{"id":81413,"date":"2025-11-19T18:14:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T16:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/?p=81413"},"modified":"2026-02-11T13:08:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T11:08:30","slug":"digital-rituals-how-technology-is-reinventing-religion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/digital-rituals-how-technology-is-reinventing-religion\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital rituals: how technology is reinventing religion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-139c348ea54afa91b4fa673ab1ea321b\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background-dim-20 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Executive summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Religion has always adapted to new technologies, from the printing press enabling the Protestant reformation to radio broadcasts bringing the sermon into the living room. However, what\u2019s happening now feels a little bit different. Across multiple continents and denominations, religious institutions are experimenting with AI-powered priests, chatbots answering theological questions, and robots delivering sermons. The results are startling, blurring the lines between the realms of sacred and mechanical.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over 1,000 people conversed with an AI Jesus avatar in a Swiss church confessional booth, discussing everything from life after death to homosexuality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A growing number of Muslims are turning to an AI-powered app for faith-based advice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A 400-year-old Japanese temple is using a robot preacher to reignite interest in local religion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Critics warn that AI could potentially distort religious teaching and inadvertently create tension between different religions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A church in Finland used multiple AI platforms to create an entire service.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cThis mechanised approach risks diminishing the fluid, interpretive, and inherently human aspects of understanding religion\u201d, argues Ahmet Dag, Professor at Bursa Uludag University.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These experiments demonstrate AI\u2019s capacity to democratise religious knowledge and make sacred texts accessible across languages and cultures. Yet they also expose critical limitations: the absence of genuine empathy, the risk of algorithmic bias, and the potential to reduce profound spiritual questions to boilerplate responses. As we navigate this transformation, the question becomes not whether AI belongs in religious spaces, but how to preserve the irreplaceable human elements of faith while embracing new tools for connection and understanding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For billions of people worldwide, religion serves as the framework through which they understand, and draw meaning from, the world. Faith shapes daily decisions, offers comfort during hardship, and connects individuals to something larger than themselves. Whether through prayer, study, or community gathering, religious practice has long served as an anchor in the human experience. Historically, that practice centred on physical spaces and face-to-face interactions \u2013 usually through services at temples, churches, and mosques. People learned from clergy and religious scholars in their local communities. Prayer happened in sacred buildings or private moments with physical texts and objects. The rhythm of religious life moved according to set times, specific locations, and the availability of teachers who could guide spiritual development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology has gradually entered this space over the years. Online sermons reached those who couldn\u2019t attend in person. Digital versions of sacred texts made scripture searchable and portable. Religious communities began forming in forums and chat groups, connecting believers across continents rather than neighbourhoods. And now, AI is taking this digitisation of religion one step further. Algorithms curate personalised religious content, matching seekers with teachings that align with their questions and interests. AI-powered apps offer prayer suggestions, meditation guidance, and scripture interpretations tailored to individual contexts. Some congregations are even experimenting with AI-generated sermons and prayers, forever changing how people explore faith, connect with fellow believers, and engage in prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Swiss chapel hosts &quot;AI Jesus&quot; confession sessions to connect faith with technology\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IubtL0IDeTI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An AI-powered avatar of Jesus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Would you trust a digital facsimile of \u2018Jesus\u2019 with your innermost thoughts and troubles?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, Peter\u2019s Chapel in Lucerne, Switzerland, took an unusual step when it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2024\/nov\/21\/deus-in-machina-swiss-church-installs-ai-powered-jesus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">installed<\/a> an AI-powered Jesus avatar in its confessional booth. Named Deus Ex Machina, the installation was the product of an ongoing collaboration with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts that spanned multiple years and previously included projects involving virtual and augmented reality technologies. The AI was first trained on theological texts, after which the chapel opened the booth to visitors who could pose questions to a long-haired image of Jesus projected through the latticework screen. The figure responded in real time, generating answers through a combination of technologies: OpenAI\u2019s GPT-4o handled the responses, an open-source version of Whisper managed speech comprehension, and Heygen\u2019s AI video generator produced voice and video output modelled on a real person.