From Deus ex Machina to Deus in Machina: The Transformation of Religious Representation in AI Jesus Applications

Öz

This article examines AI Jesus applications as a distinctive form of religious chatbot that does not merely provide information about Christianity but constructs an interactive digital representation of Jesus Christ. By presenting Jesus as an algorithmic interlocutor who speaks, responds, remembers, and offers guidance, these applications move beyond conventional digital religious tools. This raises crucial theological questions for Christianity, whose doctrinal structure centres on the person of Christ rather than abstract religious information. Although AI–religion relations have been discussed in general terms, no systematic study appears to have analysed AI Jesus applications through Christian doctrines. The article adopts a qualitative multiple-case study design, analysing four applications: AI Jesus, Text With Jesus, Ask Jesus, and Deus in Machina. These cases span different modes of representation—from text-based conversation and live streaming to sacramental mediation within a place of worship—enabling comparative analysis of AI-based Jesus representations. Data were collected through document analysis of interfaces, promotional materials, user comments, media reports, and academic literature, and interpreted through descriptive analysis within three central Christian doctrines: incarnation, revelation, and salvation. First, AI Jesus applications problematise the doctrine of incarnation. Whereas incarnation refers to the unique, historical, and embodied presence of the Logos in Jesus Christ, AI Jesus systems generate a disembodied, repeatable, and constantly available representation. Although these applications avoid claiming to serve as substantial replacements for Christ, their practical use often creates the impression that the user is directly addressing Jesus. This produces what may be described as digital docetism: a Christ figure whose speech and guidance are reproduced without ontological, bodily, or historical reality. These applications also reshape the understanding of revelation. In Christianity, revelation is not merely textual or normative but ultimately embodied in the person of Christ. AI Jesus applications, however, transform revelation into selectable, personalised, and platform-dependent content. Since large language models generate responses through statistical patterns rather than theological understanding, they cannot carry the authority of the Holy Spirit, ecclesial tradition, or moral agency. Consequently, the source, authority, and interpretive status of statements attributed to Jesus become theologically ambiguous. Furthermore, AI Jesus applications reshape the understanding of salvation. By offering personalised spiritual guidance, emotional consolation, and memory-based religious interaction, these systems risk reducing salvation to individualised meaning-seeking and algorithmically mediated self-confirmation. The article conceptualises this as “algorithmic gnosis”: personalised religious knowledge generated through probabilistic patterns and tailored to the user’s needs and past interactions. Unlike classical gnosis, this does not lead to salvific awakening but mirrors the user’s desires and may encourage the attribution of transcendent authority to AI. AI Jesus applications should not be treated merely as innovative religious technologies. They represent a theologically consequential transformation of Christological representation, revelatory authority, and soteriological imagination in digital culture, indicating the need for systematic engagement with the AI–religion nexus within the History of Religions.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• History of Religions
• Christianity
• Incarnation
• Algorithmic Gnosis
• Digital Docetism

Deus ex Machina’dan Deus in Machina’ya: Yapay Zekâ Tabanlı İsa Uygulamalarında Dinî Temsilin Dönüşümü

Öz

Yapay zekânın kamusal kullanıma açılmasıyla birlikte farklı dinî geleneklerde rehberlik ve danışmanlık sunmak amacıyla çeşitli yapay zekâ tabanlı dinî uygulamalar geliştirilmiştir. Bu çalışma, İsa figürünü merkeze alan yapay zekâ uygulamalarını incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden çoklu vaka analizi kullanılmış; AI Jesus, Text With Jesus, Ask Jesus ve Deus in Machina örnek vakalar olarak ele alınmıştır. Veriler, doküman incelemesi yoluyla elde edilmiştir. Bu veriler, Hristiyan teolojisinin temel doktrinleri olan enkarnasyon, vahiy ve kurtuluş çerçevesinde betimsel analiz yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmanın bulguları, uygulamalarda İsa’nın geleneksel temsil biçimlerinden farklı olarak kullanıcıyla etkileşime giren algoritmik bir muhataba dönüştüğünü göstermektedir. Bu çerçevede ontolojik ve bedensel gerçekliği bulunmaksızın İsa’nın söylem ve rehberliğinin algoritmik olarak yeniden üretilmesi “dijital doketizm” olarak tanımlanmıştır. Kullanıcının ihtiyaçları ve geçmiş etkileşimleri doğrultusunda üretilen kişiselleştirilmiş dinî bilgi ise “algoritmik gnosis” olarak kavramsallaştırılmıştır. Sonuç olarak, bu uygulamaların vahyin aktarılmasını ve yorumlanmasını doğrudan etkilediği ve vahyi yapay zekânın teknik işleyişi içinde yapılandırdığı tespit edilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dinler Tarihi
• Hrıstiyanlık
• Enkarnasyon
• Algoritmik Gnosis
• Dijital Doketizm

