A few months back, I attended my friend’s ordination. It was a beautiful, deeply spiritual ceremony filled with tradition, ritual and reverence. Yet, as I sat in the pews listening to the choir and watching the service unfold, something unexpected struck me.

All around me, quietly woven into this holy environment, was technology.

A tablet on the lectern. Microphones controlled remotely. A camera positioned discreetly at the back for the livestream. Screens glowing softly as members of the congregation followed readings on their phones. Also, during the sermon itself, the priest spoke thoughtfully about artificial intelligence and the way it shapes our interactions, our sense of self and our communities.

There I was, in a sacred space, with a religion millennia old, but listening to a conversation about ethics, humanity and AI. It was a wow moment, but here’s the thing…it felt completely natural.

Faith, Tradition and the Digital Shift

This wasn’t my first encounter with technology in a religious setting. Over the years I’ve seen:

• Lots of readings a variety of devices
• QR codes offered for donations instead of passing a collection plate
• Hymn boards replaced by projected screens
• Apps for prayer requests or Bible study
• Online confessions or pastoral counselling delivered through video calls
• Livestreamed funerals, baptisms and weddings connecting loved ones across continents

Faith communities –  often associated with tradition and continuity –  are adapting at pace. Not to replace the sacred, but to support it.  And this opens up fascinating questions for Religious Education (RE), in the classroom.

AI as a Lens for Big Questions

In RE, we encourage pupils to consider deep ideas around areas such as  –  identity, morality, purpose, connection, suffering and hope. Artificial intelligence takes these themes and places them right at the centre of modern life.

Here are some classroom questions AI naturally raises:

1. What does it mean to be human?
   If an AI can mimic empathy, produce art or generate scripture-like texts, what defines human uniqueness?
2. Do machines have moral agency?
   Who is responsible when an algorithm causes harm? The developer? The user? The machine itself?
3. How do different faiths view AI?
   Some see it as an extension of human creativity; others raise concerns about autonomy, dignity or spiritual implications.
4. Can technology enhance spiritual life?
   Prayer apps, guided meditations, digital sacred texts and virtual communities are shaping modern faith practice.

Real-World RE: Linking Faith and Technology

Here are a few examples to support classroom discussions

• Robotic monks in Japan offering guided Buddhist teachings
• Facial recognition used for security in some places of worship
• Virtual reality pilgrimages for those unable to travel
• Multilingual sermon translation to support diverse congregations

So the question is, do we embrace or question these developments, they raise meaningful discussions around identity, accessibility and ethics.

Classroom Ideas for Teachers

To help bring this into RE lessons, teachers could also include the following:

• Debate – should AI be used to create religious texts or deliver sermons?
• Case Study – explore how churches, mosques, temples and synagogues used technology to stay connected during the pandemic.
• Interfaith Comparison – how do different religions approach technology and human enhancement?
• Ethics Task – examine scenarios involving AI and compassion, for example –  AI caregivers, chatbots offering emotional support, or robots in elderly care.
• Reflection – ask pupils to consider how technology shapes their own sense of community and belonging.

A Reflective Moment

As I watched my friend step into her new calling, surrounded by tradition yet supported by technology, I felt a deep sense of connection –  to the past, the present and the future.