Pastoral and Spiritual Care in a Digital Age

Digital technologies and the advance of artificial intelligence are changing human nature. This book explores implications for pastoral and spiritual care providers, religious faith communities, clinical practitioners, and educators and asserts the need for theological reflection about both the existential risk and the opportunities of this change.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing what it means to be human. Given our increasing merger with machines, we have therefore entered uncharted territory and an era of unprecedented change. For pastoral and spiritual care providers, religious faith communities, clinical practitioners, and educators, immediate theological reflection is needed, focusing on the potential existential threat and opportunity, and what will constitute human personhood in an age of technological enhancement. Preserving our humanity in a digital age will require intentional focus on strengthening the neural circuitry associated with focused attention, mindful and compassionate awareness, and social and relational intelligence, even as we put to good use the emerging digital technologies.