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People asked the resulting \u2018Jesus\u2019 all sorts of questions. Some inquired about true love and loneliness. Others wanted to talk about war and suffering, what happens after death, and whether God exists. Others raised more controversial topics, such as sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church and the institution\u2019s stance on homosexuality. The visitors themselves came from varied backgrounds; while most were Christians, participants also included agnostics, atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, and Taoists, according to a recap released by the Catholic parish of Lucerne. And since AI Jesus spoke about 100 languages, conversations happened not only in German, but also in Chinese, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The intersection between the digital and the divine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, more than 1,000 people took part in the project during its two-month run. Marco Schmid, the chapel theologian who led the project, said that it was largely successful, with many visitors leaving the confessional looking thoughtful or moved. \u201cWhat was really interesting was to see that the people really talked with him in a serious way. They didn\u2019t come to make jokes,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/artificial-intelligence-chatbot-jesus-lucerne-catholic-66268027fbcf4b48972d1d62541f0b16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>. However, he was careful to point out that AI Jesus was an artistic experiment meant to prompt thinking about digital tools and spiritual life, rather than a replacement for human priests or sacramental confession. While Schmid dismissed the idea of making the installation a permanent fixture of his chapel, he nevertheless sees potential in the concept \u2013 perhaps as a multilingual spiritual guide that could help people explore religious questions in a more accessible way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not everyone felt the same way, though. Some visitors told the church they simply couldn\u2019t talk to a machine, while others found the AI\u2019s responses \u201ctrite, repetitive, and exuding a wisdom reminiscent of calendar cliches.\u201d Some within the church community were also critical of the AI-powered Jesus. Catholic colleagues objected to using the confessional booth in this manner, while Protestant colleagues remarked they felt outright troubled by the imagery. Some went even further in their condemnation of the project, calling it blasphemous or the work of the devil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center quote-stat is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u201cUsually when people talk about AI, they are talking about what AI can do in the future. But the future is now.\u201d<br><\/p>\n<cite><em>Reverend Petja Kopperoinen<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A church service created entirely with AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Churches are increasingly turning to AI for help with various tasks, from bookkeeping to drafting sermons.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>St. Paul\u2019s Lutheran church in Finland went a little bit further than just installing an AI avatar \u2013 they created an entire service using AI tools. The experimental service attracted over 120 people to the church in northeastern Helsinki on a weeknight, far more than would normally show up. Some travelled from outside the city specifically to attend, including a handful of foreigners curious about what an AI-led service would look like in practice. \u201cUsually when people talk about AI, they are talking about what AI can do in the future. But the future is now,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/finland-lutheran-church-artificial-intelligence-64135cc5e58578a89dcbaf0c227d9e3e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> Reverend Petja Kopperoinen, who was behind the whole idea. \u201cAI can do all those things that people think that it can maybe do in 10 years or so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 45-minute service was created over the course of several weeks, through the use of multiple AI platforms. ChatGPT-4o generated all the spoken content except for explicit biblical passages. Suno composed some rather puzzling music that sounded more like pop than traditional church hymns. Meanwhile, Synthesia produced video avatars to deliver portions of the liturgy. Between these AI-generated elements, the congregation sang familiar hymns with a traditional live organ accompaniment, creating an odd blend of experimental technology and traditional worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reactions from the pews were, unsurprisingly, decidedly mixed. People found the service interesting \u2013 even entertaining \u2013 but many struggled with how quickly the AI spoke and how hard it was to follow the speech patterns. When asked whether AI could replace human-led services, worshippers and Kopperoinen agreed: not anytime soon. \u201cIt can\u2019t be empathetic towards people. AI can\u2019t really answer your questions in a spiritual way,\u201d he explained. Still, he sees practical uses for the technology. St. Paul\u2019s already relies on AI for bookkeeping, and Kopperoinen himself occasionally turns to ChatGPT when he\u2019s drafting sermons or searching for verses on a particular theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Religious advice from a bot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>How AI is helping Muslims reconcile ancient religious teachings with modern social environments.