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        <title>Christian Daily International | Bible & Theology</title>
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        <description><![CDATA[Discover insights on Bible and theology, from scripture study to Christian doctrine and global theological debates. Explore how believers interpret God’s Word and apply biblical truth in the life of the church today.]]></description>
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                <title><![CDATA[Archaeologists unearth 1,500-year-old monastic complex in Egypt]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/archaeologists-unearth-1-500-year-old-monastic-complex-in-egypt</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[1,500-year-old monastic complex]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Archives ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Egyptian archaeologists unearthed a 1,500-year-old monastic complex in the Nile Delta, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a 1,500-year-old monastic complex in the Nile Delta, including a fifth-century building believed to have served as a reception facility for pilgrims, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a 1,500-year-old monastic complex in the Nile Delta, including a fifth-century building believed to have served as a reception facility for pilgrims, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced.
The discovery was made at the Al-Qalāyā site in Beheira Governorate, where an Egyptian mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities has been excavating since 2023, according to the announcement.
Officials called the find significant for understanding the origins of organized monastic life.
The newly uncovered structure contains 13 rooms that served multiple functions, including individual and communal monastic cells, spaces for hospitality and education, a kitchen, and storerooms.
Architectural elements added during later historical periods were also identified, indicating the building was modified and repurposed across subsequent phases of use.
A large hall in the northern section of the building features stone benches decorated with botanical motifs and was likely used to receive visitors, including senior monastic figures and those seeking to study monastic life. The building extends along a north-south axis, with a prayer room oriented to face east. A limestone-carved cross is set within the eastern wall.
Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, identified Al-Qalāyā as the second-largest known monastic gathering site in the history of Christian monasticism. He said its architectural style reflects “the earliest nucleus of monastery establishment.”
El-Leithy said the decorative motifs and illustrations found at the site are among the most significant sources for the study of early Coptic art, offering historical and archaeological evidence about the nature of monastic life and artistic development in its earliest stages.
The discovery also shows the evolution of monastic architecture from solitary dwelling to communal housing and, ultimately, to facilities designed to receive visitors, he added.
Wall paintings recovered from the site depict monks, identifiable by their clothing, alongside geometric and plant-based decorations. These include braided ornaments in red, white, and black, as well as an eight-petaled flower. Officials said the works point to the richness of symbolic expression in early Coptic art.
One prominent mural shows two gazelles surrounded by vegetal motifs within a double circular frame, which is believed to carry symbolic meaning, Basilica News Agency reported.
The site offers evidence of a transition from eremitic life, in which monks lived in isolation, to communal monastic organization. The development occurred in a region distinct from the desert areas of southern Egypt, which have long been regarded as the cradle of early monasticism.
A complete marble column measuring 2 meters in length was also recovered, along with column capitals and bases. Pottery fragments bearing vegetal and geometric motifs, ceramic pieces inscribed with Coptic letters, bone remains of birds and animals, and a collection of oyster shells were found across the site. The bone remains and shells are consistent with food preparation and daily activities at the complex, according to officials.
Samir Razaq Abdul-Hafiz, head of the excavation mission, said researchers found a rectangular limestone piece at the entrance of one chamber bearing a Coptic inscription. An initial translation suggests the text is a funerary stele. The inscription refers to the death of an individual identified as “Apa Kyr, son of Shenouda,” confirming continued human presence at the site during a period of flourishing monastic development in the region.
Since excavations began in 2023, the mission has also uncovered multiple clusters of monastic cells known as manshubiyyat, groupings of pottery vessels associated with monks’ living quarters. Auxiliary service buildings were also found, indicating the presence of a large and organized monastic center.
Research at the site is ongoing.
Originally published by The Christian Post]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Asian evangelical leaders discuss pastoral response to homosexuality through lens of shame culture, discipleship]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/asian-evangelical-leaders-discuss-pastoral-response-to-homosexuality-through-lens-of-shame-culture-discipleship</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/asian-evangelical-leaders-discuss-pastoral-response-to-homosexuality-through-lens-of-shame-culture-discipleship</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Evangelical leaders referenced Genesis 2 in affirming a traditional biblical understanding of marriage while addressing pastoral challenges related to sexuality in Asian churches.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ CDI ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Evangelical leaders referenced Genesis 2 in affirming a traditional biblical understanding of marriage while addressing pastoral challenges related to sexuality in Asian churches. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 07:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Leaders from across Asia recently convened for a webinar organized by the Asia Evangelical Alliance to address one of the most sensitive issues facing churches in the region: how to respond biblically and pastorally to homosexuality.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Leaders from across Asia recently convened for a webinar organized by the Asia Evangelical Alliance to address one of the most sensitive issues facing churches in the region: how to respond biblically and pastorally to homosexuality.
Participants included theologians, youth leaders and pastors from multiple countries across Asia. Because of the sensitive nature of the topic and the political and cultural contexts in which some participants serve, names of speakers are withheld in this report.
The discussion focused primarily on homosexuality rather than the broader range of LGBTQ issues and explored biblical interpretation, pastoral care and discipleship in churches across the Global South.
One theologian opened the discussion by acknowledging that the issue is increasingly unavoidable for churches.
“We are Asian theologians wrestling with questions that are not abstract for us,” he said. “These are pastoral realities within our own communities.”
A live poll during the webinar confirmed the issue’s growing relevance. A majority of participants indicated they had already ministered to young people who identified as LGBTQ, while many others said youth in their churches had asked questions about sexuality in the past year.
Even in societies often perceived as conservative, church leaders said young people are increasingly encountering the topic through school, social media and global cultural influences.
“Young people are asking these questions,” one youth leader said. “If the church does not address them, they will look elsewhere for answers.”
Shared commitment to Scripture amid internal differences
One of the most notable aspects of the discussion was the presenters’ explicit acknowledgment that evangelicals themselves do not speak with one voice on homosexuality.
At the same time, speakers stressed that disagreements within evangelicalism should not be framed as disputes over biblical authority.
“This is not a matter of some taking the authority of the Bible more seriously than others,” one theologian said. “Among us, there is a shared commitment to the authority of Scripture that is unquestioned.”
He said differences arise from interpretation and theological synthesis rather than from rejection of the Bible.
“Faithful Christians who confess the authority of Scripture have arrived at different conclusions after careful study,” he said.
Speakers cautioned against reducing the debate to ideological labels.
“The categories of ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ often obscure more than they clarify,” one presenter said. “They reduce complex theological discernment into slogans.”
Despite those differences, presenters emphasized the need to maintain unity within the church.
“Unity does not require uniformity,” one said. “But it does require humility and patience.”
Biblical framework and traditional evangelical interpretation
Presenters outlined what they described as a traditional evangelical understanding of biblical teaching on homosexuality, which emphasizes that sexual activity between male and female is part of God’s design in creation (Gen. 1:27-28; Gen. 2:24).
A key starting point was distinguishing between homosexual orientation and same-sex sexual activity.
Homosexual orientation was defined as emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of the same sex, while same-sex sexual activity refers to sexual relations between individuals of the same sex.
“The Bible does not explicitly discuss homosexual orientation,” one presenter said. “It addresses sexual activity.”
The speaker noted that the concept of sexual orientation as a psychological identity category is relatively modern.
Biblical texts often cited in evangelical discussions include Genesis 19, Leviticus 18 and 20, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1.
“In these passages, the Bible consistently presents a negative view of same-sex sexual activity,” the presenter said.
At the same time, the discussion acknowledged that some Christian scholars interpret these passages differently.
“These interpretations argue that certain biblical prohibitions may be culturally bound or address specific forms of exploitation rather than consensual relationships,” one theologian explained.
Others propose what is sometimes called a “redemptive trajectory” approach, suggesting that biblical ethics develop over time.
The presenters did not explore those interpretations in detail but emphasized that such debates exist within contemporary Christian scholarship.
“Serious Christians have studied these texts and reached different conclusions,” one speaker said.
Nevertheless, the presenters said that within traditional evangelical interpretation, heterosexual marriage remains the normative pattern presented in Scripture.
“Throughout the Bible, marriage is consistently described as the union of a man and a woman,” one presenter said.
This sacred union between man and woman is God’s original design for human sexuality, the presenter said, as expressed in the WEA Seoul Declaration.
Orientation, sin and the fallen world
Speakers addressed the theological question of how homosexual orientation should be understood within a Christian framework.
Because the Bible addresses sexual behavior rather than orientation as a psychological category, presenters described orientation as part of the broader brokenness of the fallen world rather than as deliberate rebellion.
“Homosexual orientation is not something people freely choose,” one theologian said. “Many people testify that they did not choose these attractions.”
He said Christians should therefore avoid describing people who experience same-sex attraction as active sinners simply because of their orientation.
“They are not necessarily active sinners in that aspect,” he said. “They find themselves in a difficult position within a fallen world.”
At the same time, speakers said that evangelical theology traditionally does not treat homosexual orientation as morally neutral or part of God’s original design.
“If same-sex sexual activity is understood as contrary to God’s design, then orientation toward that activity reflects the brokenness of creation,” one presenter said.
He added that this framework should not lead Christians to single out homosexuality as uniquely sinful.
“The entire world is fallen,” he said. “We should not magnify homosexuality while ignoring other sins such as pride, injustice or greed.”
