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Books and Publications
Randall Reed and Tracy J. Trothen
Understanding Religion and Artificial Intelligence: Meaning-Making in the Digital Age
Is artificial intelligence just another tool, or is it something more… Special? In Understanding Religion and Artificial Intelligence: Meaning-Making in the Digital Age, Randall Reed and Tracy J. Trothen delve into this provocative question, revealing how our perceptions of AI are deeply intertwined with age-old human impulses to define the extraordinary.
Introducing their innovative “Model of the Special,” Reed and Trothen illuminate how individuals, groups, and cultures dynamically shape AI’s meaning, ranging from the mundane to the Sacred and Demonic. Through compelling case studies—from AI chatbots, sport, and art to self-driving cars and “Deadbots”—the authors explore how narratives of awe, fear, and even transcendence position AI as a truly “Special thing” in our modern world.
Drawing on insights from religious studies, ethics, and sociology, this interdisciplinary exploration provides a crucial framework for understanding the profound societal, ethical, and spiritual implications of AI. Understanding Religion and Artificial Intelligence invites readers to engage in vital conversations about AI’s impact on meaning, values, and the very fabric of human experience in this rapidly evolving digital age. Prepare to see AI—and ourselves—in a whole new light.
Gina A. Zurlo
Compact Atlas of Global Christianity
Building on the success of Todd M. Johnson and Kenneth R. Ross’s highly acclaimed Atlas of Global Christianity, this volume is the tenth in a series of reference works that takes the analysis of worldwide Christianity to a deeper level of detail.
This volume focuses on Global Christianity, offering reliable demographic information, thematic maps, innovative graphs and original interpretative essays by indigenous scholars and practitioners. It maps patterns of growth and decline, assesses major traditions and movements, analyses key themes and examines current trends. As a comprehensive account of the presence of Christianity in every part of the world, this volume will become a standard work of reference in its field.
In the News
Patrick B. Reyes Appointed as Auburn Theological Seminary’s Executive Vice President & Dean
From the release:
“A visionary scholar and trusted leader, Dr. Reyes has already played a pivotal leadership role, partnering with the President and Board to reimagine what a 200-year-old seminary can offer a rapidly changing world. He will steward Auburn’s three cornerstone portfolios of faith-leadership formation, field-advancing research, and storytelling and narrative change.
Over the next year, Dr. Reyes will work alongside President Jordan-Simpson and the Board to finalize and implement Auburn’s next business plan. Following Auburn’s Heal the World Summit in June 2026, President Jordan-Simpson will take a sabbatical, during which Dr. Reyes will serve as Acting President. Upon President Jordan-Simpson’s return in September 2026, they will share executive responsibilities.
With the Board’s support, Dr. Reyes will succeed President Jordan-Simpson as Auburn’s 17th President on July 1, 2027.”
Australian Catholic University Establishes Ray L. Hart Centre for Philosophy of Religion
From the release:
“The Centre’s inaugural director will be Professor Garth Green, who joins ACU’s School of Philosophy as the Ray L. Hart Professor of Philosophy of Religion, based at the Melbourne Campus.
Professor Green comes to ACU from McGill University in Montreal, where he was John W. McConnell Professor of Philosophy of Religion and served as Director of its School of Religious Studies.”