The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Study of the Psychology of Religion

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The article is a fairly broad and informative review of the literature on the topic which is presented quite clearly by the authors. It constitutes an insightful study on a fairly rare topic in literature. Each section opens with a short introduction and ends with a concluding summary – perhaps a slightly overly didactic procedure that makes the article repetitive in some parts.

The article offers a well-informed review in presenting the potential of AI, from its cognitive foundations, development, and maintenance of religious beliefs to the formation and transformation of traditional religious practices and rituals. It also provides an in-depth examination of ethical considerations and challenges arising from the integration of AI into religion. However, the scope of the article is almost exclusively limited to the Western context both in the implicit reference to the religions of the Book - accentuating the intellectual aspect of the belief - and in choosing a cognitivist approach, which prevails in today’s Anglo-American literature on religion.

AI may be applied to the complete subjective religious experience, although the study does not give much space to the affective and emotional dimensions of religions, nor their unconscious imagery. This choice is legitimate and does not diminish the value of the contribution but its limitations should be stated more clearly in the introductory premise of the scope of the study.

Author Response

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback on my article. I appreciate your positive remarks on the clarity and insightfulness of the study.

Reviewer 2 Report

This is a clear, thoughtful, timely topic and paper. Here are a few further clarifications and some thoughts. 

Lines 33-34 AI does not raise questions "about the nature of spirituality, belief formation, and the human experience", but certainly about how it may affect them. And, these three are different from, but certainly related to, religion and religious experience.

54-77 Religion and spirituality are two entirely different things and need to be treated separately. Religion is external, cultural social, although it can impact the individual. Spirituality is internal, personal, individual, although it can be impacted by externals of all kinds. 

Section 1.2 This is of extreme importance now, as emerged especially during covid, because "cyberchurch" has become as important as in-person religious gatherings, any religion. Great call!

Line 176 "The psychology of religion" can be "enriched". We don't know yet if it will be, although it seems likely.

261-262 Development of predictive models may be of great value, whether enhancing understanding of current experience models or to discovering new. This follows brilliantly in your paper after extensive comparative assessment of psychological, religious, and AI processes. 

295-345 What an enormously helpful possibility of implications can come from such enhanced textual and linguistic analysis. For example, such terms as forgiveness, when we look historically, linguistically, gives us new psychological insight as to the process, and it can also tip us off to how political interference into scripture can occur. Scriptural analysis is such an enormously complex endeavor that AI could offer inconceivably helpful analyses. 

364 "change processes" - what a crucial aspect of religious experience to analyze!

372-379 Considering rituals here seems a perfect avenue for AI exploration because of the dynamic of repetition which is the nature of ritual. 

412 Religious guidance, likely. Spiritual guidance, not so much because spiritual change is a result of inner discernment, not so much external influence or cognitive process. 

484-560 Ethical considerations are essential.

Section 5 is far more comprehensive than 3.2, but not sure how they would compare, or what distinguishes them - why do separately? 

Lines 676-681 It may also be that AI will have a more enormous historical record from which to draw than any one or committee of scholars might. 

Sections 5.4-5.6 Very helpful to see exactly where the process is today. 

6.1-6.2 are enormously important considerations and set your entire project into a healthy ethical awareness and caveat. 

This is an absolutely critical and timely paper, and an absolutely finely crafted and written project. 

Author Response

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback on my article. I appreciate your positive remarks on the clarity and insightfulness of the study.

Reviewer 3 Report

This is an important contribution; however, it can make for a tedious read.  I am not sure how to make it more readable. Perhaps, adding some more specific examples of AI's impact on religious practice along the way would provide the reader with a break from what reads more like a catalog.

I thought English style could be improved in: line 390 ["exploration," "explored"]; line 410 ["even if they are geographically located"??] line 576 ["can be gained valuable insights"?]; line 622 ["provide how"?]. 

Author Response

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback on my article. I appreciate your positive remarks on the clarity and insightfulness of the study.