The Decalogue of AI: An Introduction
Where theology meets artificial intelligence
Herman Bavinck, a Dutch Reformed theologian, taught that God reveals Himself in three ways: through truth, goodness, and beauty.[1] Whether in Scripture or in creation, God’s self-revelation displays these three characteristics. Truth shows us reality as it is. Goodness guides how we should live. Beauty reflects God’s glory in what He has made.
This matters for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
I believe, right now, we’re asking the wrong questions about AI. We’re asking: Can it replace us? Will it take our jobs? Is it conscious? These questions miss the point. They start with fear instead of wisdom. They start with us rather than with God.
Better questions to ask are: What is AI, really? How should Christians think about it? How can we use it in a faithful way?
The Decalogue of AI project aims to answer these questions.
Two Audiences
This project is meant for two groups of people.
First, this is my final project for a Master of Arts in Theological Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary. It builds on work I started in AP 562 Christianity & Culture with Dr. Nathan Shannon. That course explored how Christians should engage with culture. Here, I extend and apply that question to one of the most important emerging technologies of our time.
Second, this project is for people who work with AI, use it, or are Christians trying to make sense of a world where AI is now part of everyday life. You do not need a theology degree or a computer science background. You just need to care about clear thinking and faithful living.
Why the Decalogue?
This project is organized around the Ten Commandments as explained in the Westminster Larger Catechism. Hence the name; this choice is not random. The Decalogue is more than a set of rules; it reveals God’s character and offers a guide for human flourishing.
Each commandment teaches us how to relate to God and to others. Each one protects something important. Each calls us to wisdom in a different part of life. Each also gives us a way to think about artificial intelligence.
Three Objectives
This project has three main objectives.
First, we need to build a foundation. Before we can think clearly about AI, we must understand what it is and what it is not. AI is not magic, alive, or conscious. It is computer science at a large scale, algorithms backed by sophisticated math and statistics. Knowing this is important. If we misunderstand AI, we may respond with fear or treat it as something greater than it is. A clear understanding leads to wisdom.
Second, we need a theological framework. Christians should approach technology differently from the rest of the world. We do not start by asking if something is possible or profitable. Instead, we ask if it is faithful. We consider what it shows about God, people, and creation. We also ask how it helps us love our neighbors and support human flourishing.
Third, we will offer practical guidance. While theory is important, so is practice. We will develop a question-and-answer format to help work through real AI challenges. We will also create an ethics code based on the Ten Commandments interpreted through the lens of the Westminster Standards. The goal is not to provide every answer, but to provide guidance.
Who Am I?
I am a technologist, not a pastor. I have started three technology companies. I have degrees in computer science and computer and systems engineering. I also served in the Marine Corps, working in signals intelligence and cryptology. For twenty-five years, I have built a career building solutions with advanced technologies.
I am also a theology student (yes, at the age of 62, it’s never too late), finishing an MA in Theological Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary. I serve as a lay leader in my local church. I believe that to think faithfully about technology, Christians need both sound theology and technical knowledge.
This project brings those two areas together. It offers theology for people who build and use AI, and technical explanations for Christians who want to think theologically.
What to Expect
Over the course of several months, twelve essays will unfold in two parts. First, we will reflect on the true, the beautiful, and the good of AI from a Trinitarian theological perspective. Then we will work through the Ten Commandments one at a time, asking what each teaches us about God, people, and creation, and how these truths relate to artificial intelligence. Together, we will build a framework for engaging with AI grounded in Scripture and helpful for everyday life.
Each essay can be read on its own, but together they create a framework. By the end, you will have a way to think about AI that is rooted in Holy Scripture and useful in practice.
An Invitation
This project is meant to explore, not to give final answers. I do not claim to know everything. I believe the Christian tradition helps us ask better questions. I believe Scripture speaks to every part of life, including technology. Faithful thinking about AI needs both theological wisdom and technical understanding.
If you are trying to understand AI in your work or daily life, this project is for you. If you work with AI and want a deeper framework than what companies offer, this is for you. If you are just curious about how theology and technology connect, this is for you too.
Today I received approval from the seminary to proceed with this project. So let the conversation begin.
Herman Bavinck wrote that the thinking mind “situates the doctrine of the Trinity squarely amid the full-orbed life of nature and humanity.” A Christian’s confession, he said, “is not an island in the ocean but a high mountaintop from which the whole creation can be surveyed.” He understood that it is the task of thinking Christians “to present clearly the connectedness of God’s revelation with, and its significance for, all of life.”[2]
Bavinck makes a call to action with a profound statement, “The Christian mind remains unsatisfied until all of existence is referred back to the triune God, and until the confession of God’s Trinity functions at the center of our thought and life.”[3] This is what we aim to do here. Artificial intelligence is not separate from God’s world. It is part of creation that calls for faithful thinking.
Let’s think clearly and faithfully together. Let’s ask better questions about artificial intelligence.
Notes
[1] Herman Bavinck, Reformed Ethics: Created, Fallen, and Converted Humanity, ed. John Bolt (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019), 25-31, 151-167.
[2] Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 2, God and Creation, ed. John Bolt, trans. John Vriend (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), 330.
[3] Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 2, God and Creation, ed. John Bolt, trans. John Vriend (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), 330.
Truth, beauty, goodness. The Transcendentals. Excellent.
For millennia, new technologies have reduced product and service cost and delivery time, while at the same time improving productivity and quality, ultimately resulting in greater wealth and a higher standard of living for virtually all of mankind. I expect AI will deliver more of the same, and Christians should therefore welcome it as yet another instance of Common Grace.