Overwhelmed by AI? This Engaging Christian Book Helps Make Sense of It
Do you wish AI was never invented?
Do you feel overwhelmed by the head-spinning technological changes and what that might mean for you, your kids, and your grandkids?
Do you wonder how Christians should approach and use AI?
If so, Tasmanian teacher, tech CEO, and AI consultant Paul Matthews has written one of the most accessible and practical AI books I’ve seen: A Time to Lead: A Faithful Approach to AI in Christian Education. While Matthews wrote this short book for Christian teachers and Principals working in Christian schools, it will help any Christian understand AI from a Christian perspective and use it in a God-honouring way.
Matthews puts his goal this way:
There are times when I catch myself wishing I was teaching in a simpler time; one of those times where teaching looked similar from decade to decade. In these moments, it’s the sovereignty of God that clarifies my thinking. If God wanted me to teach in those times, that’s where he would have put me. But he didn’t! He put me – and you – right in the midst of the most rapid technological change the world has ever known. God has not called us merely to batten down the hatches and try to limit the damage. God has called us to lead. I wrote this book for you so you can lead your students, your school, and yourself through these changes in a way that honours God and loves others. May God establish the work of your hands.[1]
The Structure of A Time To Lead
The book is divided into four main sections:
1) The ‘Big Picture’ Christian Theological/Philosophical framework of AI
Matthews begins with the big picture before zeroing into practicalities.
In the first section on the Philosophy/Theology of AI, he argues that our task is not to despair or wish we were born in simpler times, but rather:
‘[O]ur task is not to batten down the hatches and weather the storm. It’s not only to limit the damage caused by new technology. Our task is to use this new technology in such a way that glorifies God, loves others, avoids the pitfalls, and embraces the benefits. The call on Christian educators is not merely to survive, but to lead.’[2]
That’s a far more positive, far more biblical response than to put our heads in the sand and wish AI wasn’t invented (as tempting as that may be). Matthews outlines a framework to help educators (and again, this applies to any Christian) lead themselves and others through the disruption of AI. He calls it the ‘L.E.A.D.’ framework:
Living under Lordship: Fixing our eyes on Christ throughout this rapid change will help us avoid fear and idolatry and also get the best out of technology.[3]
Engaging Ethically: Being aware that technology shapes us as we use it – ‘we shape our tools, and our tools shape us’. And so, our task is to uncover or discern the ‘stories’ that drive AI technology and critique them. For example, AI chatbots give us instant relationships, but because they are infinitely patient and ever-pleasing, they shape us to expect the same from our normal relationships.[4]
Adapt Appropriately: ‘New technology changes the whole environment; it does not add something, it changes everything.’[5] The word today is very different to the world pre-chatGPT. And so, schools (and everyone else) need to adapt to this change or risk doing things far less effectively than in years past.[6]
Discuss Discerningly: Christian Teachers, parents, and school communities need to discuss the impact of AI discerningly. By doing so, they'll be able to adapt and use AI in God-honouring ways.[7]
2) The Principles that should inform our use of AI
Matthews then moves on to the principles of using AI wisely. These principles ‘set appropriate expectations of what AI tools can and can’t do.’[8]
Matthews focuses on generative AI tools like ChatGPT. He puts forward nine principles that educators and anyone can use to get the most out of AI safely and effectively. As someone who uses AI daily, I found these principles immensely useful, tying together ‘best practice’ ways of thinking about and using AI.
These include practical principles like ‘Tasks, Not Jobs: Use AI to complete tasks step-by-step, not the whole job at once’, or ‘Iteration is crucial: Iterating – refining the output of AI step by step – is crucial for getting output that is suited to your context, content and learners.’
If you’re intimidated by AI or wondering how to use it well, knowing these principles will move you into the top 10% of AI users.
3) The Practices that will help you to use AI effectively
Matthews doesn’t just leave us with principles but drills down to specific, step-by-step practices to show us how to use AI.
He shows us what to prompt (i.e. tell) AI to get the best response. He shares two prompting methods – the 'RTF' Role/Task/Format framework, and the more advanced 'CARE' Context/Action/Result/Example method.[9] He gives examples of applying these frameworks to everyday educator tasks, like rubrics and text differentiation. Without AI, such tasks might be high-value, but they are time-intensive, and time poor teachers struggle to do them. But with AI, such tasks become quick and easy. [10]
4) Policies and Guidelines to govern the ethical use of AI in schools
Finally, Matthews finishes with questions that schools (and workplaces!) should be asking about AI, such as ‘What is our theological foundation/deep hope?’, ‘What policies need updating because of AI?’, and of course ‘How will we handle AI misuse or abuse?’.
Simple but not Simplistic
I’ve read many books on AI, listened to many podcasts, blogged regularly on AI, and given public talks on it.
And so, what I love about Matthews’ book is that he’s summarised many of the key things I’ve learned over my many hundred hours and put them into a short, engaging, to-the-point, 'no-fluff', practical book. Matthews succeeds in being simple without being simplistic.
Starting with the Big Picture and ending with how to prompt AI well, Matthews gives any Christian reader a solid introduction to a Christian understanding and use of AI.
(While this book is an excellent introduction to the theology of AI, if you want to dive deeper into AI's history, philosophy, and theology, I would recommend Made in Our Image by fellow Aussie author Stephen Driscoll.)
Who should read it?
This book is aimed at Christian teachers—especially those in Christian schools. But if you’re not a teacher and use AI (or feel you should be using AI but feel overwhelmed by it), you’ll find this an excellent introduction that will help you start using it more discerningly and effectively.
Paul Matthews’ book A Time To Lead - A Faithful Approach To Artificial Intelligence In Christian Education is available from amazon.com.
1] Paul Matthews, A Time To Lead - A Faithful Approach To Artificial Intelligence In Christian Education, 6-7.
[2] Matthews, A Time To Lead, 13.
[3] Matthews, A Time To Lead, 14-16.
[4] Matthews, A Time To Lead, 21.
[5] Matthews, A Time To Lead, 26.
[6] Matthews, A Time Lead, 27.
[7] Matthews, A Time Lead, 29-33.
[8] Matthews, A Time Lead, 27.
[9] Matthews, A Time Lead, 63ff.
[10] Matthews, A Time Lead, 70.