Pod of the Gaps

• Episode 90 - The AI Revolution: Utopia or Dystopia?

  The advances in AI have skyrocketed, with more and more people beginning to make use of it in everyday life. In time, AI will have a monumental effect on society at virtually every level. As such, questions about the ethics and theology of artificial intelligence. are no longer speculative, but are right here on our doorstep. How should Christians respond? What positives are there in AI? Where can it help relieve unnecessary burdens? Where are the increasing dangers too? As AI gets smarter, do we get dumber? How do think theologically about AI? How does sin factor into AI? If we create AI in the image of sinful humans, are we unleashing something capable of ever greater destruction? Could AI become "self-aware" at some point? If so, how would we categorise it? Is AI capable of "good" or "bad" moral actions? Questions truly do abound! We address many of them, and more, in this jam-packed episode of Pod of the Gaps! **** RESOURCES MENTIONED **** AI Tools: * ChatGPT (from OpenAI): https://claude.ai * Claude (from Anthropic): https://claude.ai * Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai * Matthew Berman, 'OpenAI's New o1 Is LYING ON PURPOSE?! (Thinking For Itself)', https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlZfndaO01c * George M. Coghill, ‘Artificial Intelligence (and Christianity): Who? What? Where? When? Why? sand How?' Studies in Christian Ethic’. Studies in Christian Ethics 36.3 (2023) 604-619 (online at https://doi.org/10.1177/09539468231169462) * Ethan Mollick, "Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI" (London: WH Allen, 2024) * Alan M. Turing, ‘Computing Machinery and Intelligence’. Mind LIX.236 (1950) 433-460 * C. R. Wiley, 'Discerning the Spirits, Part 1: When it comes to AI, nobody's home--except you" https://crwiley.substack.com/p/discerning-the-spirits-part-1

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• Episode 89 - Entrepreneurs, Pioneers, and the Church

  The history of humanity is replete with examples of trailblazers able to think outside the box, disrupt existing conventions, pioneer new ways of thinking, and advance into new territory. We might think of great geniuses of the past like Thomas Edison, or perhaps the more recent technological pioneers like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk. Such people have often had the ability to lead and advance with extraordinary creativity, conviction, and courage, and have achieved significant things. Why are there now so few of these kinds of leaders in the Church? Does the pioneer's aggressive and disruptive approach to convention inevitably jar with Christian virtues like humility, love, and sacrifice? Or is it rather that we have excluded entrepreneurial courage, creativity, and confrontation from Christian values? Does our fear of the abuse of power end up stifling the necessary freedom of pioneer leadership? Are we often in danger of overplaying Christ's servant-hearted qualities at the expense of his aggressive and confrontational decision-making? How might church leaders encourage more business entrepreneurs in the Church to succeed and advance the kingdom in a wholly Christlike manner? ** ENJOY POD OF THE GAPS? Why not make a 2025 resolution and support the podcast; just a small donation helps us keep making these episodes: https://soundcloud.com/wkop-podcast ** Resources: - Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk (2024). https://www.waterstones.com/book/elon-musk/walter-isaacson/9781398536418 - Deborah Cadbury, Chocolate Wars (2011). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chocolate-Wars-150-Year-Rivalry-Greatest/dp/1610390512 - Aaron Edwards, "Apostolic Leadership and the Spectre of Spiritual Abuse Suspicions of Pioneer Authority as Hindrances to Pioneer Mission" Eucharisma 1 (Spring 2024). https://eucharisma.co.uk/apostolic-leadership-and-the-spectre-of-spiritual-abuse/#32990516-3f6b-4dbe-950b-82dfd2074bfc-link

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• Episode 88 - Six Challenges for the Church in 2025

  Pod of the Gaps returns for another year, kicking off with our annual New Year live-reveal of Aaron and Andy's six key challenges for the Church in the year ahead (three each!) as we seek to meet this cultural moment wisely and faithfully in light of the Word of God. As always, if you care about the direction of the Church in the challenging times ahead, you'll want to listen to this one!

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• Episode 87 - The Twelve Things of Christmas

  Christmas comes but once a year, but over the years we each tend to build up a collection of favourite and not-so-favourite parts of it. In this special festive episode, Aaron and Andy each reveal their best and worst from the ghosts of Christmas past, from six categories including everything from movies to traditions to carols to evangelism, and more! They also talk through once again why Christmas truly matters, and why and how evangelicals really should make the most of this unique time of year to be joyful, generous, and bold in proclaiming Christ and living out the message of Christmas in our lives, trappings and all. ** ENJOY POD OF THE GAPS? Why not make a 2025 resolution and support the podcast; just a small donation helps us keep making these episodes: https://soundcloud.com/wkop-podcast ** ** THINGS WE MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE ** "Have You Ever Wondered?" >> https://www.solas-cpc.org/hyew-book/

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• Episode 86 - Justin Welby and the Decline of Church Leadership

  The resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, made headline news across the UK and the wider world. This itself points to the ongoing public significance of the CofE and the knock-on effects for the wider church. Why did Welby choose to resign after pressure of public disrepute from external liberal media and government, rather than after the pressure from faithful Christians over his handling of LGBT+ issues or his support for other-religious festivals? What does this tell us about the priorities not only of his own leadership, but of the institution more broadly? How did Welby's evangelical convictions erode during his time in office? Was the authority of Scripture subtly replaced by a vague sense of "theological reflection"? What lessons can be learned for leaders and institutions going forward regarding "reputation"? Andy and Aaron cover all this and more in the latest episode of Pod of the Gaps. ** SUPPORT POD OF THE GAPS HERE: https://soundcloud.com/wkop-podcast ** RESOURCES: - Welby Resignation statement https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/news-and-statements/statement-archbishop-canterbury-0 - Lambeth Statement on LLF https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/news-and-statements/lambeth-palace-statement-living-love-and-faith - 'Simpering Onto the Sexular Carpet with the Archbishop of Canterbury', Stephen McAlpine, https://stephenmcalpine.com/simpering-onto-the-sexular-carpet-with-the-archbishop-of-canterbury/ - 'How church attendance crumbled under Justin Welby' https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/12/church-attendance-falls-justin-welby-archbishop-canterbury/ - 'Diwali, the Gospel, and AoC Welby' https://virtueonline.org/diwali-gospel-and-archbishop-justin-welby

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