The first comprehensive Christian theology of Artificial Intelligence - written by an author who has spent over forty years in IT and a lifetime in the Christian faith.
When ChatGPT arrived in November 2022, the world changed. Within months, machines were writing sermons, composing prayers, comforting the bereaved, and answering theological questions with apparent sophistication. The Church barely knew what had happened. The questions piled up faster than the answers.
In His Image, By Our Hand is the answer Christians have been waiting for.
What this book offers:
* A clear explanation of what AI actually is - and what it is not - written for thoughtful Christians who are not technologists
* A robust defence of the biblical doctrine of the Image of God as the indispensable foundation for thinking about AI, human dignity, and what makes us truly human
* Sustained engagement with the deepest questions: consciousness, the soul, creativity, sin, love, death, and resurrection - all in the light of artificial intelligence
* Honest theological assessment of AI's most troubling applications - algorithmic bias, the concentration of corporate power, the disruption of work, and the rise of autonomous weapons
* A powerful articulation of the Incarnation as the heart of the Christian response to disembodied intelligence
* Practical pastoral wisdom on AI in preaching, prayer, counselling, evangelism, and the life of the local church
* A serious Christian engagement with existential risk, transhumanism, the Singularity, and the eschatological visions driving the AI industry
* Concrete guidance on faithful stewardship of AI for pastors, parents, professionals, and ordinary believers
Why this book is different:
Most Christian books on technology are written by theologians who do not understand the technology. Most books on AI ethics are written by technologists who have no theological framework. Reginald Carrington is uniquely positioned: a lifelong Anglican lay preacher and Sunday school teacher with five decades of active Christian discipleship, who has also spent his entire professional career - since 1983 - building, deploying, and overseeing information technology systems for organisations across the public and private sectors.
He has read the source code AND the Scriptures. He has debugged networks AND led prayer meetings. He understands both the genuine wonder of what AI can do - and the genuine danger of what we may make of it.
Who this book is for:
* Pastors preparing their congregations for the AI age * Christian parents raising children in an algorithmic culture * Believers working in the technology industry * Students of theology, ethics, and philosophy * Church leaders thinking about AI policy and practice * Thoughtful Christians who sense that something profound is happening and want to face it faithfully * Anyone troubled by the question of what makes us human in an age when machines do what only humans used to do
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The age of the algorithm needs to hear that ancient truth with fresh ears. In His Image, By Our Hand shows the Church how to speak it.
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." - 1 Corinthians 13:8
