August ‘Witness’: Navigating the digital world

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AI. Artificial intelligence. It was nothing more than a sci-fi gimmick in an Isaac Asimov novel or a Terminator movie — until it wasn’t.

Has there been a day in 2026 that AI hasn’t been in the news? How many among us, within just a few short years, have already come to rely on this rapidly advancing set of technologies to create our spreadsheets, book our travel, amuse us in our free time or even keep us company when we’re feeling lonely?

The August issue of The Lutheran Witness (LW) tackles head-on many of the pressing questions facing Lutherans as they adapt to an evolving digital landscape: What is AI, and how does it work? What opportunities and pitfalls does AI present to churches and church workers? How should we respond when strangers discover Lutheran theology online — and then wander out of the comment section and into our congregations? What does the rise of chatbots tell us about our neighbors’ — and our own — deep need for human connection?

Throughout the diverse reflections included in this month’s LW, readers will find a common thread: the need for true wisdom in the light of Christ’s incarnation. God accomplished the salvation of the world by sending His only begotten Son — not as a disembodied “intelligence,” but incarnate as a man, Jesus Christ. As the Rev. Jonathan Conner reminds us, “A deeper response [to AI in the church] requires us to reflect on what it means to be human and on how the reality of the body and incarnational theology affect the way we do ministry.”

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Posted July 31, 2026