Hi. First, I want you to know that, even though I’ll be writing about artificial intelligence (AI) here, this is very much a pastoral article. I’m talking to regular people who are curious about navigating this new(er) technology, not only to the techies or other pastors.
Second, where I’m going: AI is here to stay. Whether you’re an early adopter, a resister, or somewhere in between like me, it’s a part of our lives now. And like every other technology, its value and outcomes will depend on its use. Some of the choices of how to use AI are out of my control, and some of the choices are mine. Same goes for you and everyone. My thoughts will focus on how it is used for spiritual advice.1
As I mentioned in my previous article,2 research has revealed that many Christians want guidance from pastors on how to navigate AI. So here I am. But what do I know? I know that pastors should always speak humbly, especially when speaking about matters in which they are not experts, which is almost everything. What I’m saying is, just because someone is a pastor, that doesn’t mean they can speak well about science, tech, education, politics, etc. At the same time, it is our responsibility to bring God’s word to bear on every area of life.
How can we do this? Well, keep reading.
There’s another bit of background I want to mention here. In my last article, I asked you how you used AI. Thank you for your interactions with me on Facebook, email, and in person. They were helpful. But what I realized is that everyone’s ideas, or concerns, about how to use AI revolve around the applications of it in their own field. To one person, AI means something like a Google search on steroids. To another, it means help with reports or presentations. To another, it means an assistant for administrative tasks. And for others, it’s a companion. The list goes on.
So, it’s important to establish the “realm of usage” when discussing AI. Since people are seeking spiritual advice from AI, and want pastoral input about that, I should address it.
Relevant Questions
Can AI be used for spiritual purposes?
Can it be used effectively for spiritual purposes?
Will it be used to replace spiritual people in your life?
Will it be used to replace the leading of the Holy Spirit’s in your life?
As for the first question, the answer is obviously, yes. People are doing it already, so we have the answer. Of course, that brings us to the second question. Can AI be used effectively for spiritual purposes? I believe the answer here is also, yes. Can it help put together a Bible reading program? Sure. Can it help with schedules and reminders for spiritual disciplines? Absolutely. Can it help you understand certain biblical/theological concepts? Probably, depending on how it is asked and directed for research. It’s a tool, like books and Bible study software, that anyone can reference for information. And like those other tools, can be used or misused along the way.
This is where some would be asking if we can trust AI for help with spiritual purposes. But that’s probably a red herring. Since it’s always changing, there’s no way for it to have anything like “reliability” at this point. And since there is also no pathway for me to trust the programmers, I’m basically skipping that. But the idea of trust does point us ahead, to the role of people in our lives.
Will AI be used to replace spiritual people in your life? Even here, the main concern is not trust. It is something else. The best words might be “fellowship,” or “community.” According to Genesis 1, people are made in the image of God—Imago Dei—and nothing else is. That has huge ramifications for our relationships. While you can have a kind or relationship with your dog, your cat, your car, your house, and so on, you cannot have the kind of relationship with them that you have with another human.
AI is made in the image of the human mind—Imago Mentis Humanae—but a mind is not a person.
AI is not made in God’s image. At best, AI is made in the image of the human mind—Imago Mentis Humanae3—but a mind is not a person. When we talk of personhood, we often include concepts of intellect, emotion, and will, for starters. Human personhood is so much more than information and the ability to complete tasks. It must include experience, wisdom, feeling, choices, pain, aspiration, joy, trial, laugher, wins, and losses. Further, the human has a spirit, made alive in Christ, that AI, no matter how developed, can never have. AI exists without a spirit. We do not.
Can the spiritual have Christian fellowship with the non-spiritual? No. AI cannot rejoice with those who rejoice, or weep with those who weep (or do a bunch of other things from Rom. 12). It cannot pray for you. “It doesn’t get happy; it doesn’t get sad; it doesn’t laugh at your jokes. It just runs programs!”4
Beyond what AI can and cannot do for you, we must remember what only you can do for others. Christian fellowship includes a lot of “one anothers.” Serve one another; comfort one another; submit to one another; bear with one another; be of the same mind with one another; teach and admonish one another; love one another. I’m leaving out more than a few but you get the idea.
The risk of spiritual isolation when turning to AI for that which only humans can provide one another is real and must be accounted for in our AI usage. The imago mentis humanae is no substitute for the imago Dei.
In closing, I want to remind us, even as we ought to enjoy spiritual community with other humans, that our first go-to for spiritual advice is still God Himself. He gave us His word. It’s big and variously interpreted, but it is meant to be understood by regular Christians. He gave us the Holy Spirit, who helps us understand what to do with the word. It’s called illumination—the work of the Holy Spirit to help the believer understand how to apply truth to life (1 Cor. 2:10-16)—and machines don’t get it, only people.
So, I use AI almost every day. I use it for complex tasks, writing code/programs, summarizing articles, research, automating the important, converting pictures to text, and more. But as I use it, I’m also trying to make my time with real people better, that I might more effectively share who God has made me to be, and gain the same from them.
So here we are. The landscape is always changing, so most of our tech “rules” will soon be obsolete. I think, however, that these considerations can endure. What do you think? I’d love to hear it.
“Nearly one in three U.S. adults – with the figure rising to two in five among Gen Z and Millennials — say spiritual advice from AI is as trustworthy as advice from a pastor.” (Barna Group and Gloo. “AI Is Becoming a Spiritual Authority in Americans’ Lives, New Research Reveals.” Press release, February 19, 2026. Gloo. https://gloo.com/press/releases/ai-is-becoming-a-spiritual-authority-in-americans-lives-new-research-reveals)
“How Do You Use AI?” https://www.ericpuff.com/how-do-you-use-ai
To be clear, I don’t think that Latin phrase is used anywhere else for theological purposes. But it does lean on the commandment in Frank Herbert’s Dune not to make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.
I’ll never forget this line from the movie, Short Circuit. (Language warning.)