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, Christians aren\u2019t the only ones turning to AI for religious guidance. Muslims have been building their own digital tools, including some that tackle one of Islam\u2019s most traditional practices: the fatwa. Egypt\u2019s Dar al-Ifta, a governmental non-profit organisation that provides religious guidance to Muslims, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dar-alifta.org\/en\/article\/details\/10334\/e-fatwa-in-the-ai-age-reimagining-islamic-guidance-for-muslim-minorities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">launched<\/a> FatwaPro, a mobile application designed to answer religious questions from Muslims worldwide, with particular focus on those living in secular Western societies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeking a fatwa (an Islamic legal opinion) has traditionally meant direct interaction between a questioner and a mufti. The exchange was often personal, allowing the mufti to understand the specific context and nuances of someone\u2019s situation. But Muslim communities now span continents and cultures, bringing questions that earlier generations might never have encountered. People ask about family law in secular legal systems, about gender identity, bioethics, financial transactions that didn\u2019t exist decades ago, religious doubt in pluralistic societies, and even \u2013 circling back on itself \u2013 the ethics of using AI for religious guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reconciling religious teaching with modern times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>FatwaPro builds on a principle embedded in Islamic jurisprudence: that religious rulings must respond to changing circumstances. Time, place, people, and context all shape how religious guidance applies to specific situations. Since launch, the platform has processed 6,740 fatwas, with 3,470 issued in 2024 alone. It now receives up to fifteen inquiries daily, mostly in English and French rather than Arabic \u2013 a telling detail about who\u2019s turning to the service, and where they live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Family matters dominate the questions, accounting for over 60% of recent inquiries. Marriage, divorce, parenting, gender roles \u2013 these deeply personal topics reflect the tensions many Muslims feel trying to navigate religious teachings alongside modern societal expectations. Someone living in Paris or London faces different pressures and options than someone in Cairo or Karachi, and their questions reflect that complexity. In addition to answering these questions, the app also tracks patterns in what people ask. Dar al-Ifta can see which issues keep coming up, which new concerns are emerging, and where Muslims need more thorough scholarly engagement. The data shapes how they develop content and where they focus their attention, turning individual questions into a map of evolving religious life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The mind of Mindar, Kodaiji temple&#039;s teacher of Buddhism\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hLoF5_-OUKY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A robot preacher<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Can technology help revive interest in religion among younger generations?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kodaiji temple in Kyoto has stood for 400 years, but its latest addition to religious life is unabashedly modern \u2013 an adult-sized humanoid robot named Mindar. Standing 195 centimetres tall and weighing 60 kilograms, Mindar was modelled after Kannon Bodhisattva, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and is designed to <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/robot-deity-preaches-buddhas-scripture-japanese-temple\/story?id=85355691\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">preach<\/a> sermons to visitors. Most of the android is made of aluminium, although its hands, face, and shoulders are covered in silicone to mimic human skin. Its appearance is gender- and age-neutral, similar to how Buddha\u2019s statues are designed. During its 25-minute sermon on the Heart Sutra, a foundational Buddhist text, Mindar moves its torso, arms, and head while speaking to imitate human interaction. It can also establish eye contact with the visitors using a camera lens in its left eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mindar was developed through a collaboration between Kodaiji temple and Hiroshi Ishiguro, a robotics professor at Osaka University, with the reported cost of US$1m. The project started when Tensho Goto, the temple\u2019s former chief steward, asked Ishiguro to create a Buddhist statue via robotics. The pair wanted to enhance spiritual experiences and bring new interest to Buddhism, which has been losing adherents in Japan as modernism and generational shifts pull people away from traditional religious practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Goto positioned the robot as the next logical step in how Buddhist teachings are shared. Buddha\u2019s lessons started as oral stories, then got written down as texts. Artists then created paintings and stone reliefs, which eventually became statues \u2013 three-dimensional forms that made it easier for ordinary people to understand Buddhist teachings and helped the religion spread. Those statues worked well for 2,000 years, Goto <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asahi.com\/ajw\/articles\/14861909\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>, but they haven\u2019t really changed since then. Meanwhile, everything else has. \u201cModern technology has shifted to printing, the internet, and AI. [&#8230;] It is high time for Buddhist statues to speak and look into people\u2019s eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center quote-stat is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u201cThe use of AI to generate interpretations or commentaries on religious texts could result in a rigid, dogmatic, and overly authoritative structure, due to the algorithmic nature of AI. This mechanised approach risks diminishing the fluid, interpretive, and inherently human aspects of understanding religion.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite><em>Ahmet Dag, Professor at Bursa Uludag University<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The impact of technology on religion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>While technology makes it easier than ever to access religious information, it also poses genuine threats to the integrity of religious practice and belief.