Christian Curriculum
An Evangelical perspective
nderstanding and Engaging on Questions of Safe and Beneficial Artificial Intelligence
Introduction
Engaging Artificial Intelligence Ethically: An Evangelical Resource is designed, first, to help participants to understand AI clearly enough to engage it wisely—rather than fearfully or uncritically. Second, it aims to help participants shape their engagement with AI according to evangelical convictions. The goal is to support the intention of participants to live as faithful, thoughtful people in an age being shaped by AI.
Learning objectives
This course is intended to orient the ethical issues that Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses according to the moral and faith tenets that shape our lives. As an overview, we will not cover all topics or all uses of AI comprehensively. Given the diversity within American Christianity, we anticipate that there will be a wide range of AI literacy and theological fluency among those who participate in the course. We appreciate your forbearance as your group works together to reach a common understanding of the basics of both theology and technology and welcome everyone to bring their expertise in these subjects to illuminate and enrich our discussions. This work of wrestling together is itself a practice of the gospel as we understand it.
We approach this discussion with humility and hope, and pray for constructive discussions within your group.
Each unit proceeds with
1 · Opening
2 · Technical Fundamentals
3 · Theological Orientation
4 · Application Exercise
5 · Closing
What’s included
Participant study guide
A five-unit participant study guide for Christian communities.
Details GuideModerator guide
A moderator guide to accompany the five-unit participant study guide.
Details VideoTheological videos
A set of theological videos connecting ethical questions with Biblical resources, one for each unit.
DetailsThe materials are available free of charge. Review and accept the use terms to access them.
Access the curriculumThe five units
Open a unit for its summary, an instructional video, and additional readings.
1 Unit 1 AI and the Gospel
This unit provides the baseline for the discussions across the five units. A brief history of AI and a set of core technical definitions equip participants with a more precise understanding of what AI is and what it is not. The theological component introduces the biblical narrative of the gospel according to Jesus as good communion to orient participants’ desires and discernment of AI (Luke 4).
Christian readings
Coming soon
Technical readings
Coming soon
Theology video · coming soon
2 Unit 2 Language and Learning
Unit 2 applies the vocabulary from Unit 1 to the AI system that participants are most likely to interact with directly: Large Language Models (LLMs). Technical content moves expertly through how LLMs actually work in order to distinguish what LLMs can and cannot do, with particular attention to shared notions of truth, hallucinations, deepfakes, scams, and child safety. Participants read the gospel as narrated in Genesis to recognize the time, effort, and skills of good communion required to transform knowledge into wisdom (Genesis 3:1–10 and Genesis 11:1–9).
Christian readings
Coming soon
Technical readings
Coming soon
Theology video · coming soon
3 Unit 3 Power, Justice, and Accountability
This unit considers algorithmic decision systems to ask, “Who is accountable when AI makes decisions about people?” Ethical issues of private ownership, infrastructure, bias, privacy, surveillance, discrimination, and environmental cost are centered in technical explanations and case studies. Participants continue reading the gospel as presented in the beginnings and future of the church to consider how Christ-followers are to make peace in unjust systems of power through their ordinary lives (Acts 2:1–24 and Revelation 7:9–17).
Christian readings
Coming soon
Technical readings
Coming soon
Theology video · coming soon
4 Unit 4 Uncertainty and the Future
This unit turns to where AI is heading: the transformative potential of more capable systems, the security and safety risks now manifesting, and finally the speculative frontier of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and superintelligence and ethical methods of response. Participants find familiarity in the garden of Eden and the garden city of Revelation to realize our human task of dominion in cultivating heaven on earth here and now, as Jesus did (Genesis 2:4b–-20 and Revelation 22:1–-7).
Christian readings
Coming soon
Technical readings
Coming soon
Theology video · coming soon
5 Unit 5 What Now? Next Steps, Dialogue, and Policy
This final session moves from understanding to action. The session works at three levels—personal/household, communal/institutional, and civic/policy—and equips participants to make concrete commitments at each with an understanding of the current policy landscape. Theologically, participants are called to answer the Great Commission in conversation with the prophet Jonah’s own call to restore good communion with even the least of God’s creation (Jonah 4 and Matthew 28:16–20).
Christian readings
Coming soon
Technical readings
Coming soon
Theology video · coming soon