Welcome @epkruger. I’m glad to see you join the conversation on AI and theology. You, in fact, run a blog on this:
https://www.aitheology.com/2019/04/12/erlc-statement-an-annotated-christian-response/
What draws you to this? What is your background on both? Tell us about yourself.
Hi @swamidass, I am honored to join. My journey here has been unexpected, just as most of God’s work is. My interest in the intersection between theology and AI stems from a personal quest to integrate my professional self (data scientist) with my faith and passion for theology. The topic of artificial intelligence allows for this as it touches on humanity, God and technology. As I pursued this path, science also became an inevitable part of the journey. We cannot speak of the integration of faith and technology without first positioning in a broader integration between faith and science. I look forward to further discuss these topics here.
I look forward to discussing with you too. What country are you based out of now?
Also, what do you think the integration between faith and science should be?
Sorry for taking so long to respond. I’ve been traveling for work this week and have had little time to do much else. To answer your question, I currently reside in Atlanta but I am originally from Brazil.
In regards to your second question, it is difficult to fully address it in a few sentences. Yet, I would say that it must start with a full dialogue where both parties are willing to learn. Science must hear the wisdom of faith and faith must consider carefully the findings of science. This should not be a battle for dominance but a quest for collaboration. This is a challenging path as it is bound to make both the religious and the scientist uncomfortable but that is where transformation lies. In the past, Christian theology was said to be done holding both the Bible and book of nature. I think that is an apt metaphor for the integration between faith and science. May we hear God from the wisdom passed on to us by Christian tradition and also through the work of the Spirit in nature. If we dare believe the same God is involved in both then the only way to approach it is through integration.