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI and religion might seem like a rather awkward pairing at first glance, but the truth is that technology has been reshaping religious practice for centuries. The printing press changed everything when it arrived in 15th-century Europe. Mass book production became possible for the first time, and newly formed Protestant groups used it to spread their ideas about Christianity. The Catholic Church, recognising the threat, scrambled to ban works it considered heretical. The internet has done something similar, albeit at a scale that dwarfs even the printing press. \u201cYou now have access to religious ideas and practices from around the world that you didn\u2019t really have access to before,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/science\/article\/technology-impact-religion-faith\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">says<\/a> Robert Geraci, Knight Distinguished Chair for the Study of Religion and Culture at Knox College. \u201cThat gives you a new perspective on whatever it is that you, in particular, perceive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kenneth Cukier, a journalist, author, and expert with the US-based nonprofit AI and Faith, sees striking potential in tools like AI Jesus. \u201cIf AI Jesus helps people connect deeper to themselves and the world, it has to be a good thing. It will lead to better individuals and a better world,\u201d he argues. He\u2019s quick to add a caveat, though. \u201cHowever \u2013 and there\u2019s a big however \u2013 this does feel a little bit infantile, and pardon my pun, machine-like,\u201d adds Cukier. \u201cThe risk is that it pulls people, ultimately, farther away from that which is more meaningful, deeper and authentic in spirituality.\u201d It\u2019s a worry worth taking seriously. Tools designed to bring people closer to spiritual truths might end up creating distance instead, offering something that feels like connection but lacks the depth people actually need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The human aspect of religion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some scholars go even further in their criticism. Professor Ahmet Dag, who specialises in philosophy of religion at Bursa Uludag University, is concerned about what might happen when religious interpretation gets handed over to algorithms. \u201cThe use of AI to generate interpretations or commentaries on religious texts could result in a rigid, dogmatic, and overly authoritative structure, due to the algorithmic nature of AI,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trtworld.com\/article\/18239230\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explains<\/a>. \u201cThis mechanised approach risks diminishing the fluid, interpretive, and inherently human aspects of understanding religion.\u201d His point touches on a fundamental limitation: AI can process enormous amounts of religious texts and identify patterns within them, but it cannot draw on lived experience, cultural nuance, or the kind of spiritual reflection that comes from grappling with doubt, suffering, or transcendence. Religion has always been interpreted through human experience, and that interpretive work shapes how teachings get understood and applied across different contexts and generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dag also suggests that AI might not just serve existing religions but \u2013 for better or worse \u2013 spawn entirely new ones. \u201cThe integration of AI in religious contexts could lead to entirely new forms of representation, potentially giving rise to various religious beliefs or groups rooted in digital structures,\u201d he notes. Rey Ty, who teaches peace studies at Payap University in Thailand, raises more practical concerns about accuracy and bias. AI systems rely on metadata to generate their responses, and that metadata can be incomplete or skewed in ways that distort religious teachings. \u201cMisinformation and inaccuracies generated by AI can damage the integrity of faith and religious communities,\u201d he warns. There\u2019s also the added risk that AI might inadvertently produce content disparaging other religions, potentially creating tensions where none existed before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d3d31d57cc558698767d6d0ad335afbe\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background-dim-20 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learnings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Watching a robot preach about mercy or an algorithm answer questions about faith feels strange, and not just because it\u2019s new. Religion has always dealt with the questions that make us most human: Why are we here? How should we live? What happens when we die? Handing those over to machines seems to miss the point entirely. Yet technology has been reshaping religious practice for centuries, often in ways that seemed threatening or dangerous at first. The printing press made scripture accessible to ordinary people, fundamentally changing how believers engaged with their faith. The internet connected scattered communities and opened up entirely new ways of exploring spirituality. AI is just the latest tool in this lineage, and like those that came before it, it\u2019s forcing us to think about what really matters in religious life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The concerns are legitimate. Algorithms can process religious texts and generate responses, but they can\u2019t draw on lived experience or the kind of wisdom that comes from grappling with doubt and suffering. There\u2019s a real danger that AI-generated spirituality becomes shallow and formulaic, offering answers without depth. At the same time, these tools might help people who would otherwise struggle to access religious guidance \u2013 the isolated teenager with questions about faith, the elderly person who can no longer travel to services, the curious seeker intimidated by walking into a temple or mosque. The real test won\u2019t be whether AI can generate convincing sermons or answer theological questions. It will be whether these tools draw people closer to what matters most: meaning, connection, and the age-old human search for something larger than ourselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From high-tech confessional booths to robot preachers, technology is changing how people pray, learn, and connect with the divine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":81416,"parent":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2870],"tags":[],"article-type":[],"trends":[5485,5445],"class_list":["post-81413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","trends-artificial-intelligence-en","trends-robotics-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Digital rituals: how technology is reinventing religion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From AI-enabled confessional booths to robot preachers, technology is changing how people pray, learn, and connect with the divine.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, 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