Thoughts on faith, culture, and public life.
Australia has never been a monoculture. Long before European settlement, the continent was home to many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and languages. At the time of colonisation, about 250 distinct Indigenous languages were spoken, many with multiple dialects. Since 1788, successive migrations have added further layers of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. …
Continue reading "Faith, cultural diversity and the common good"
Preaching, formation and responsible practice For Christian preachers as well as others whose work frequently involves public communication, AI offers considerable possibilities. A sermon is not simply religious information arranged persuasively, but preaching has always drawn upon tools of interpretation, theology, rhetoric and communication. Generative AI can become another such tool, assisting with biblical background, …
Continue reading "Public Speaking in the Age of AI (Part 2)"
Human authorship, judgment and voice Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming more capable of producing competent prose. Generative AI can compose grammatical sentences, coherent paragraphs, plausible arguments, useful summaries and serviceable first drafts with remarkable speed. For speechwriters and preachers, this development should be welcomed as a significant extension of the tools available for research, reflection, …
Continue reading "Public Speaking in the Age of AI (Part 1)"
The sudden death of Neville George Callam on 16 August marks the passing of a singular figure who significantly reshaped global Baptist self-understanding and contributed to contemporary ecumenical theology. As General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) from 2007 to 2017, he guided the principal global Baptist body through institutional transition, helping to reimagine …
Continue reading "Neville Callam: Baptist statesman, theologian and ecumenist"
When my youngest son was five years old, his mother and I became concerned about his physical development. We took him to a GP, who dismissed our concerns. Many doctors excel in their practice of medicine, but there are a small number whose professional advice is not worth the plastic plate on their door. We took …
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