Historical reflection and the church’s record
The discussion also included reflection on how Christian communities have historically treated people who identify as homosexual.
One presenter noted that same-sex relationships have been documented in many civilizations throughout history, including in Asia.
At the same time, he acknowledged that Christian institutions have sometimes contributed to discrimination or criminalization.
“Condemnation and criminalization have brought harm,” he said. “The church has sometimes been part of that.”
He said acknowledging that history does not require abandoning biblical convictions.
“It does not mean we must say that same-sex sexual activity is good,” he said. “But it does mean we must stop repeating patterns of harm.”
Speakers emphasized that theological disagreement should never justify dehumanizing treatment.
In the present times, one speaker mentioned, discrimination is also taking place against those who hold to the traditional evangelical view.
“Whatever convictions we hold, people deserve dignity,” one presenter said.
Science, trauma and the limits of explanation
The webinar also addressed scientific and psychological research on sexual orientation.
Speakers said current research does not provide a definitive explanation for why some people experience same-sex attraction.
“Biological and psychological studies can suggest correlations,” one presenter said. “But there is no definitive proof of a single cause.”
Because of that uncertainty, speakers urged caution in making sweeping claims.
“We should be careful about saying we know exactly why this happens,” the theologian said.
Another speaker noted that attempts to forcibly change sexual orientation have often caused harm.
“There have been efforts to change orientation through therapy or spiritual pressure,” he said. “But these approaches have often damaged people rather than helped them.”
Personal testimony and identity in Christ
During the webinar, one Christian leader shared his own story of experiencing same-sex attraction after childhood sexual abuse.
He said the experience shaped his understanding of sexuality and identity.
“It was not something I chose,” he said. “It developed in the context of trauma.”
He described years of shame and confusion, including periods when he considered suicide.
“Many discussions remain theoretical,” he said. “But for someone walking through this, it is deeply personal.”
He said that after becoming a Christian, his struggles did not disappear immediately.
“I thought when I gave my life to Jesus everything would change overnight,” he said. “But it did not.”
Instead, he described gradual healing through prayer, mentorship and community.
“Transformation was not about willpower,” he said. “It involved dealing with trauma and rediscovering identity.”
He said the most important shift came when he began to understand his identity in Christ.
“The miracle was not simply that my circumstances changed,” he said. “The miracle was that my identity was restored.”
Discipleship and pastoral challenges
Participants discussed how churches should disciple believers who experience same-sex attraction.
Speakers emphasized that pastoral care requires patience and long-term relationships rather than quick solutions.
“Discipleship is a journey,” one leader said. “People rarely change instantly.”
Several practical questions were raised, including how churches should respond when people in same-sex relationships seek leadership roles or when young believers struggle with gender identity.
One presenter said churches must balance doctrinal teaching with pastoral care.
“We must hold theological conviction,” he said. “But we must also walk with people in the process.”
Another leader said churches should avoid reactive responses.
“We tend to react when crisis comes,” he said. “Instead we need to prepare our communities ahead of time.”
Shame culture and the Asian context
Several speakers highlighted the importance of cultural context, particularly the influence of honor and shame dynamics in many Asian societies.
“In our cultures, shame is powerful,” one leader said.
He said fear of shame often prevents people from speaking openly about sexual struggles.
“If the church responds with humiliation, people will hide,” he said.
Because of this dynamic, presenters urged churches to cultivate environments where questions can be asked without fear.
“Listening is critical,” one theologian said. “People must feel safe to speak.”
At the same time, speakers stressed that creating a welcoming environment does not mean abandoning biblical convictions.
“We welcome people,” one presenter said. “But we do not affirm every behavior.”
Global implications
The webinar reflects broader conversations taking place across the global evangelical movement.
For many years, debates over homosexuality were seen primarily as issues affecting Western churches. Increasingly, however, churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America are confronting the same questions.
“Globalization means these conversations are no longer confined to one region,” one presenter said.
Participants said churches in the Global South must address these issues within their own cultural frameworks rather than simply importing Western debates.
“We must think from within our own contexts,” one speaker said. “But we also remain part of the global body of Christ.”
A continuing conversation
Speakers said the discussion represents only the beginning of a longer process of theological reflection and pastoral preparation.
“Our task is not simply to win arguments,” one presenter said. “Our task is to make disciples.”
That challenge, participants said, requires both biblical clarity and Christlike compassion.
“If we speak truth without grace, we misrepresent Christ,” one speaker said. “If we speak grace without truth, we misrepresent Christ.”
For churches across Asia and the wider Global South, leaders said the challenge now is learning how to hold those commitments together as they respond to one of the most complex pastoral questions facing the global Church today.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Paul's letter to the Romans should be read as a charter for world mission, German theologian says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/paul-s-letter-to-the-romans-should-be-read-as-a-charter-for-world-mission-german-theologian-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/paul-s-letter-to-the-romans-should-be-read-as-a-charter-for-world-mission-german-theologian-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Thomas Schirrmacher Romans Book Cover]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:29:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[rman theologian and missiologist Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher is calling for a renewed understanding of the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans as a foundational text for global mission rather than a purely doctrinal treatise. In a recent interview with Christian Daily International, Schirrmacher reflects on insights from his latest book, The Letter to the Romans – a Charter for World Mission, arguing that Western theology has long overlooked the epistle’s missionary purpose.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
German theologian and missiologist Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher, former secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, is calling for a renewed understanding of the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans as a foundational text for global mission rather than a purely doctrinal treatise. In a recent interview with Christian Daily International, Schirrmacher reflects on insights from his latest book, The Letter to the Romans – a Charter for World Mission, arguing that Western theology has long overlooked the epistle’s missionary purpose and that recovering this perspective is essential for shaping theological education, strengthening the global church and aligning doctrine more closely with the church’s calling to participate in God’s mission.
CDI: In your latest book, you argue that the Epistle to the Romans has been historically misread as a purely doctrinal text. Why do you believe its missionary character has been mostly overlooked, and why is recovering that emphasis important today?
Schirrmacher: Even though the first and last chapters of Romans make it clear that Paul wrote this letter from the midst of his missionary endeavors to gain the support of the church in Rome for his plans for world missions, Romans has largely been read as though Paul were primarily an important thinker with a professorship in Antioch. I believe the reason for this is that Romans was at the heart of dogmatic battles in church history several times when world missions were out of sight and reach of the Western church, especially during the Reformation in the 16th century. For the Western world, Romans is the Bible book that most closely aligns with its largely systematic and philosophical mindset, presenting arguments with a clear structure. Romans seems to have fallen prey to the idea that the church lost sight of God as a missionary who created the Church to fulfill His mission.
You have been exploring the themes of Romans since the late 1980s, what is it that personally fascinates you so much with this book?
Paul's primary profession was that of a missionary and apostle. He traveled the world, establishing churches wherever he went. Once a church became somewhat self-sufficient, Paul moved on to the next place. This raises the question of how the fascinating, dogmatic explanation in Romans relates to Paul’s profession. Why did Paul write such a lengthy letter amidst his stress and personal struggles? The answer can be found in the letter itself.
Paul’s strategy was to plant churches in strategic locations, appoint elders as their leaders, and have these churches perform further tasks in their regions. Once a church was established, Paul said, "I have nothing more to do in these countries" (Rom. 15:19–23). Passing through on his way to Spain, Paul now desires to be strengthened by the congregation in Rome. Paul and his team made the mission plans. However, he seeks the church's support, beginning with evangelism in Rome and extending to further missions in new areas. He knows he has something to offer the church as a missionary. To this day, churches have never been harmed by missionaries bringing "spiritual gifts."
I find this fascinating!
You write that “dogmatics and mission are two sides of the same coin.” Can you elaborate on what it means for systematic theology to be “healthy only as a doctrine of mission”? How should this shape theological education and church practice today?
God sent his Son, who sent the Holy Spirit, who sent the Church. Therefore, missions are part of God's essence. Any systematic view of our faith that bypasses this and does not see it as the unifying theme throughout history is flawed. I tried to prove this especially in my book “Missio Dei”.
For me, the book of Romans is evidence that the most brilliant intellectual defense of the Gospel only made and makes sense if the Gospel is spread beyond a small circle of theological experts into all the world.
Many believers have a gut feeling that something is going wrong with theological education and that it is in danger of becoming self-entertaining. The most detailed and well-thought-out defense of the Gospel emerged from the Pauline call to world mission. At the same time, world mission deserves the most brilliant minds and thoughts for its defense.
Who is this book written for primarily? Are you speaking mainly to theologians and pastors, or is your hope that everyday Christians will reframe how they understand Romans—and their role in the Great Commission?
I am 65 years old, and I first of all wanted to document my four-decade study of Romans before I am too old to take part in this global discussion any longer. I also wanted to encourage leaders in the Global South that their intuition that Romans is more than just dogmatic treaties is supported by the work of many renowned New Testament scholars and missiologists over time.
You provide a historical overview of the so-called “mission thesis” on Romans going back to 1863. How does your own approach build on or differ from earlier interpretations? What makes your contribution unique at this moment in church history?
Romans has been extensively used in systematic theology, primarily by individuals with no expertise or interest in world missions. Those teaching, researching, and strategizing missions have quoted Romans selectively, but did not publish commentaries. Having worked and taught in both areas, I want to merge the viewpoint of exegesis and systematic theology with mission researchers and practitioners, as I did in my German commentary on Romans.
