Sermons written by ChatGPT

[Jazzy]

Among sermon writers, there is fascination – and unease – over the fast-expanding abilities of artificial-intelligence chatbots. For now, the evolving consensus among clergy is this: Yes, they can write a passably competent sermon. But no, they can’t replicate the passion of actual preaching.

“It lacks a soul – I don’t know how else to say it,” said Hershael York, a pastor in Kentucky who also is dean of the school of theology and a professor of Christian preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Full article

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Thoughts about AI chatbots writing sermons?

 

[Lamb]

Some Lutheran pastors did an experiment with AI and although it sounded okay at first glance, the theology was still off.

 

[prism]

I was thinking about this today, although AI may be able to collect data from all over the internet at incredible speed, I don't believe it has any true concept of eternity or eternal life and therefore can't be of much help when it comes to eternal things.
Can you imagine ChatGPT expositing John 3 on "You must be born again!"?
Some Christians can't even get that straight, even though it is so fundamental and the basis of our walk.

 

[tango]

I can't say I've looked at AI generated content in any detail. What I'm always conscious of, and a few people have commented on it when I've preached, is that visual illustrations often help to make a point and if those illustrations come from personal experience it gives it extra depth.

One time I preached about forgiveness and talked of a time my wife and I walked along the beach, leaving footprints in the sand behind us. Then I said how the lapping of the waves washed over the footprints, erasing them completely as if we had never been there. The parallel was how forgiven sin is washed away as if it never happened. A few people commented on how helpful they found the visual image. There's something about a personal experience that doesn't have quite the same impact if it's a third-hand story that happened to someone else and showed up in an article on the internet.

 

[prism]

I can't say I've looked at AI generated content in any detail. What I'm always conscious of, and a few people have commented on it when I've preached, is that visual illustrations often help to make a point and if those illustrations come from personal experience it gives it extra depth.

One time I preached about forgiveness and talked of a time my wife and I walked along the beach, leaving footprints in the sand behind us. Then I said how the lapping of the waves washed over the footprints, erasing them completely as if we had never been there. The parallel was how forgiven sin is washed away as if it never happened. A few people commented on how helpful they found the visual image. There's something about a personal experience that doesn't have quite the same impact if it's a third-hand story that happened to someone else and showed up in an article on the internet.

My wife does best with visual illustrations as well, unfortunately, I’m more abstract minded except when it comes to poetry…which I hear ChatGPT does quite well as well.

 

[tango]

My wife does best with visual illustrations as well, unfortunately, I’m more abstract minded except when it comes to poetry…which I hear ChatGPT does quite well.

Abstract notions can be good but sometimes there's nothing like a clear image that anyone can picture to make a point. I like abstract notions but sometimes they can be, well, too abstract. My abstract thoughts may be so totally different from any image you conjure in your mind when I describe it that relying on it to make a point risks losing the point entirely.

 

[prism]

Abstract notions can be good but sometimes there's nothing like a clear image that anyone can picture to make a point. I like abstract notions but sometimes they can be, well, too abstract. My abstract thoughts may be so totally different from any image you conjure in your mind when I describe it that relying on it to make a point risks losing the point entirely.

This is true, the trick is to have the abstract link to visual realities as Jesus did with His parables. Another thing, I doubt ChatGPT is capable of.