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Cambridge Centre for Chinese Theology

 

Book project: T&T Clark Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, Religion, and Ethics

Editors:
Simeon Xu, Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge

George Coghill, School of Natural and Computing Sciences, University of Aberdeen / Edinburgh Theological Seminary

Artificial Intelligence has attracted significant attention from religious communities; this has given rise to a growing scholarly literature. A result of this religious and theological engagement with AI over the past decade makes this an opportune time for a comprehensive examination of that interaction! One goal will be to explore how theology and AI can stimulate and enhance each other.

Aside from mainstream AI-and-religion studies, which often focus on sci-fi AI, we recognise that there is important work to be done in assessing the real-world effects of AI, particularly with respect to spiritual matters. Hence the T&T Clark Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, Religion, and Ethics is dedicated to articulating the interplay between state-of-the-art AI technology and religion/theology from ethical perspectives (while remaining somewhat attentive to the influence of sci-fi AI).

This volume is divided into five parts. Part I aims to lay a foundation for the remaining chapters, exploring themes such as AI definition(s), philosophy, ethics, and its relation to religion(s) and theology. Part II seeks to examine interactions between AI and diverse religions, including Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism. Part III inquires into challenges posed by AI technology for theology from the perspectives of multiple theological themes, and probes how AI and theology can enhance each other. Part IV delves into AI ethics from theological perspectives. It articulates theological approaches to AI ethics and develops theological responses to crucial themes related to AI. Part V turns to the public issues surrounding wide-ranging AI applications and attempts to advance theological approaches to integrating AI technology into human communities.

This volume presents an interreligious, cross-cultural, theological, and ethical way to promote the development of AI-and-religion research.

Book project: Beyond Sino-Christian Theology: Exploring the Theological Frontiers of Chinese Christianities

Editors:
Simeon Xu, Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge

Quan Li, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh

Sino-Christian theology as a theological movement emerged in the late 1980s and has significantly facilitated the growth and expansion of Chinese-language theology. It is primarily linked with Chinese academic communities. While some confessional and ecclesiastically committed Christian scholars joined this theological movement, the majority of Sino-Christian theologians are from Chinese universities and academic institutions, largely shaping Sino-Christian theology as a humanities discipline practised by Chinese university academics rather than theological practice in churches. Given this, there is important work to be done in exploring the theological frontiers of Chinese Christianities (i.e. all branches of Christianity among Chinese communities), going beyond Sino-Christian theology and serving both ecclesial and academic communities.

This volume seeks to probe Chinese theological practice after Sino-Christian theology. It is divided into three parts. Part I presents a historical account of Sino-Christian theology through investigating the phenomenon of cultural Christians, ecclesial response to this theological movement, and how theological translation has shaped the Chinese-language theological landscape over the past decades. Part II critically engages with the legacies of Sino-Christian theology in various research fields, sketching out the status quo of Sino-Christian theology and paving a way for constructive work on Chinese theology. Part III constructively explores the future trajectories of Chinese theology, moving towards post-Sino-Christian theology or a new phrase of Chinese theology. It looks into some underexplored, emerging, or pressing subjects. By doing so, it characterises the frontiers of Chinese theology as both confessional-academic and contextual-global.

Launch Event on 02/10/2025

You are invited to join us on 02/10/2025 at the official Launch Event for the CCCT for an afternoon filled with interesting talks and lectures, followed by a Drinks Reception to celebrate the opening of the CCCT. The detailed programme and registrations are available here.

Upcoming Lecture 07/10/2025

The Wind Blows Where It Wishes, and Each Bears Its Proper Form (像): Exploring Theological Possibility of 'Re-denominization' in Chinese Christianity Today, Associate Prof. Dr. theol. Thomas Xutong Qu, Tsinghua University. Register here

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