Additionally, I want to return Romans to its original form as a letter about God's mission to the local church. In essence, I want the local church to reclaim the letter.
Finally, in a time when global mission is shifting dramatically—especially with the growth of the Church in the Global South—how do you hope this book will serve the global evangelical movement?
Western theology is characterized by the division of academic theology into specialized subjects. Western evangelicalism has often inherited this approach from Western liberal theology. For too long, this originally has also shaped theological education in the rapidly growing Church in the Global South. However, the Global South has since overcome the divide between personal piety versus public Christianity, between teaching in academia versus vibrant preaching in local churches, and between an easy to understand summary of the gospel versus offering detailed, even academic reflections on it inspired by thousands of pages of Scripture.
The Church in the Global South increasingly takes Scripture at face value and recognizes Romans as a letter to a local church, encouraging them to fulfill the one Great Commission God has given us: to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, to every corner of the world.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[AI’s Scripture problem: misquotes range from 15% to 60%, says YouVersion CEO]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ais-scripture-problem-misquotes-range-from-15-to-60-says-youversion-ceo</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ais-scripture-problem-misquotes-range-from-15-to-60-says-youversion-ceo</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Vincent Matinde]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald said while some errors may involve commas or minor wording shifts, in Bible translation every word and punctuation is meaningful to Scripture translation ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald says artificial intelligence holds enormous promise. But when it comes to answering questions about God and Scripture, he believes the technology is not yet ready.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald says artificial intelligence holds enormous promise. But when it comes to answering questions about God and Scripture, he believes the technology is not yet ready.
As the head of the digital Bible platform that now reports more than 1 billion downloads across its family of apps worldwide, Gruenewald has a vantage point as churches, pastors and believers increasingly turn to AI chatbots for spiritual answers. 
“If we ever do (fully adapt AI), it will be because we feel very confident that it can be done safely and be done with a level of accuracy and integrity,” Gruenewald said in an interview with Christian Daily International when asked whether YouVersion would step into open-ended AI question-and-answer chat features.
YouVersion offers Scripture in hundreds of languages and has become one of the most widely used Bible tools globally. 
Gruenewald, who was in Nairobi to open YouVersion regional hub that will facilitate localized digital content, described himself as an early AI adopter. YouVersion already uses AI internally to accelerate coding and improve workflow behind the scenes. But the organization has chosen not to launch a public-facing chatbot that answers theological questions. The reason, he said, is accuracy.
“The best model with the best performance, with the most popular versions of the Bible that are most indexed, misquotes Scripture at least 15% of the time,” Gruenewald said. “Some of them as much as 60% of the time.”
While some errors may involve commas or minor wording shifts, he said even small changes matter. “For Bible translation, every word and punctuation is meaningful to Scripture translation,” he said.
Large language models train on vast portions of the internet. That breadth makes them powerful but also unpredictable. Gruenewald said open-ended chat systems can generate responses that organizations would not “be proud of” because users may not have memorized Scripture, they might not recognize when a verse is misquoted or subtly altered.
His caution reflects a broader debate unfolding across the Christian world.
Some Christian leaders and scholars have warned that AI tools can present flawed or biased interpretations of Scripture. In a 2023 analysis, Christianity Today explored how AI systems can produce confident yet inaccurate theological explanations and urged discernment when using such tools for Bible study. The publication noted that chatbots can blend correct citations with subtle interpretive errors, creating an illusion of authority.
At the same time, churches are experimenting. Axios reported in 2025 that congregations in the United States have begun using AI to help draft sermons, create devotional materials and power prayer apps. Some platforms allow users to “chat” with biblical characters or ask questions about faith. While some pastors see these tools as innovative outreach methods, others question whether they risk trivializing sacred texts or outsourcing spiritual formation to algorithms.
Improving models
Gruenewald’s position sits between rejection and embrace. He said YouVersion wants to be “a part of the solution and a part of the help.” He added that the organization has privately challenged AI developers to improve how models handle Scripture. If models could consistently quote the Bible accurately, he said, YouVersion would work to help them gain access to reliable biblical texts.
Faith-based technology firms are also exploring guardrails. Reuters reported in 2025 that Gloo, a faith-oriented technology company, launched efforts to evaluate AI systems based on values important to Christian communities. The goal is to create standards that measure how AI tools align with principles such as human flourishing and theological integrity. Supporters argue that such initiatives could help shape safer faith-based AI applications rather than leaving development entirely to general-purpose models.
For many ministry leaders, AI already serves practical roles. It can analyze data, draft communications and assist with administrative work. Those use cases free pastors to spend more time in direct ministry. AI can also help scholars search biblical texts quickly, compare translations and identify linguistic patterns.
But Gruenewald draws a line at spiritual authority.
“When it comes to answering life’s most important questions and trying to give direction from God’s Word, we need it to be better in order to rely on it,” he said.
His warning comes as younger generations increasingly turn to chatbots before they turn to clergy. Surveys show that many users treat AI tools as neutral sources of information. Yet models generate responses based on probabilities, not doctrine or spiritual discernment.
The question facing ministries is not whether AI will influence faith engagement. It already does. The question is how.
For YouVersion, scale increases responsibility. With more than 1 billion downloads worldwide, the app reaches believers in nearly every region. Its features include reading plans, audio Bibles and verse-sharing tools. Many churches integrate the app into discipleship programs.
That global footprint means any AI-driven Scripture feature would affect millions of users. Gruenewald’s caution reflects the weight of that reality.
He encouraged individuals to know the Bible themselves and to seek guidance from trained pastors and leaders. Technology, he suggested, can assist but should not replace human discipleship or careful study.
The debate is unlikely to fade. As AI models improve, pressure will grow for faith platforms to integrate conversational features. Some Christian technologists believe specialized, Scripture-trained systems could eventually reach the accuracy standards Gruenewald describes.
The tension between innovation and integrity now defines the AI-and-faith conversation. Churches see the potential: wider reach, faster research, personalized engagement. They also see the risk: misquoted verses, theological drift and misplaced trust.
For Gruenewald, the calculus is simple. Speed and popularity do not outweigh fidelity. AI may shape the future of ministry. But when it comes to sacred text, he argues, precision must come first.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Meekness over autocracy: Henri Aoun advocates transparent servant leadership in the MENA Church]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/meekness-over-autocracy-henri-aoun-advocates-transparent-servant-leadership-in-the-mena-church</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/meekness-over-autocracy-henri-aoun-advocates-transparent-servant-leadership-in-the-mena-church</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/42/4293.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Henri Aoun, an evangelical leader from Beirut who has helped guide ministry networks across North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, speaks about servant leadership, transparency and governance in the church during an interview with Christian Daily]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Daoud Kuttab for Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Henri Aoun, an evangelical leader from Beirut who has helped guide ministry networks across North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, speaks about servant leadership, transparency and governance in the church during an interview with Christian Daily International in February. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 20:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[“In the Middle East, the image of a leader is autocratic and authoritative; otherwise, people think he doesn’t know what he’s doing,” says Henri Aoun, a leading evangelical leader in the region.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
“In the Middle East, the image of a leader is autocratic and authoritative; otherwise, people think he doesn’t know what he’s doing,” says Henri Aoun, a leading evangelical leader in the region.
Aoun, who was born in Beirut, spoke to Christian Daily International with a calm certainty about leadership that reflects service more than status. The evangelical figure—one who has guided networks across North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia—frames his calling not as a throne to occupy but as a task to fulfill. 
“Meekness is so close to graciousness,” he says, tracing the line from personal humility to public governance. Being a gracious leader is not a sentimental ideal, he argues, but a strategic posture in a region where power is often equated with distance and control.
Aoun contrasts this vision with the dominant archetype he sees in the Middle East: leadership that is autocratic, inaccessible, and invested in power for its own sake. Leaders are too proud, he says. He anchors his argument in Scripture, pointing to Moses as “the most meek person in the world” and to Jesus’ own exhortation to be “meek and lowly in heart.” The message is not nostalgic piety but a practical invitation: leadership that is approachable, transparent, and accountable.
Meekness, for Aoun, is inseparable from service. He frankly acknowledges a deficit in the evangelical and broader Christian communities: “definitely we are not service-oriented,” he says.
The leadership he envisions resists the temptation to perform high-profile acts for appearance’s sake and instead fixes its eyes, hands, and hours on the humblest tasks. The moment that crystallizes this ethos for him—long a touchstone for his public persona—happened on a floor, scrubbing tiles in the course of his own ascent. The memory returns as a clear instruction: “This is the way I want to serve. No service is too good for me to do.” It’s not a sermon; it’s a protocol for leadership, a rule written into muscle memory.
Asked about challenges of transparency and governance in the churches in the Middle East, Aoun has no restraint in his critique. “That’s why nobody publishes their budgets online. There’s no transparency in the churches,” he laments. 
The absence of clear financial disclosures, elections, and formal accountability, isn’t simply a stylistic gap; it’s a structural weakness that he believes corrodes trust and muffles genuine servant leadership. He frames accountability not as punitive discipline but as stewardship: a church that treats money as a shared trust, not as a private reserve.
In his telling, true leadership is egalitarian, born of a shared sense that all believers are gifted for service. “We’re all equal,” he asserts, invoking the church’s theology of the body—different gifts, different roles, but one Head.
