A prominent Christian ethics organization has published a new guide to help its community navigate the growing influence of artificial intelligence on daily life, work, and relationships. The guide, titled “The Work of Our Hands,” argues for a specific theological and pastoral framework to address the moral and ethical questions posed by AI technology.
Key Takeaways
- The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) has released a guide on artificial intelligence for Christian communities.
- The central argument is that technology, including AI, is not morally neutral and actively shapes human behavior and values.
- It aims to provide a pastoral approach to understanding AI's impact on work, personal life, and relationships.
- The guide is part of a larger series from the ERLC that addresses contemporary issues such as political engagement and gambling.
ERLC Addresses AI's Societal and Spiritual Influence
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, has formally entered the conversation on artificial intelligence with the release of its guide, “The Work of Our Hands: Christian Ministry in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” The publication is designed to equip pastors and laypeople with principles to understand and engage with a technology that is rapidly integrating into nearly every facet of modern society.
The organization states that the guide is a response to a recognized need for an explicitly Christian perspective on AI. As these technologies become more sophisticated and widespread, the ERLC suggests that individuals of faith must consider the deeper implications beyond mere functionality. The guide's premise is that AI will fundamentally shape not just economic and social structures, but also personal and spiritual ones.
This initiative places the ERLC among a growing number of religious and ethical bodies attempting to create frameworks for the responsible development and use of AI. By focusing on a pastoral approach, the organization aims to translate complex technological concepts into practical guidance for local church communities and families grappling with these changes.
The Argument That Technology Is Not Neutral
A core thesis presented in the ERLC's guide is that technology is never a morally or theologically neutral tool. The publication asserts that technologies are inherently formative, meaning they actively shape the behaviors, values, and habits of their users. This perspective challenges the common view of technology as a simple instrument that is good or bad only in how it is used.
The guide draws parallels between the current AI revolution and the societal shifts caused by previous technological innovations like the smartphone and social media. These earlier technologies, it notes, fundamentally altered how people curate their lives, share information, and access knowledge. The speed and scale of these changes often occurred without a deliberate consideration of their long-term effects on human relationships and well-being.
Defining Formative Technology
The concept of "formative technology" suggests that tools and systems are designed with inherent biases and goals. For example, social media algorithms are often optimized for engagement, which can unintentionally shape user behavior toward seeking validation or spending more time on a platform. The ERLC guide applies this same lens to AI, questioning the values embedded in its development, such as an overwhelming emphasis on efficiency.
RaShan Frost, the ERLC's director of research, articulated this viewpoint directly in materials accompanying the guide's release.
"Technology is not a theologically or morally neutral tool; it is formative, shaping our behaviors and values, often toward the goal of efficiency."
This statement encapsulates the guide's primary concern: that an uncritical adoption of AI could lead individuals and communities to prioritize machine-defined efficiency over human-centric values like compassion, deliberation, and meaningful work.
A Framework for Ministry in an Automated Age
“The Work of Our Hands” seeks to provide a practical and pastoral framework for Christian ministry as AI's presence grows. The guide is structured to address the technology's impact across three key domains: work, daily life, and interpersonal relationships. It moves the discussion from abstract technical details to the tangible effects on human experience.
The publication encourages a proactive rather than reactive stance. Instead of simply responding to new AI tools as they emerge, it calls for developing a durable theological understanding that can be applied to future innovations. This involves asking critical questions about how AI aligns with or challenges core tenets of Christian belief regarding human dignity, creativity, and community.
For ministry leaders, the guide offers a starting point for discussions on topics such as the ethics of using AI in church operations, counseling members on career transitions due to automation, and teaching youth to interact with AI-driven platforms in a discerning way. The emphasis remains on pastoral care and spiritual formation in a world increasingly influenced by algorithms.
Part of a Broader Series on Modern Issues
The new guide on artificial intelligence is not an isolated project for the ERLC. It is the latest installment in a series of publications designed to provide practical, faith-based guidance on complex contemporary topics. This positions the organization's engagement with AI as part of a sustained effort to address modern challenges through a theological lens.
Other ERLC Practical Guides
The ERLC has published a number of guides in its series, each tackling a specific societal issue from a Christian perspective. This demonstrates a strategic approach to resource creation for its constituency. Other titles include:
- Dual Citizens: A Practical Guide to Christian Citizenship and Civic Engagement
- Pay to Play: A Practical Guide to Addressing Gambling in the Church
- Created in the Image of God: A Practical Guide to Building a Culture of Life
- God’s Good Design: A Practical Guide for Answering Gender Confusion
- A Christian Guide to Political Engagement
By placing AI alongside subjects like civic engagement and gambling, the ERLC signals that it views technological ethics as a mainstream concern for people of faith, equivalent in importance to more traditional social issues. This approach aims to equip its audience to think critically about the underlying values of the digital tools they use every day, rather than accepting them as an inevitable and unexamined part of modern life.
The release of “The Work of Our Hands” highlights a broader trend of established institutions, from governments to religious bodies, working to create ethical guardrails and foundational principles for the age of artificial intelligence. It underscores the belief that the challenges posed by AI are not merely technical but are fundamentally human and moral in nature.
