In this episode, we dive deep into the intersection of technology and theology with Michael Whittle, exploring the innovative tool, PulpitAI. This generative AI-based tool is not just a technological marvel but a pastoral assistant, enabling pastors to upload sermon audio and transform it into various content forms like devotionals, Bible reading plans, and discussion questions.  Michael shares the foundational philosophy of PulpitAI, emphasizing that it's "AI-generated, but human perfected," assisting pastors to transcend the blank page and create content that resonates with and disciples their congregation. The conversation navigates through the turbulent waters of content creation in a digital age, addressing the challenges pastors face in a culture saturated with competing voices and content.  We reflect on the crucial role of local church pastors in shaping and discipling their congregations amidst the digital noise, underscoring the importance of maintaining theological and doctrinal integrity in AI-assisted content creation. The episode also peeks into the future, exploring the potential of creating theological and denominational personas within AI, ensuring that the technology serves the message and not the other way around.  Join us as we explore the possibilities, challenges, and future of employing AI in pastoral work, ensuring that the message of the local church not only competes but thrives in the digital arena. Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation!

Join hosts Brad Edwards and John Houmes on the PostEverything podcast as they engage in a thought-provoking discussion with Jonathan Rauch, author of "The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth." Rauch sheds light on the current epistemological crisis, addressing issues such as cancel culture, thought policing, and the spread of disinformation. He emphasizes the importance of a reality-based community and the need for institutions grounded in truth. The conversation explores the challenges faced by churches and society as a whole, where subjective experiences often overshadow objective facts. Rauch raises questions about the erosion of trust in institutions and the rise of conspiracy theories. This episode provides valuable insights into the nature of truth and the impact of the epistemological crisis on our democracy. Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation!

In this episode, Brad Edwards, John Houmes, and our guest Michael Sacasas explore the complex issues surrounding the outsourcing of virtue in the age of social media. We delve into the challenges of moderating content on online platforms and the blurred boundaries of free speech. Drawing parallels to historical and bureaucratic settings, we discuss the difficulties of governing large communities. Throughout the conversation, we discuss the consequences of relying on algorithms and the impact on individual judgment and responsibility. We highlight the overwhelming abundance of information in the digital media landscape, the shift from a narrative experience to a database experience, and the importance of media literacy in navigating conflicting opinions and finding the truth. The discussion also touches on the pressure to speak on social media, the use of emotionally charged language for attention, and the tendency to default to tribal thinking. We emphasize the need for critical thinking, patience, and humility when encountering these complex issues. L. M. Sacasas is associate director of the Christian Study Center of Gainesville, Florida and author of The Convivial Society, a newsletter about technology and society. Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation!

In Robot Theology: Old Questions Through New Media, Joshua K. Smith doesn't so much as explain as demonstrate just how unprepared and unaccustomed to thinking Christianly about technology as a whole, and especially about Artificial Intelligence. How do we approach technology more like Imago Dei stewards than uncritical consumers? What difference does it make to ask not just how something was designed, but why? What are the policy ramifications, never mind the spiritual implications for human individuals and society? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about Social Robots, Battle Bots, Brad's toaster , and the (surprisingly) complex ethics of both creating and using AI with one of the field's preeminent advocates.Josh serves as the Senior Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in Mississippi, and holds a B.A. in Religion from William Carey University, an M.T.S from Gateway Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His dissertation focused on a critique of Robotic Futurism and the potential of Dehumanization. Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation! RESOURCES (BOOK) Robotic Persons: Our Future with Social Robots (BOOK) Violent Tech: A Philosophical and Theological Reflection (WEB) Author's Website

Helen Lewis is a staff writer at The Atlantic, the author of both Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights and The Selfish Genius (coming 2023). As the host of the BBC Radio 4’s The Spark, The Church of Social Justice, and (our favorite) The New Gurus, few journalists have a more consistent track record in asking hard, vulnerable questions about the beliefs and values of their own tribe. As an atheist brought up in the Catholic Church, she's especially interested in exploring how otherwise secular beliefs are nevertheless functioning like a religion the less religious we become. And she is positively fearless in following wherever that question leads. Join us for wide-ranging discussion about how our (increasingly desperate) search for meaning is leading us everywhere from "White Women's Tears" and Gigachads to Productivity idols and - yes - Artificial Intelligence. Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation! RESOURCES (PODCAST) The New Gurus (AUDIO) The Church of Social Justice (SUBSTACK) The Bluestocking

