The following chapter is organized by the Common Threads presented in the previous chapter that emerged through analysis of the participant transcripts. I engage scholars introduced in the first three chapters in a discussion on these themes, with a particular focus on similarities and differences between their research and findings relative to those Common Threads. I identify and discuss any gaps between the present study and previous scholarly work and endeavor to explain why those gaps may exist. Most importantly, I highlight how these threads relate to the transformation of religious information into religious knowledge. As a reminder, religious information becomes religious knowledge as part of an iterative process that starts with encountering new information, meaning-making and reflection on that information and ultimately use of that information in daily life. This use requires experimentation and practice to become part of this “lived religion”. This can happen in interactions between people of different backgrounds in religiously pluralist societies and possibly when people experience new religious information through experiences with AI entities. The transformation of religious information into religious knowledge can stop at any point in the process. The information can be rejected upon first encounter. It can be rejected as part of meaning-making and reflection or it can be rejected after attempts at practice have been made. Again, the format and duration of this study will not be able to witness the full transition of religious information to religious knowledge as that would take many years of longitudinal study. Rather, the present study is focused on identifying precursors or signs that religious information is beginning the transformation into religious knowledge based on the dialog with participants and their expression of future intentions or actions based on the research experience. In this study, the attributes of artificial intelligence studied were the appearance of human-like interaction and the targeting of the content to an individual. These capabilities are central to the research experiences between participants and SMS and web-based chatbots, internet search and digital voice assistants. At the same time, in discussion, participants regularly made references to other technologies such as social media feeds, online advertising and news services that also have AI technologies infused within them. These broader references to AI-powered information technology play a role in the perception of the research experiences and how people feel about AI relative to religious information.

Discussion

章节
发表日期：

2025年

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Shanen J. Boettcher

摘要

The following chapter is organized by the Common Threads presented in the previous chapter that emerged through analysis of the participant transcripts. I engage scholars introduced in the first three chapters in a discussion on these themes, with a particular focus on similarities and differences between their research and findings relative to those Common Threads. I identify and discuss any gaps between the present study and previous scholarly work and endeavor to explain why those gaps may exist. Most importantly, I highlight how these threads relate to the transformation of religious information into religious knowledge. As a reminder, religious information becomes religious knowledge as part of an iterative process that starts with encountering new information, meaning-making and reflection on that information and ultimately use of that information in daily life. This use requires experimentation and practice to become part of this “lived religion”. This can happen in interactions between people of different backgrounds in religiously pluralist societies and possibly when people experience new religious information through experiences with AI entities. The transformation of religious information into religious knowledge can stop at any point in the process. The information can be rejected upon first encounter. It can be rejected as part of meaning-making and reflection or it can be rejected after attempts at practice have been made. Again, the format and duration of this study will not be able to witness the full transition of religious information to religious knowledge as that would take many years of longitudinal study. Rather, the present study is focused on identifying precursors or signs that religious information is beginning the transformation into religious knowledge based on the dialog with participants and their expression of future intentions or actions based on the research experience. In this study, the attributes of artificial intelligence studied were the appearance of human-like interaction and the targeting of the content to an individual. These capabilities are central to the research experiences between participants and SMS and web-based chatbots, internet search and digital voice assistants. At the same time, in discussion, participants regularly made references to other technologies such as social media feeds, online advertising and news services that also have AI technologies infused within them. These broader references to AI-powered information technology play a role in the perception of the research experiences and how people feel about AI relative to religious information.