He envisions governance as a round-table enterprise rather than a throne-and-scepter model: “We were leading as a team, not leading with a team.” The idea is democratic in spirit and ecclesial in practice, though he remains attentive to the realities of power and influence in any organization.
Aoun does not romanticize a world free of hard questions. The Middle East’s political and religious terrain presents enduring challenges to leadership, perhaps most acutely in the question of converts from Islam to Christianity.
“The church itself has a hard time accepting 'Pastor Muhammad'… it's a one-way street: they welcome the opposite but not converts.” He adds that state authorities, security concerns, and legal barriers complicate sanctuary and legitimacy for converts, including marriage rights and parental status. 
Yet he remains hopeful, invoking the Arab Spring and hoping for a “convert spring” that might, in time, loosen the shackles of repression and fear. It is a controversial, even dangerous, hope, but it is framed as ethical imagination rather than naïve optimism.
On gender, his position is nuanced and situational: women can lead in many areas where they possess gifts, yet he stops short of endorsing ordination to the senior pastorate. He recounts how his wife’s discernment and partnership have sharpened his own decisions, noting that in some contexts women contribute insights and leadership that are indispensable. He draws on secular evidence as well, citing management literature that supports the value of consulting with one’s partner to strengthen leadership outcomes.
Youth, too, is central to his vision. He argues that young leaders today bring a prodigious store of knowledge—“an average 25-year-old today has more knowledge than a 25-year-old leader 50 years ago”—but cautions that experience remains essential. “Young leaders do well to consult with the older ones because older ones have more experience,” he says.
The antidote to a talent gap, in his view, is a deliberate platform for youth: place them at the helm of media outreach, digital ministries, and other contemporary ministries where the younger generation already lives and breathes. He sketches a career path he himself lived: at 17, he led the youth group; at 20, he directed a broader cohort of young leaders. Those early chances didn’t merely train him; they set him on a trajectory toward full-time leadership.
On theology, education, and mission, Aoun offers a robust assessment. He believes the theological training available in seminaries and universities in the MENA region is strong, especially with modern programs that blend leadership, psychology, and counseling. Still, he pushes for deeper, more widespread theological learning across local churches. The aim is not “over-educating” clergy but equipping the entire body so that laypeople understand the faith with greater clarity and confidence. 
He seamlessly threads justice into the church’s vocation: biblical issues require unity; non-biblical political matters invite respectful, principled disagreement. Justice, he says, is non-negotiable; leaders must raise their voices against injustice—whether in Lebanon’s governance or in the humanitarian crises in Gaza—while recognizing that few issues in the region are uncontentious.
Aoun’s posture is not one of triage for crisis but a blueprint for resilience. The Church, he argues, must be brave enough to lead on justice, transparent enough to steward money well, humble enough to serve first, and inclusive enough to recognize gifts across generations and genders. The path ahead is complicated, and the stakes are high, yet he remains convinced that meek leadership can reframe the church’s public witness in a region where all eyes are watching.
“The day is going to come,” he says, half hopeful, half prophetic, “when converts are welcomed openly and churches are free to exercise their rights. A convert spring.” In that aspiration lies not naïveté but a call to faithful, hopeful, and accountable leadership that refuses to surrender to fear.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[ACTEA marks 50 years as African church growth raises demand for theological training]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/actea-marks-50-years-as-african-church-growth-raises-demand-for-theological-training</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/actea-marks-50-years-as-african-church-growth-raises-demand-for-theological-training</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[David Tarus, executive director of the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa, addresses participants during the ACTEA General Assembly marking the organization’s 50th anniversary.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of ACTEA ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ BISHOFTU, Ethiopia — David Tarus, executive director of the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa, addresses participants during the ACTEA General Assembly marking the organization’s 50th anniversary. The gathering brought together theological educators from across Africa to discuss expanding leadership training as rapid church growth continues to outpace theological education capacity on the continent. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Participants attend the General Assembly of the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa, where theological educators and church leaders from more than 30 countries gathered to mark ACTEA’s 50th anniversary]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Courtesy of ACTEA ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ BISHOFTU, Ethiopia — Participants attend the General Assembly of the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa, where theological educators and church leaders from more than 30 countries gathered to mark ACTEA’s 50th anniversary and discuss how theological institutions can respond to the growing demand for trained church leaders across Africa. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:22:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) is marking its 50th anniversary this week during its General Assembly in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, where theological educators and Christian leaders from across Africa are discussing how to expand training for church leaders amid rapid growth of Christianity on the continent.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) is marking its 50th anniversary this week during its General Assembly in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, where theological educators and Christian leaders from across Africa are discussing how to expand training for church leaders amid rapid growth of Christianity on the continent.
The gathering, held under the theme “Future Ready, Mission Faithful,” has drawn representatives from theological institutions in 31 countries, according to organizers. Participants include leaders of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa and officials from seminaries, universities and Bible colleges that participate in ACTEA’s accreditation network.
Speakers at the assembly addressed challenges facing theological education in Africa, including the need to prepare church leaders for rapidly changing cultural contexts, technological developments and continued church expansion across the continent.
The meeting also comes as Christian leaders warn that Africa’s rapidly growing churches are outpacing the capacity of theological institutions to train pastors and ministry leaders.
In an earlier interview with Christian Daily International, ACTEA Executive Director Dr. David Tarus said many congregations across Africa are being led by pastors who have had little or no formal theological training because the number of training institutions and faculty has not kept pace with church growth.
“Church growth in Africa has been phenomenal, but theological education has not grown at the same pace,” Tarus said in the interview. “The challenge is how to train enough leaders while maintaining strong theological standards.”
According to Tarus, the shortage of trained leaders has prompted theological institutions to explore new approaches, including modular programs, online learning and partnerships between seminaries and local churches to extend training opportunities.
Founded in 1976 as a project of the theological education commission of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, ACTEA was established to provide accreditation and quality assurance for evangelical theological institutions across the continent. At the time, formal accreditation systems for seminaries and Bible colleges were still limited in many African countries.

Today ACTEA works with evangelical universities, seminaries and Bible colleges across Africa to strengthen theological education through institutional accreditation, research and capacity development.
Participants at the anniversary assembly also included members of the executive board of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, among them Rev. Dr. Jean Libom Li Likeng, Archbishop John Praise Daniel and Dr. Master Matlhaope, who also serves as ACTEA’s president. Among those attending was the immediate past ACTEA executive director, Emmanuel Chemengich, now bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kitale in Kenya.
Discussions during the assembly have focused on the future of theological education in Africa as churches expand rapidly in both urban and rural areas.
Tarus said the goal for many institutions is to find ways to expand access to theological training without weakening academic standards or biblical foundations.
“The church in Africa needs leaders who are both spiritually grounded and theologically equipped,” he said.
Organizers said the assembly is expected to conclude with discussions on strategies to strengthen cooperation among theological institutions and expand training opportunities for church leaders across the continent.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[[Book review] Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/book-review-worthy-celebrating-the-value-of-women</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/book-review-worthy-celebrating-the-value-of-women</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gordon Showell-Rogers]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Worthy (Celebrating the Value of Women)]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Book cover ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Worthy (Celebrating the Value of Women) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 16:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The moving twin dedications (both authors contribute) are personal and theological: a foretaste of the direction of travel of the whole book (which is also very practical) as it continually dives into Scripture and to central truths about God and humanity and the Lord’s work in hearts and minds.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The moving twin dedications (both authors contribute) are personal and theological: a foretaste of the direction of travel of the whole book (which is also very practical) as it continually dives into Scripture and to central truths about God and humanity and the Lord’s work in hearts and minds.
Discovering in Chapter 4 (spelt out again in Chapter 12) that both authors have very traditional complementarian views of male/female roles in church leadership makes this book emphasising the leading role of women in Scripture, the call of all women to co-labour in mission and the emphasis on the fellow-citizenship of women all the more powerful.
In some ways it’s even more surprising given Fitzpatrick’s moving expositions of the lives and actions of the Old Testament characters Miriam, Hannah and Deborah and the way that both authors unpack lessons from Bathsheba, Tamar, Abigail and Jael, and the wonderfully liberating lessons from the New Testament.
The whole book is full of fresh and thought-provoking biblical insights for all churches, whatever their current perspectives on male and female roles in the church. As they say, ‘it’s easy to read the Scriptures and overlook the surprising ways that wise women contributed to the story of our redemption.’
After Chapter 4, I began to realise that the authors’ primary purpose is probably pastoral (rather than polemic) and there’s obviously huge value in that. But they’re not afraid to challenge shibboleths. Quoting a friend, they point out that ‘we can’t have conversations about race, gender or injustice in fruitful ways until we address the systematic silencing of voices that ask questions’.
In a world full of casual sexism, chauvinism, misogyny and abuse (in churches – the authors tell a few awful stories in Chapter 12), Schumacher’s exegesis of Genesis 3:15 is sobering ‘Satan would have a particular disgust and hatred for the woman due to her role as the mother of his downfall’. ‘Satanic hatred of women …. must end.’ The authors suggest that there is a way to end it and that this way is found in the Christian Scriptures.
