Between Faith and Algorithms: Religion and Religiosity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 417
Editors
Interests: the axiology of social communication, media, and artificial intelligence technologies; communicative aspects of new media, the internet, and artificial intelligence from an anthropocentric perspective; media education and digital/media literacy in the context of information security; the mediatization of emotion
Interests: developmental psychology and developmental psychology of religion and spirituality; prayer; religious symbols; religious feelings and new technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming individual and communal life, reshaping religious practices, authority structures, communication, and understandings. This Special Issue explores, on the one hand, how religions interpret and co-construct technologically mediated realities—from decision-making algorithms to generative AI and social robotics—and, on the other, how these technologies are transforming religious practices and shaping conceptions of God and transcendence.
The aim of this Issue is to examine the psychological, social, theological (including dogmatic), ethical, and philosophical implications of AI, with particular attention to human dignity, agency, responsibility, and the transformation of communities and rituals in digital environments. Special emphasis is placed on the reinterpretation of core doctrines (e.g., creation, incarnation, the soul, grace) in light of technological developments. We welcome contributions engaging a broad range of religious traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism, as well as folk and indigenous traditions (e.g., African traditional religions and shamanic practices) and East Asian traditions such as Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintō. Submissions adopting interfaith and comparative perspectives are particularly encouraged, as are interdisciplinary approaches.
Topics may include the following:
- Reinterpretations of doctrinal concepts (e.g., creation, incarnation, and the human person) in the context of AI, prompting a re-examination of the relationship between divine creation and human technological production, while preserving their ontological distinction. At the same time, the way AI challenges establish notions of personhood—particularly rationality, agency, and moral responsibility—without revising doctrinal foundations, contributing instead to their further development in light of contemporary technological challenges.
- Identity, embodiment, and subjectivity in the age of AI.
- Ethics of algorithms (bias, justice, transparency).
- AI in pastoral care, religious education, and communication.
- Digital rituals, online communities, and religious authority.
- The role of personalization algorithms in shaping individual religiosity and prayer practices.
- The impact of social media and artificial intelligence on the transformation of the expression of faith.
- The impact of social media and artificial intelligence on the transformation of religious community formation.
- Interfaith and global perspectives.
We invite scholars from theology, psychology, sociology, philosophy, media studies, bioethics, and related fields.
Prof. Dr. Małgorzata Gruchoła
Prof. Dr. Małgorzata Tatala
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- artificial intelligence
- religion
- theology
- dogmatics
- ethics of technology
- identity
- community
- algorithms
- digital spirituality
- religiosity
- religious community
- transhumanism
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