Kaynakça

1. Açıklamalı Kutsal Kitap. İstanbul: Yeni Yaşam Yayınları, 2009.
2. ABC News. “Dressed in a Hooded Brown-and-White Robe, ‘Chatbot Jesus’ Is Here”. Erişim 17 Şubat 2026. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-03/chatbot-jesus-religion-ai-age/102679512
3. AP News. “‘AI Jesus’ Avatar Tests Man’s Faith in Machines and the Divine”. Erişim 11 Mart 2026. https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-chatbot-jesus-lucerne-catholic-66268027fbcf4b48972d1d62541f0b16.
4. Athanasius. On the Incarnation. Çev. Archibald Robertson. Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, t.y. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/athanasius/incarnation.html.
5. Bajac, Momčilo - Milica Njegovan Gužvica. “Algorithmic Reality and the Myth of Neutrality: Social Informatics Perspectives on AI-Mediated Society.” Social Informatics Journal 4/2 (2025): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.58898/sij.v4i2.01-10.
6. Baudrillard, Jean. Simülakrlar ve Simülasyon. Çev. Oğuz Adanır. Ankara: Doğu Batı Yayınları, 2017.
7. Bender, Emily M. vd. “On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big?” Proceedings of the 2021 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, 610-623. New York: Association for Computing Machinery, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1145/3442188.3445922.
8. Berger, Peter L. The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion. New York: Open Road Media, 2011.