Fitzpatrick points out who Paul chose to carry his letter to the Romans. ‘Wasn’t he concerned that she shouldn’t leave her home? Didn’t he worry that he might be greasing the slippery slope and that women all over the Mediterranean would start looking for ministry opportunities and travelling abroad?’ Schumacher claims that Eve’s ‘statement of faith is the first human words recorded after the Fall’ and that ‘Eve is the first recorded human being to speak the divine, covenant name of God.’
Schumacher also observes: ‘In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God’s ability to accomplish the impossible is first spoken in relation to women.’
Given the cultures in which the Bible was penned, these are real surprises: probably reflecting the fact that the Bible is so often expounded from a male perspective.
Written for a general audience, it’s nevertheless theologically rigorous, whilst also being deeply pastoral, and painfully honest as Schumacher charts his progress from early misogynistic theological thinking. Is it sometimes intentionally provocative? If so, let’s hope that it provokes fresh respectful discussion of gender in Scripture: something that both authors actively encourage. An index of Bible verses would have been helpful, to more easily find these insights again – perhaps in the next edition?
Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women, Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher, Bethany House Publishers, USA, ISBN 978-0-7642-3436-1.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[[Book review] Kwame Bediako: African Theology for a World Christianity]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/book-review-kwame-bediako-african-theology-for-a-world-christianity</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/book-review-kwame-bediako-african-theology-for-a-world-christianity</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gordon Showell-Rogers]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Kwame Bediako]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Book cover ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Kwame Bediako: African Theology for a World Christianity by Tim Hartman ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 20:36:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Hartman summarises the work of Ghanaian theologian Kwame Bediako, drawing on his three books and more than 75 articles, and addressing that cultural baggage from a contemporary African perspective: ‘Bediako asks what it means to be African and Christian after the shortcomings of colonialism.’]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Western thought has dominated Christian theology for centuries, making it difficult to distinguish between theology and its cultural baggage. In his book Kwame Bediako: African Theology for a World Christianity, Hartman summarises the work of Ghanaian theologian Kwame Bediako, drawing on his three books and more than 75 articles and addressing that cultural baggage from a contemporary African perspective. As he notes, ‘Bediako asks what it means to be African and Christian after the shortcomings of colonialism.’
Hartman suggests that ‘other Christians can learn from Bediako’s belief that African Christianity is a laboratory for theological innovation that can benefit the whole world.’
‘Bediako believed that Western culture had corrupted the Christian faith. As soon as Emperor Constantine yoked political power with the Christian faith in the fourth century, Christianity became poisoned.’ ‘His theology presents an alternative non-Western foundation for theological reflection.’
‘Reading Bediako may help Western Christians to identify, name and work to lessen the harmful effects of the cultural blinkers they unconsciously wear.’ ‘For Christians in the non-Western world, reading Bediako can affirm the value of their insights and perspectives.’
Well trained in Western thought, Bediako was suddenly and unexpectedly converted to Christ in France before returning to his native Ghana. ‘In becoming Christian, I was becoming African again.’ Hartman charts the influences on Bediako’s thought, with insights into incarnation, culture, Bible translation, relevance, spiritual and religious heritage, ancestors, the nature of the atonement, and, repeatedly, identity.
Langham Publishing and Hartman have done the world church a service by bringing Kwame Bediako’s provocative thinking to a wider audience, challenging how Christians read and expound Scripture (of which Bediako had a very high view). I would love to hear a group of Majority World theologians debating Bediako’s thought, which is not without its critics (whom Hartman faithfully records), particularly the fifth chapter’s controversial material.
Personally, I hope that this book encourages fresh debate about all the issues it covers – and fresh collaboration between Majority World theologians to develop new theological insights for the world church in the mid-twenty-first century (see Chapters 6 and 7).
Kwame Bediako: African Theology for a World Christianity, Tim Hartman, Langham Partnership UK and Fortress Press USA & Canada (2021), ISBN 978-1-83973-073-3 (print), ISBN 978-1-83973-489-2 (ePub), ISBN 978-1-83973-490-8 (Mob), ISBN 978-1-83973—491-5 (PDF)]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Updated editions of Lewis classics released for Latin American readers]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/updated-editions-of-lewis-classics-released-for-latin-american-readers</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/updated-editions-of-lewis-classics-released-for-latin-american-readers</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Javier Bolaños]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[C.S. Lewis]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Image generated by AI ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ C.S. Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the most important intellectuals of the 20th century and could be considered the most influential Christian writer of his time ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Juan Tomás Widow]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Grupo Nelson. ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Juan Tomás Widow, president of the Faith, Art and Myth Association. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Screwtape Letters]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Grupo Nelson ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Cover of the new edition of The Screwtape Letters published by Grupo Nelson ]]>
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                                                                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:39:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[In an unprecedented editorial effort for Latin America, Grupo Nelson has announced newly updated editions of two pillars of Christian literature: Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters, both by British author C.S. Lewis, widely known for The Chronicles of Narnia. To explore the impact of the relaunch, we spoke with Juan Tomás Widow, president of the Faith, Art and Myth Association, who collaborated on the project to introduce Lewis’s legacy to new generations in Latin America.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
In an unprecedented editorial effort for Latin America, Grupo Nelson has announced newly updated editions of two pillars of Christian literature: Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters, both by British author C.S. Lewis, widely known for The Chronicles of Narnia.
To explore the impact of the relaunch, we spoke with Juan Tomás Widow, president of the Faith, Art and Myth Association, who collaborated on the project to introduce Lewis’s legacy to new generations in Latin America. (See the full interview below.)
“Mere Christianity” as common ground

For Widow, Lewis’s relevance is rooted in theological and intellectual necessity, not nostalgia. In an interview with Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition, he emphasized that what may be the author’s most explicitly Christian work remains one of the best antidotes to the fragmentation of modern thought.
“In times of confusion, returning to Mere Christianity is like recovering our compass. This masterpiece reminds us that eternal truths—when explained with Lewis’s honesty and brilliance—have the power to awaken consciences and transform lives today just as they did in the past,” Widow said.
He stressed that the concept of “mere Christianity”—the beliefs that unite Christians beyond denominational lines—remains vital for the church in Latin America. Lewis succeeds in explaining complex truths with simplicity, clarity, and beauty that are still deeply needed today. He is an author who connects with readers through the accessibility of his writing.
A spiritual battle reflected in the mirror
Turning to the satire The Screwtape Letters, Widow emphasized that the book is far more than a literary curiosity; it is a profound exploration of human nature. He noted that the letters function as a tool for self-reflection for contemporary believers.
Beneath the brilliance of its satire, The Screwtape Letters offers one of Lewis’s deepest examinations of human psychology. It works like a mirror: it makes us laugh, but it also helps us recognize our own weaknesses and take the spiritual struggle seriously, said the president of the Faith, Art and Myth Association.
Adapting without losing the essence
One of the key goals of the new editions is updated language. According to Widow, the aim is not to change Lewis’s message but to remove language barriers created by older translations or archaic phrasing that may hinder understanding for Latin American readers.
His ideas still have much to teach the Spanish-speaking world, and these new editions create opportunities to rediscover his work, he said. He added that collaboration between Grupo Nelson and his association seeks to encourage intellectual dialogue in schools and universities across the region.
A legacy for the future

Widow urged readers not to view Lewis merely as a historical figure but as a continuing intellectual and spiritual voice. C.S. Lewis is one of those authors whose work not only entertains and inspires but also challenges us to consider the deepest questions of human existence, he concluded.
With the release of these editions in February 2026, evangelical readers in Latin America will have a renewed opportunity to engage with a reasoned and meaningful faith centered on the core message of the Gospel.
C.S. Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the most influential intellectuals of the 20th century and a major Christian writer of his time. He served as a fellow and lecturer in English literature at University of Oxford before becoming Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at University of Cambridge, where he remained until retirement.
His contributions to literary criticism, children’s literature, fantasy, and popular theology earned international recognition. Lewis wrote more than thirty books, reaching a wide audience, and his works continue to attract new readers each year.
See the full interview with Juan Tomás Widow in Spanish below.

Originally published by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA['AI can generate sermons but cannot convey a life,' Korean pastors say at AI-era preaching conference]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ai-can-generate-sermons-but-cannot-convey-a-life-korean-pastors-say-at-ai-era-preaching-conference</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/ai-can-generate-sermons-but-cannot-convey-a-life-korean-pastors-say-at-ai-era-preaching-conference</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Rev. Kim Da-wi delivers his presentation at the 2026 Pathway Preaching Conference.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Good Shepherd Church ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Rev. Kim Da-wi delivers his presentation at the 2026 Pathway Preaching Conference. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The 2026 Pathway Preaching Conference was held at Good Shepherd Church south of Seoul, Korea.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Good Shepherd Church ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The 2026 Pathway Preaching Conference was held at Good Shepherd Church south of Seoul, Korea. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 20:13:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Artificial intelligence may be able to generate polished sermons, complete with structure, illustrations and theological analysis, but it cannot embody lived faith, suffering or spiritual encounter, speakers said at a Korean church conference examining the future of preaching in the AI era.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Artificial intelligence may be able to generate polished sermons, complete with structure, illustrations and theological analysis, but it cannot embody lived faith, suffering or spiritual encounter, speakers said at a Korean church conference examining the future of preaching in the AI era.
The “Pathway Preaching Conference,” held Feb. 26 at Good Shepherd Church in Seongnam, south of Seoul, brought together pastors, associate ministers and seminary students under the theme, “In the Age of AI, How Can Preaching Survive? (Is AI a Friend or a Foe?),” according to reporting by Christian Daily Korea.
