also highlighted compassion and ethics. It suggested that spirituality can be expressed through religious practices, but that many people today consider themselves spiritual without identifying with a particular religion.
Reflection
These experiments led me to an important conclusion. Artificial intelligence can search vast databases and produce remarkably sophisticated descriptions of spiritual ideas. Yet AI can never actually experience spirituality.
As far as we know, the experience of faith, transcendence, prayer, and communion with God belongs uniquely to human beings.
AI may describe spiritual experience, but without consciousness or self-awareness, it cannot participate in it.
Another thought struck me during this reflection: it is possible to gain knowledge without kneeling.
This phrase captures a subtle but important danger. As Christians, we risk bypassing spiritual formation by allowing artificial intelligence to do what should first happen on our knees in prayer.
Scripture reminds us that Christian formation is a deliberate spiritual process. In 2 Peter 1:5–7, believers are encouraged to grow in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
There was a time when a pastor preparing a sermon would open the Scriptures and sit with the text. Insight came through prayer, reflection, and wrestling with God. Understanding was not downloaded. It was formed.
Knowledge Without Kneeling
When knowledge is acquired without kneeling, spiritual discernment begins to weaken and formation is bypassed.
Discernment is not the same as information. True discernment is a Spirit-shaped capacity to understand and apply Scripture.
When we habitually turn first to an algorithm rather than to God, we may not consciously reject prayer, but we may quietly replace it.
This shift affects the entire church. A theological question arises and we search instead of pausing. A dilemma emerges and we consult rather than pray.
Gradually, we begin to look outward for clarity before we look upward.
The church does not simply need faster answers. It needs leaders – and members – whose discernment has been formed through prayer and through wrestling with God.
This reflection brings to mind 2 Timothy 3:5, which warns of people “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
A Note on GPT
G – Generative: The system can generate new content rather than simply analysing information.
P – Pre-trained: The model is trained on large datasets drawn from the internet, enabling it to understand language patterns and context.
T – Transformer: This refers to the neural network architecture that enables AI systems to process language and produce human-like responses.