Jason Thacker was thinking, writing, and speaking about AI before it was cool - and long before the most recent “hype cycle.” His first book, The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, tackled the theological, ethical, and anthropological dimensions of technology in general, and AI specifically. And as you will no doubt be able to tell from our conversation, he’s more than an expert or an ethicist - he is a teacher and a disciple who’s love for and hope in Jesus is only more magnified by the technological challenges of our liminal age. Jason is the assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at Boyce College and a research fellow in Christian ethics at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. His work has been featured at Christianity Today, World Magazine, The Week, Slate, USA Today, Politico, The Gospel Coalition, and Desiring God. He is the author of several books, including Following Jesus in a Digital Age and The Digital Public Square.  Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter (X?), Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation! RESOURCES (ARTICLE) Why the Christian Ethic isn't simply about rules

Peter Warren Singer is the Strategist and Senior Fellow at New America, a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, and Founder & Managing Partner at Useful Fiction LLC. He previously was a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution, and was named by the Wall Street Journal as “the premier futurist in the national-security environment." While that's quite the real-world résumé, we wanted to talk to him about science fiction...  Specifically, Burn-In: The Real Robotic Revolution, the near-future science fiction novel he coathored with August Cole to stretch the imaginations of National Security, Intelligence, and State Department professionals needing better conceptual handholds for grasping AI's potential to reshape... well... all of human society.  Oh, and did we mention he's also an actual, real-life "Mad Scientist?" Join us for a very imagination-stretching conversation about the potential near-future challenges, opportunities, and yes, dangers posed by Artificial Intelligence.  Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation! RESOURCES (BOOK) Burn-In: The Real Robotic Revolution (WEB) Official Website (LLC) Useful Fiction (THINK TANK) New America's Cyber Citizenship Initiative

Danny Rankin is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of several: he served for 6 years in US military (cryptologic farsi linguist & US Air Force Band), invented and designed one of Kickstarter’s most popular projects in 2017 (a cooperative card game called “Ravine”), and graced the stage with his (hilarious) talk at TEDx Mile High on "the art of counterfeit design." As an instructor at the University of Colorado's ATLAS Institute (an institute for radical creativity and design innovation for both engineering and the arts), Danny has been working through the interdisciplinary pros/cons of AI and its various implications for educational institutions before it was cool. Join us as Danny helps us understand what is even meant by "AI" right now, how it may or may not impact society as a "Novel Technology," and otherwise explore how to think well about Artificial Intelligence and the Imago Dei! Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation! RESOURCES (ARTICLE) Speculative Design and a Cone of Possibilities (PODCAST) Synthetic Humanity: AI & What's At Stake (VIDEO) The Art of Counterfeit Design

Season 2 is officially HERE. As two pastors with zero combined experience using technology more advanced than a fancy microwave, we decided it would be only natural to dedicate an entire season to ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. And by "we," we mean "Brad." John was ALSO (very) skeptical at first, so we couldn't think of a better introduction to Season 2 than to force Brad to make the case for how this quixotic idea could possibly be within the scope of "remapping culture and rethinking leadership for a liminal age." It turns out that digging into AI and all it's implications holds at least as much promise for deeper understanding of what it means to be HUMAN as it does potential for profound societal DISRUPTION. Welcome back to our Liminal Age and let the "Skynet" jokes commence! Was this episode helpful or encouraging in some way? Great! Then you won't want to miss what's next so SUBSCRIBE now and send this episode to a friend! We appreciate it! 🙏 You can also leave a review (it really helps), or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to join the conversation! RESOURCES (NYT) A Valentine's Day Conversation with Bing's Chatbot by Kevin Roose (NYT) A Wellness Chatbot is Offline After a 'Harmful' Focus on Weight Loss  (PODCAST) “The Quiet Catastrophe Brewing in Our Social Lives” with Ezra Klein

Western culture has long celebrated the individual. But the global pandemic accelerated the pervasiveness of individualism within our long-held institutions, like churches. This has led to an incredible burden on individuals to make meaning and a deepening polarization of tribes. In other words, it’s not good. In March 2022, Brad Edwards gave a talk called “PLANTING CHURCHES THAT FUNCTION AS GREENHOUSE INSTITUTIONS” at the Spanish River Church Planting Conference.  In his talk, Brad diagnoses the warning signs of individualism solidifying in our culture and churches, and offers three mindset shifts for planting churches (and growing institutions) that grow people out of individualism, rather than further solidifying them in it. RESOURCES: The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, by Alan Kreider Panel: Al Barth – Director of Church Planting at SRC David Cassidy – Lead Pastor at SRC Rick Hunter – Director of City Church Project Moussa Intiga – Lead pastor at Christ Central Church in Soweto, South Africa