Hosted by Good Shepherd Church, the event featured four sessions combining academic analysis and pastoral reflection. Participants said the debate over AI in ministry ultimately raises a deeper question: What is the essence of preaching?
Speakers acknowledged that AI tools are already capable of drafting sermons, generating illustrations, conducting biblical exegesis and even mimicking a preacher’s tone and style. But they cautioned against allowing technology to replace what they described as the incarnational and communal dimensions of Christian proclamation.
Rev. Kim Da-wi, senior pastor of Good Shepherd Church, framed the discussion around what he called “incarnational preaching,” arguing that the heart of Christian faith lies not in information transfer but in embodiment.
“If AI is used as a supplementary tool — such as for image generation or infographic production — it can become a helpful ally,” Kim said. “But when it attempts to replace the spiritual encounter, embodiment and resonance that lie at the heart of preaching, it becomes a threat.”

Kim referenced theologian Michael Frost’s concept of the “age of excarnation,” describing a cultural shift in which people retreat behind screens and avoid physical presence. He likened this to a digital echo of early Christian Docetism, a belief rejected by the early church that denied the full humanity of Christ.
An AI-generated sermon, Kim said, may be grammatically precise and theologically coherent, but it lacks lived experience. “Unless it contains real suffering, wounds and tears, it has an inherent limitation,” he said.
He proposed what he termed a “3E holistic cyclical preaching model”: Encounter with God, Embodiment of the Word in the preacher’s life, and Echo — resonance in the congregation through the work of the Holy Spirit. In the AI era, he added, preaching may require a recovery of what he described as “slow spirituality” and “analog spirituality.”
At the same time, Kim suggested that AI could serve as a memory aid rather than a replacement for the preacher. By compiling devotional journals, testimonies and past sermons into a digital database, ministers could use AI as a “second brain” to revisit and reflect on their spiritual journeys. “The preacher is one who embraces souls beyond data,” he said.
Rev. Lee Jung-gyu of Sigwang Church focused on the communal role of the preacher. While acknowledging that AI can now construct doctrinal sermons and detailed exegesis, he argued that preaching is more than message production.
“If we define the preacher as one who leads the story at the center of the community, there is clearly a realm AI cannot replace,” Lee said. “AI can generate a message, but it cannot say it has actually experienced that message.”
Lee emphasized the importance of ethos — the preacher’s history and character — in shaping how sermons are received. Congregants, he said, experience not only the content of a sermon but also the life of the preacher who proclaims it.
“AI can provide information,” he said, “but it cannot share with the community an experience it has lived.”
Other speakers addressed the theological and practical boundaries of AI use in preaching. Prof. Shin Sung-wook of Asia United Theological University examined the issue from a homiletical perspective, outlining both the possibilities and responsibilities involved in adopting AI tools. Rev. Choi Byung-rak of Gangnam Central Baptist Church highlighted the power of testimony and human stories rooted in personal experience — elements he said cannot be replicated by machines.
Throughout the conference, participants described AI as neither inherently friend nor foe, but as a tool requiring discernment. The central concern, speakers agreed, is preserving preaching as an event grounded in lived faith, communal formation and spiritual encounter — dimensions they said no algorithm can fully reproduce.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[YouVersion opens Nairobi hub as CEO reveals Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya among leading daily Bible app users worldwide]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/youversion-bible-opens-nairobi-hub-ceo-reveals-nigeria-south-africa-kenya-among-leading-daily-app-users-worldwide</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/youversion-bible-opens-nairobi-hub-ceo-reveals-nigeria-south-africa-kenya-among-leading-daily-app-users-worldwide</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Vincent Matinde]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[YouVersion Nairobi Hub]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ CDI ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ YouVersion CEO and founder Bobby Gruenewald said Africa’s rapid growth in digital Bible engagement reflects a long-standing spiritual foundation that is now accelerating. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 08:29:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The YouVersion Kenya hub has been launched to facilitate localized content for the YouVersion app, which boasts more than 1 billion downloads across its family of apps. The Kenya hub, launched on Feb. 23. is expected to increase local content on the app, making it more relevant to the region.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
YouVersion launched its Kenya hub to facilitate localized content for the YouVersion app, which boasts more than 1 billion downloads across its family of apps. The Kenya hub, launched on Feb. 23, is expected to increase local content on the app, making it more relevant to the region.
Speaking to Christian Daily International on the sidelines of the launch, YouVersion CEO and founder Bobby Gruenewald said it is necessary to build strong relationships that help contextualize the app experience in specific regions.
“And so we realized quite some time ago that we were going to one day need to have offices and people placed in different parts of the world. We felt like that day had come,” he said.
Gruenewald said the organization began launching regional hubs more than a year ago, starting in Brazil and Mexico City, followed by Australia. The expansion has now moved to Africa, with hubs in Kenya and South Africa, and plans to expand to Europe.
He said the hubs will help build strong relationships with churches and content providers in each region and ensure the app offers the most relevant content.
Kenya is notable in its use of the app, according to Gruenewald. The country accounts for 19 million installs and about 3 million active monthly users, signaling strong adoption.
“We're actually not here tonight to start something. We're really here to serve something that God has already been doing in this country. The Christian faith has been a part of this continent for 2,000 years, shaped and led by Africans from the very beginning,” Gruenewald said during his keynote address at the launch in Nairobi.
Gruenewald said Africa’s rapid growth in digital Bible engagement reflects a long-standing spiritual foundation that is now accelerating.
“What we're seeing today is potentially an acceleration of something with deep, deep roots,” he said.
The growth trend extends beyond Kenya. In Nigeria, the app has surpassed 40 million installs, with a 42% increase in daily engagement. Ethiopia is approaching 5 million installs, recording a 94% rise in daily use over the same period.
He noted that momentum is strong across multiple African countries. South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria currently rank among the top countries globally for daily Bible engagement — not just in Africa, but worldwide.
“Some people have predicted that Africa would become the center of global Christianity. From what we're seeing, I think it already is,” he said.
“That brings more responsibility for ensuring that God's Word is central to that growth. And Kenya holds a special place in this story for us.”
Kenya’s First Lady, Rachael Ruto, welcomed the opening of the Kenya hub, saying it would bring hope to families, especially young people.
“Today, the Word of God travels at the speed of light through the internet. It reaches families. It reaches a student before an exam. It reaches us where we are,” she said. “As a wife, a mother and a leader, I understand the importance of faith in strengthening families. When families are firmly grounded, they build resilience.”
She expressed her belief that the Kenya hub will have an impact beyond the country’s borders and transform lives across the continent.
Beyond content development, the team’s local expertise plays a key role in how YouVersion delivers its services across Africa.
According to YouVersion, the realities facing users — including high data costs and limited connectivity in rural areas, led to the development of Bible App Lite, a version designed for limited phone storage and offline use. Since 2022, insights from African communities have helped shape the app’s features, with those improvements now benefiting users globally who face similar technological constraints.
Access to Scripture in local languages has also been a central focus. The Bible App offers content in nearly 2,400 languages worldwide, including Swahili, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu and other African languages.
The organization says this commitment extends to children through Bible App for Kids, which is available in Afrikaans and Swahili. The app uses interactive animations and activities to help young users engage with Scripture in their heart language.
All YouVersion apps are free to download and use, a move the organization says is intended to remove financial barriers to accessing the Bible.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Christian counselors say churches must address anxiety and trauma: ‘Silence has deepened the crisis’]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-counselors-say-churches-must-address-anxiety-and-trauma</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-counselors-say-churches-must-address-anxiety-and-trauma</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Panelists discuss the church’s role in addressing anxiety, trauma and rising suicide rates during a forum on biblical responses to the mental health crisis and human flourishing in the digital age.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ From left to right: Dr. Pamela Pyle, Dr. Tim Clinton, Reina Olmeda, Carrie Sheffield and Billy Hallowell participate in a forum at the NRB Convention on the church’s response to the mental health crisis, addressing trauma-informed care, digital culture and the integration of spiritual and clinical support. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Carrie Sheffield, founder of Healthy Faith, speaks about trauma-informed ministry and the role of faith communities in addressing rising suicide rates and stigma surrounding mental health.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Carrie Sheffield, founder of Healthy Faith, speaks about trauma-informed ministry and the role of faith communities in addressing rising suicide rates and stigma surrounding mental health. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Dr. Pamela Pyle, an internal medicine physician, speaks about the integration of spiritual and clinical care and the importance of hope in addressing suicidal ideation and emotional suffering.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Dr. Pamela Pyle, an internal medicine physician, speaks about the integration of spiritual and clinical care and the importance of hope in addressing suicidal ideation and emotional suffering. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Dr. Tim Clinton, president of the American Association of Christian Counselors, calls on churches to confront stigma, expand trauma-informed training and anchor mental health care in biblical discipleship.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Dr. Tim Clinton, president of the American Association of Christian Counselors, calls on churches to confront stigma, expand trauma-informed training and anchor mental health care in biblical discipleship. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:25:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Christian leaders, physicians and licensed counselors called on churches to confront what they described as a deepening mental health crisis with theological clarity, practical training and renewed compassion during a panel discussion at the recent National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Christian leaders, physicians and licensed counselors called on churches to confront what they described as a deepening mental health crisis with theological clarity, practical training and renewed compassion during a panel discussion at the recent National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention.
