The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele AI Ethics and Preaching: Plagiarism, Spiritual Formation & Pastoral Voice - with Stephen Driscoll
Dec 2, 2025
Guest Stephen Driscoll, a campus ministry worker and author of 'Made in Our Image,' dives into the complexities of AI's role in preaching. He warns that relying on AI may compromise the deep theological thinking essential for pastors. They discuss the importance of maintaining personal pastoral voice and how AI can sometimes produce bland, essay-like sermons. Driscoll also provides insights into ethically using AI as a helpful tool for idea generation and clarity without losing authenticity.
AI Snips
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Transcript
Episode notes
Internalize Scripture, Don't Outsource It
- External tools store information but cannot replace internalized biblical knowledge.
- Ministers must internalize Scripture so they can speak confidently without always checking programs.
Be The Author, Not The Translator
- Re-express any AI or commentary output in your own pastoral voice before preaching.
- Use AI as seasoning, not the main dish: ensure you could deliver the sermon without it.
Watch For Plausible Falsehoods
- AI can confidently produce plausible but false claims (hallucinations).
- Models reflect training data and policy biases, so they may skew away from hard Christian doctrines.
