An appreciative reflection on the use of artificial intelligence in sermon-making from a South African perspective

Abstract

Concerns about the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a resource for sermon-making prompted an appreciative reflection into its use, undertaken with an awareness of the longstanding historical role of resources in this spiritual task of preachers. This article offers an overview of four key areas: (1) early approaches to preaching and sermon-making; (2) later developments in sermon-making practices; (3) ministerial training as an interpretative lens for the sermon-making process; and (4) the utilisation of AI-based sermon-making tools. The author’s own experiences as a student, practitioner, and practical theologian then shape and inform the reflection, locating it within a specific South African context. It is argued that AI should not pose a threat to the integrity of the sermon-making process, as its authenticity does not depend on the resources consulted but by the manner in which these resources are discerned and applied within a process fundamentally understood as spiritual.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article arrives at its findings by engaging AI and sermon-making (homiletics) from an appreciative stance. The resulting view – that AI sermon-making tools may be regarded as a resource for preaching as a spiritual act – has implications for both Homiletics and the craft of sermon-making in the digital age.