The forum, titled “A Bible Response to the Mental Health Crisis: Human Flourishing and Better Wellbeing in the Digital Age,” examined record suicide rates, the psychological effects of social media, trauma-informed ministry, pastoral burnout and the integration of spiritual and clinical care. Panelists argued that churches must reject both stigma and simplistic solutions, instead offering a biblically grounded, whole-person response to anxiety, depression and despair.
“The church without the broken is a broken church,” said Dr. Tim Clinton, president of the American Association of Christian Counselors. “God loves to move into those places and bring light into the darkness.”
Moderated by Billy Hallowell, digital TV host and producer at CBN News, the discussion reflected growing concern among Christian communicators and ministry leaders that mental health challenges are reshaping congregational life across the United States.
Record levels of suicide and despair
Panelists cited recent federal data showing nearly 50,000 suicide deaths in 2024 — the highest annual number ever recorded in the United States. Suicide remains among the leading causes of death for teenagers and young adults, with rising rates among middle-aged and elderly populations as well.
Carrie Sheffield, founder and program manager of Healthy Faith, described the numbers as a national emergency.
“We have the highest suicide rate ever recorded,” she said. “We are in a crisis.”

Sheffield said research consistently shows that religious participation and strong faith communities correlate with lower suicide rates, reduced substance abuse and increased resilience. Yet many congregations remain uncertain how to address mental illness theologically.
Clinton said the crisis is compounded by a shortage of Christ-centered providers.
“There’s a big gap between those who need help and those who provide help,” he said. “We need an army of people trained to understand trauma and mental health.”
Fear, uncertainty and cultural pressure
Clinton traced part of the current emotional strain to the long shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and broader cultural instability.
“The world changed,” he said. “Everything was turned upside down and people began to get afraid.”
He pointed to geopolitical tensions, school shootings, economic uncertainty and nonstop exposure to alarming headlines through smartphones.
“You get overloaded,” Clinton said. “That toxic insanity coming at you every day — it’s overwhelming.”
He added that loneliness has become pervasive despite unprecedented digital connectivity.
“We’re so disconnected anymore,” he said. “I don’t care how wired we are — we’re isolated and alone.”
Reina Olmeda, director of the Mental Health Initiative at the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said Scripture shows that emotional anguish is not new. She referenced King David’s lament, Elijah’s despair and Hannah’s sorrow as biblical examples of deep emotional suffering.
“What is not new is anxiety, depression, burnout,” Olmeda said. “What is new is the climate has changed.”
She described a “speed of saturation” in modern culture — the rapid intake of news, opinions and images — that leaves little room for reflection or emotional processing.
“The speed at which we are acquiring information has rocked our faith,” she said.
Olmeda recounted speaking with more than 100 pastors who privately admitted to anger, fear and grief amid political and social turmoil.
“They were saying, ‘If we can just change our environment, these emotions will go away,’” she said. “But sometimes we have to sit in those moments. Rather than just prayer, there is presence — being present with each other.”
Social media and identity formation
Several panelists warned that digital culture is reshaping how young people experience and interpret emotional pain.
Sheffield referenced research linking heavy social media use to anxiety, eating disorders and depression, particularly among teenage girls.
“If we’re constantly barraging our eyes and neural systems with comparison, it creates neural pathways that are life-draining,” she said. “The human brain — God did not design us this way.”
She cited growing concern among scholars that platforms reward emotional exhibitionism, encouraging users to publicly frame pain as identity.
Olmeda agreed, warning that when churches fail to articulate clear, biblically grounded narratives about suffering, online culture quickly fills the void.
“If the church has a void, there is a world out there that’s going to fill that,” she said. “Social media is speaking when the church does not speak.”
Dr. Pamela Pyle, an internal medicine physician with decades of experience treating patients experiencing suicidal ideation, said modern culture often promotes external solutions to internal struggles.
“We have become a society that looks for external sources of hope,” Pyle said. “But faith is an internal, outward experience.”

She described visiting post-genocide communities in Rwanda where families living in modest conditions nevertheless reported joy rooted in faith and community bonds.
“The common denominator was hope,” she said.
Pyle warned that the spread of digital comparison culture even into remote communities could undermine that resilience.
“They will begin comparing their lives to something that looks glamorous but is often more painful,” she said.
Trauma, stigma and shame
A significant portion of the discussion focused on trauma-informed ministry — understanding how adverse experiences shape long-term emotional patterns.
Clinton said churches have historically struggled to integrate psychological insight with theology, sometimes viewing counseling as inherently secular.
“There’s been a lot of silence around mental health issues, a lot of stigmatizing and shaming,” he said. “If you’re depressed, you don’t have faith — you know that.”
He argued that counseling should be understood as a form of discipleship, helping believers grow toward maturity and freedom in Christ.
“I don’t see counseling separate from the church,” Clinton said. “I see it as part of the church.”
Sheffield shared her own experience of childhood trauma and adult hospitalization, referencing the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) score — a framework used to assess exposure to traumatic events before age 18.
“Being in religious settings where we ignore trauma — this is where people die,” she said.
Olmeda distinguished between guilt and shame in congregational life.
“Guilt says, ‘I did something wrong.’ Shame says, ‘I am wrong,’” she said. “When you name what happened, shame begins to lose its power.”
Clinton described trauma’s neurological imprint, noting how veterans often re-experience combat memories through sensory flashbacks.
“Trauma isolates. Trauma destroys your sense of safety,” he said. “It’s not about what’s wrong with you — it’s about what happened to you.”
Pastoral health and training
The panel also addressed the emotional burden carried by pastors.
Hallowell noted that congregations often elevate church leaders to unrealistic standards, leaving little room for vulnerability.
“Mental and spiritual health is ignored because people elevate pastors as though they’re superhuman,” he said.
Clinton urged churches to develop structured responses, including training lay leaders, forming mental health teams and addressing emotional struggles from the pulpit.
“My people perish because of a lack of knowledge,” he said. “There are so many incredible resources available now.”
He pointed to expanding research on human flourishing that links religious engagement with improved mental health outcomes.
“All the research — you can’t deny it anymore — faith is central to mental health,” Clinton said.
He added that pastors themselves need safe spaces for counseling and accountability.
“If you have any value to God, all hell’s going to be against you,” he said, urging leaders not to isolate themselves.
Spiritual and clinical integration
A central theme of the forum was how to avoid false dichotomies between spiritual and clinical care.
“There’s a big debate about the spiritual versus the mental,” Hallowell said. “How do we find the balance?”
Pyle said medicine increasingly acknowledges spirituality as a factor in healing, though often in generalized terms.
“Doctors will ask, ‘Are you a spiritual person?’ but they don’t go deeper,” she said.
Olmeda pointed to the biblical account of Elijah, who collapsed in exhaustion and despair after intense ministry.
“What does God do?” she asked. “He feeds him. He lets him sleep. And then He gently restores him. That is biology and theology in one.”
Sheffield said her own recovery involved both medication and spiritual renewal.
“I needed medication at certain points,” she said. “It was all integrated. We cannot separate the flesh and the spirit.”
Clinton closed with a theological reflection on hope and spiritual warfare.

“Light dispels darkness,” he said. “If we are to bring light into darkness, we must be anchored in the Spirit of God and the Word of God as we bring hope.”
As the session concluded, panelists urged Christian communicators and church leaders not to retreat from difficult conversations.
The mental health crisis, they said, demands humility, evidence-based training and unwavering theological conviction.
“We don’t need to panic,” Olmeda said. “The church is not dead. There is still hope. God is still on the throne.”
The forum ended with a challenge to congregations nationwide: move from silence to engagement, from stigma to compassion, and from fragmented responses to integrated care rooted in Scripture and community.
In an era marked by isolation, digital saturation and rising despair, panelists said the church’s calling remains unchanged — to bring light into darkness and hope into suffering, addressing the whole person in mind, body and spirit.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Christian scholars call for moral framework as AI reshapes relationships and community]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-scholars-call-for-moral-framework-as-ai-reshapes-relationships-and-community</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/christian-scholars-call-for-moral-framework-as-ai-reshapes-relationships-and-community</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Panelists discuss the ethical and theological implications of artificial intelligence during a forum on human flourishing and ministry innovation at the NRB 2026 International Christian Media Convention in Nashville.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Panelists discuss the ethical and theological implications of artificial intelligence during a forum on human flourishing and ministry innovation at the NRB 2026 International Christian Media Convention in Nashville. ]]>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Dr. Byron Johnson of Baylor University speaks during a panel on human flourishing and artificial intelligence, highlighting global research linking close relationships and religious practice to higher well-being outcomes.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Dr. Byron Johnson of Baylor University speaks during a panel on human flourishing and artificial intelligence, highlighting global research linking close relationships and religious practice to higher well-being outcomes. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 05:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[As artificial intelligence continues to reshape media, ministry and daily life, Christian leaders recently gathered at the NRB 2026 International Christian Media Convention in Nashville to wrestle with a defining question: Can AI accelerate ministry innovation without undermining the human person it seeks to serve?]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape media, ministry and daily life, Christian leaders recently gathered at the NRB 2026 International Christian Media Convention in Nashville to wrestle with a defining question: Can AI accelerate ministry innovation without undermining the human person it seeks to serve?
