Barna Research Highlights Pastoral Concerns Over AI and Biblical Interpretation
Based on 2 sources Updated 2 weeks ago
New research from Barna, conducted in partnership with Gloo, reveals that 94% of U.S. Protestant pastors are concerned about artificial intelligence misinterpreting Scripture. This sentiment is shared by 83% of practicing Christians and 74% of the general U.S. adult population. The findings are based on surveys of 442 pastors and 1,514 adults conducted in late 2025.
Significant differences exist regarding how AI should handle theological disagreements. While 60% of pastors prefer that AI present multiple major interpretations without declaring a definitive answer, only 26% of practicing Christians agree. Conversely, practicing Christians are four times more likely than pastors to want AI to provide only the most widely accepted interpretation. Approximately 40% of pastors believe contested passages should not be interpreted by AI at all, a view held by nearly 20% of practicing Christians.
Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, suggests that pastors view AI as a tool to foster critical thinking rather than a source of absolute authority. Despite these concerns, previous Barna data indicates that nearly half of practicing Christians would trust AI for spiritual growth, with one-third stating that AI-generated spiritual advice is comparable to that provided by a pastor.