Artificial Intelligence and the Indigence of Being: Toward a Liberative Model of Theological Education
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Abstract
The present article contends that theological education in the era of artificial intelligence must embrace a liberative perspective that is informed by the restoration of human dignity. To this end, the article engages with the notion of the "indigence of being," developed by Engelbert Mveng, to explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence to perpetuate epistemic domination and existential indigence, but also to offer possibilities for the promotion of justice and access. This article was first delivered at the INCHE-HGU 2025 conference in Pohang, South Korea, but it has since been developed for publication. By engaging with the postcolonial context, the present article advances the narrative of the encounter between Jesus and the two disciples in Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) as a criterion for Christological discernment in the era of artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on the need to relate to others, to be recognized by others, and to restore the anthropological self, so that the mission of God is not subverted by the pursuit of technological innovations in ministerial formation.
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