During a panel titled “Human Flourishing & AI — A New Standard for Ministry Innovation,” held Feb. 18, scholars and technology executives urged Christian communicators to adopt a rigorous theological and empirical framework for evaluating emerging AI tools — one rooted not in speed or scale, but in measurable human flourishing.
Moderated by Steele Billings, president of Gloo AI at Gloo, the discussion featured Dr. Byron Johnson of Baylor University, Jonathan Teubner of Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program, Nick Skytland, vice president of AI at Gloo, and John Anderson, senior director of the Bible Technology Team at Biblica.
From prison reform research to Bible translation algorithms, the conversation moved between global data and deeply personal questions about intimacy, suffering and spiritual formation.
“What do we mean when we say human flourishing?”
Before turning to AI, Billings pressed the panel to define their terms.
“We’re going to talk about human flourishing and AI,” he said. “We should probably level set with our audience. What do we mean when we say human flourishing? What are we actually measuring?” 
Johnson, a distinguished professor of the social sciences at Baylor and co-director of the Global Flourishing Study, acknowledged the complexity of the task.
“Let me just say that we haven’t figured it out,” Johnson said. “We entered this as a dialogue. We want to talk about what flourishing looks like, what we’re finding in the data, but also we want to approach it with a bit of humility.”
The Global Flourishing Study is following more than 200,000 individuals across 23 countries over five years, making it one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies ever undertaken on well-being. The project has already produced more than 100 studies in a single year, examining loneliness, anxiety, suffering and the role of faith in shaping outcomes.

Johnson outlined a multidimensional framework for flourishing, describing it as “a state in which you’re doing well in all the domains of life.” Those domains include physical health, mental health, close personal relationships, financial and material stability, and character and virtue.
The framework moves beyond simplistic happiness rankings, Johnson said, referencing global reports that measure national satisfaction levels with a single scale.
“We ask about 109 questions beyond that to get a much more holistic view of what it means to flourish,” he explained.
Teubner, a research associate at Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program and leader of its AI initiative, added that flourishing cannot be reduced to individual metrics.
“Flourishing is highly dependent upon the context in which we live,” he said. “How are other people doing? How is our community more generally doing?” 
He noted that AI intersects with flourishing not only through personal productivity but through its effects on social relationships, workplaces, churches and families.
Suffering, prisons and resilience
Both scholars challenged the assumption that flourishing means the absence of hardship.
Johnson described research conducted in maximum-security prisons, including work with inmates serving life sentences and those on death row.
“Flourishing is not the absence of suffering — quite the opposite,” Johnson said. “It’s suffering that actually could be the gateway.”
He recounted walking alongside an inmate facing execution who, by study metrics, demonstrated signs of flourishing through faith and relational depth.
Such findings complicate simplistic narratives about well-being, panelists said, and raise important questions about how AI systems — particularly those used in therapy-like contexts — should engage human pain.
Teubner echoed that concern, noting that adversity and suffering are often integral to growth and meaning. Designing AI systems that prioritize frictionless happiness, he suggested, may inadvertently strip away formative experiences.
Johnson highlighted what he described as one of the most concerning findings of the Global Flourishing Study: declining well-being among young adults worldwide.
“Young people are struggling all over the world,” he said, noting rising anxiety, isolation and lower flourishing scores among those ages 18 to 24.
In that context, the panel turned to AI-driven companionship tools, including chatbots marketed as virtual friends or romantic partners.
Nick Skytland described a shift from the “attention economy” of social media to what some observers are calling the “intimacy economy,” in which AI systems mediate or simulate close relationships.
“It’s a lot easier to talk to my AI girlfriend than it is to argue with my wife,” Skytland said, describing the subtle but significant risks of outsourcing emotional labor to machines.
Teubner cautioned that data on the prevalence of AI “relationships” remains limited and sometimes flawed. Still, he warned that replacing human-to-human intimacy with AI interaction could have long-term consequences for relational health.
Johnson reiterated that close personal relationships are among the strongest predictors of flourishing in global data.
“If I’m not flourishing, I’m not flourishing if my neighbor’s not flourishing,” he said, emphasizing the communal dimension of well-being.
“A moral imperative” to shape AI
The conversation also explored the responsibility of Christians to influence AI development.
“At Gloo, we often say that God is not surprised by AI,” Billings said. “It is a moral imperative that we have. It is a mandate that we have to steward well these technologies.”
Skytland agreed, arguing that AI models inevitably reflect the values embedded in their training data.
“When we use AI, we are adopting values whether we recognize it or not,” he said.
He illustrated the point with a hypothetical scenario involving financial advice. An AI trained primarily on secular internet data may prioritize personal gain, he suggested, whereas a biblically informed system would frame money in terms of stewardship and generosity.
“I think we have a moral, ethical, theological responsibility as Christians to shape technology for good,” Skytland said.
Anderson described Biblica’s efforts to apply AI responsibly in Bible translation initiatives, particularly for difficult-to-reach language communities.
He emphasized that AI must remain a tool, not a substitute for discernment.
“There is an important distinction that has to be drawn when we’re considering a tool that has been created by man that’s trying to shepherd a man who was created in the image of God,” Anderson said.
AI systems, he argued, should be designed to point users toward real community when facing complex spiritual or relational questions.
“For someone to be able to walk with you,” he said, describing the role of pastors and faith leaders. “The tool … can never actually bring relationship, can it?” 
Speed versus trust
As the panel progressed, discussion shifted to broader tensions between rapid AI development and safety concerns.
Skytland acknowledged that AI advancement is unlikely to slow, particularly amid geopolitical competition.
“We are not slowing down,” he said, adding that the church must avoid retreating into fear.
Teubner reflected on the growing influence of technology companies in shaping policy debates, noting that corporate decisions now carry global consequences.
“There’s a part of me that thinks this is a really good act,” he said of efforts by some companies to slow certain deployments, adding that value-driven decision-making within industry could serve as a hopeful sign.
Still, panelists agreed that Christian leaders must adopt their own evaluative standards rather than relying solely on industry assurances.
Measuring what matters
Teubner encouraged ministries to move beyond marketing narratives and ask concrete questions.
“Are my social relations improving?” he said. “Can I see that?” 
Johnson pointed to research showing that regular religious practice strongly correlates with higher flourishing outcomes, suggesting that faith communities remain central to human well-being in an age of technological change.
“The world is more religious today than it has ever been in its history,” Johnson said, pushing back against narratives of inevitable secularization.
In closing, Billings summarized what he described as three criteria for AI aligned with flourishing: safety, accuracy and theological coherence.
“All use and advancement of AI should be looked at through the lens of human flourishing,” he said.
As Christian communicators navigate a rapidly evolving technological landscape, panelists said, the ultimate measure will not be efficiency or scale but whether AI strengthens relationships, deepens character and supports communities rooted in truth.
In that sense, they suggested, the future of AI in ministry will be determined less by algorithms and more by anthropology — by what Christians believe about what it means to be human.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[New digital platform expands access to ancient New Testament manuscripts]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/new-digital-platform-expands-access-to-ancient-new-testament-manuscripts</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/new-digital-platform-expands-access-to-ancient-new-testament-manuscripts</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/41/4135.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[A New Testament manuscript page displayed on the newly launched Digital Manuscript Collection platform, which provides high-resolution images and expanded access to Greek and other early Christian texts.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot of CSNTM website ]]>
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                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ A New Testament manuscript page displayed on the newly launched Digital Manuscript Collection platform, which provides high-resolution images and expanded access to Greek and other early Christian texts. ]]>
                                </media:description>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:01:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts on Monday announced the launch of a new online Digital Manuscript Collection interface, expanding public access to ancient New Testament manuscripts and related scholarly materials beyond the scope of its previous database.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts on Monday announced the launch of a new online Digital Manuscript Collection interface, expanding public access to ancient New Testament manuscripts and related scholarly materials beyond the scope of its previous database.
The Plano-based nonprofit said the new platform replaces its original digital archive, which for more than two decades has provided high-resolution images of Greek New Testament manuscripts cataloged with Gregory-Aland numbers. The updated interface is designed to host a broader range of materials in multiple ancient languages and formats, including non-Greek manuscripts, early printed editions and unpublished scholarly works.
According to CSNTM, the earlier database was limited to Greek manuscripts with assigned Gregory-Aland numbers, leaving out other textual witnesses and research resources. The new system allows the inclusion of manuscripts in languages such as Coptic, Syriac, Arabic and Latin, as well as printed New Testament editions and selected archival materials connected to past scholars.
The organization said the redesigned platform was developed over several years in consultation with researchers and reflects two decades of experience in digitizing and cataloging manuscripts. It is intended to function as a searchable repository bringing together manuscripts and related documents that have previously been dispersed across institutions or inaccessible online.
CSNTM stated that the new interface retains core features of the legacy database while adding expanded search and cataloging capabilities. Additional tools and content are expected to be introduced in the coming months.
Founded in 2002, CSNTM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and digital documentation of New Testament manuscripts. The group conducts digitization expeditions, produces high-resolution images for research and preservation purposes, and collaborates with libraries and archives around the world.
The new Digital Manuscript Collection interface is accessible at collections.csntm.org.]]></content:encoded>
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