August Release
At a glance
Pastoral Concerns
Nearly all pastors (94%) say they’re concerned about AI misinterpreting scripture, the highest level of concern among any group Barna surveyed.
The "Right" Answer
Just one in 10 pastors wants AI to name the “correct” interpretation of a hard passage. Practicing Christians are 2.5 times as likely to want the “right” answer.
AI Might be Useful
Few pastors want AI to avoid scripture altogether: only 5 percent say AI shouldn’t answer questions about contested passages, and 9 percent say it shouldn’t interpret theology where scholars disagree.
A recent Barna study reveals that 94% of pastors and 83% of practicing Christians are concerned about AI misinterpreting scripture. While 60% of pastors prefer that AI present multiple theological viewpoints side-by-side with scholarly citations to encourage critical thinking, practicing Christians are far more likely to want AI to recommend a single "best" interpretation. Ultimately, pastors view AI as a tool to aid personal study rather than an authoritative source of final answers.
Related Research
