Thoughts on faith, culture, and public life.
Artist's impression of the Rev Charles Haddon Spurgeon at work on sermon preparation in his pastor's study. Daniel Nealon’s January 2026 essay, “Why Pastors Should Question AI for the Sake of Their Souls” (published here), raises legitimate questions about the formative effects of generative artificial intelligence on Christian ministry. Technologies are not merely passive instruments: they …
Continue reading "Pastoral formation and generative AI: A critical response to Daniel Nealon"
Formation, agency and public communication Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and that is both good and bad news for the wordsmiths among us. On one hand, generative AI can strengthen preaching and public communication when it serves as a critical partner to established human competence. On the other hand, reliance on AI as a …
Continue reading "Public Speaking in the Age of AI (Part 4)"
When AI becomes a crutch Generative artificial intelligence offers remarkable possibilities for preaching, speechwriting and other forms of public communication. It can assist with research, summarise complex material, propose structures, identify weaknesses in arguments, generate counterarguments, suggest illustrations and improve prose. Used judiciously, it can function as research assistant, editor, interlocutor and critic. Risks for …
Continue reading "Public Speaking in the Age of AI (Part 3)"
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)"
All Told 