9. Blum, Edward J. - Paul Harvey. The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.
10. Blythe, Mark - Elizabeth Buie. “Chatbots of the Gods: Imaginary Abstracts for Techno-Spirituality Research.” Proceedings of the 8th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Fun, Fast, Foundational, 227-236. New York: Association for Computing Machinery, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1145/2639189.2641212.
11. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Letters and Papers from Prison. Çev. Reginald Fuller. New York: Macmillan, 1971.
12. Brown, Raymond E. The Gospel According to John I–XII: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible 29. New York: Doubleday, 1981.
13. Brown, Sally A. - Luke A. Powery. Ways of the Word: Learning to Preach for Your Time and Place. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016.
14. Brunner, Emil. Truth as Encounter. Çev. Amandus W. Loos - David Cairns. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1964.
15. Buber, Martin. I and Thou. Çev. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Scribner, 1970.
16. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Washington, DC: Libreria Editrice Vaticana - United States Catholic Conference, 2000.
17. Catloaf Software. “Text With Jesus™- The Christian AI Chatbot App.”Erişim 01 Nisan 2026. https://textwith.me/en/jesus/
18. Cheres, Ioana vd. “Prompts and Prayers: The Rise of GPTheology.” arXiv:2603.10019. 22 Şubat 2026. http://arxiv.org/abs/2603.10019
19. Creamer, Deborah. “Toward a Theology That Includes the Human Experience of Disability.” Journal of Religion, Disability & Health 7/3 (Eylül 2003): 57-67. https://doi.org/10.1300/J095v07n03_05
20. Campbell, Heidi A. - Tsuria, Ruth (ed.). Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in Digital Media. London: Routledge, 2022.
21. Catloaf Software. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Erişim 01 Nisan 2026. https://textwith.me/en/jesus/
22. Çinici, Murat vd. “Yapay Zekâ Sohbet Robotu ChatGPT ile İnanç-İnançsızlık, Doğal Afet ve Ölüm Konuları Üzerine Nitel Bir Araştırma.” Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 9/1 (Nisan 2023): 137-172.
23. Çorbacı, Osman Kamil. “İlahi Hitaptan Makine Diline: Kutsal Metinlerin YZ ile Yeniden Okunması.” Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi 24/3 (31 Aralık 2024): 541-572. https://doi.org/10.33415/daad.1580063
24. Davis, Erik. TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2015.
25. Foerst, Anne. God in the Machine: What Robots Teach Us about Humanity and God. New York: Plume, 2005.
26. Forbes. “What Happened When ‘AI Jesus’ Entered the Church Confessional.” Erişim 18 Mart 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliekatz/2024/12/14/when-ai-jesus-entered-the-confessional-lessons-from-a-divisive-experiment/
27. Fox News. “‘AI Jesus’ Talks Dating, Relationships, Morals — Even Offers Video-Gaming Tips.” Erişim 05 Mart 2026. https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/ai-jesus-talks-dating-relationships-morals-even-offers-video-gaming-tips
28. Furse, Edmund. “The Theology of Robots.” New Blackfriars 67/795 (1986): 377-386.
29. Geraci, Robert M. Apocalyptic AI: Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
30. God’s Child, “IF I COULD RATE 0 STARS I WOULD!!”. App Store, 13 Şubat 2024. Erişim 5 Nisan 2026. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/text-with-jesus/id6446922759.
31. Grenz, Stanley J. Theology for the Community of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.
32. Herzfeld, Noreen. The Artifice of Intelligence: Divine and Human Relationship in a Robotic Age. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2023.
33. Hjarvard, Stig. “The Mediatization of Religion: A Theory of the Media as Agents of Religious Change”. Northern Lights: Film & Media Studies Yearbook 6/1 (2008), 9-26. https://doi.org/10.1386/nl.6.1.9_1.
34. Hutson, James. “The God Prompt and Deus Ex Machina: Techno-Theological Tropes and Operational Metaphors in Generative Media.” MRS Journal of Arts, Humanities and Literature 2/9 (2025): 50-57.
35. Immersive Realities Center. “Deus in Machina - AI Jesus.” Erişim 20 Mart 2026. https://sites.hslu.ch/immersive-realities/en/deus-in-machina-ai-jesus-english/
36. Katholische Kirche Stadt Luzern. “What People Ask the ‘AI Jesus’.” Erişim 04 Nisan 2026. https://www.kathluzern.ch/assets/1_Kath_Kirche_Stadt_Luzern/Dokumente/Medienmitteilungen/MM_2024_11_25_Deus_in_machina_KI-Jesus_en.pdf
37. Keane, Webb - Scott J. Shapiro.”Deus ex Machina: The Dangers of AI Godbots.” The Spectator. Erişim 06 Nisan 2026. https://spectator.com/article/deus-ex-machina-the-dangers-of-ai-godbots/
38. Kelly, J.N.D. Early Christian Doctrines. London: Adam & Charles Black, 1968.
39. Knowles, Michael P. “E-Word? McLuhan, Baudrillard, and Verisimilitude in Preaching.” Religions 13/12 (2022): 2-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121131
40. Kotaku. “There’s an AI Jesus on Twitch, and It’s Completely Surreal.” Erişim 11 Mart 2026. https://kotaku.com/twitch-streamer-ai-jesus-fortnite-star-wars-chatgpt-1850533473
41. LeCun, Yann vd. “Deep Learning.” Nature 521/7553 (2015): 436-444. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14539
42. Levinas, Emmanuel. Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority. Çev. Alphonso Lingis. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1969.
43. Live Science. “New ‘AI Jesus’ Can Deliver a Sermon, but Will You Understand It?” Erişim 01 Nisan 2026. https://www.livescience.com/new-ai-jesus-can-deliver-a-sermon-but-will-you-understand-it.html
44. McGrath, Alister E. Reformation Thought: An Introduction. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
45. McLuhan, Marshall. The Medium and the Light: Reflections on Religion and Media. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2010.
46. Medium. "Deepfake Jesus." Erişim 05 Nisan 2026. https://gdurendal.medium.com/deepfake-jesus-83ec11164460
47. Medium. “I Created an A.I. Clone of Jesus.” Erişim 01 Nisan 2026. https://gdurendal.medium.com/i-created-an-a-i-clone-of-jesus-4263339c327
48. Mercadante, Linda A. Belief without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but Not Religious. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
49. Nguyen, C. Thi. “Cognitive Islands and Runaway Echo Chambers: Problems for Epistemic Dependence on Experts.” Synthese 197/7 (2020): 2803-2821. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-018-1692-0
50. Noble, Safiya Umoja. Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. New York: NYU Press, 2018.
51. OpenAI. GPT-4 System Card. OpenAI, Mart 2023. https://cdn.openai.com/papers/gpt-4-system-card.pdf
52. Öhman, Carl vd. “Prayer-Bots and Religious Worship on Twitter: A Call for a Wider Research Agenda.” Minds and Machines 29/2 (2019): 331-338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-019-09498-3
53. Peterson, Eugene H. Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer. New York: Harper & Row, 1989.
54. Polat, Kemal. “Hıristiyan Kurtuluş Öğretisinde İsa Vasıtasıyla Kurtuluş.” EKEV Akademi Dergisi 10/27 (2006): 183-202.
55. Reed, Randall. “Digital Jesus: An Inquiry in Artificial Intelligence.” Religion 55/3 (2025): 676-698. https://doi.org/10.1080/0048721X.2025.2502293
56. Ritzer, George. Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Continuity and Change in the Cathedrals of Consumption. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2010.
57. Rokem, Freddie. “Theatrical Immanence: The Deus Ex Machina after the Death of God.” Performance Philosophy 3/3 (2017): 781-793. https://doi.org/10.21476/PP.2017.33142
58. Schönborn, Christoph. God’s Human Face: The Christ-Icon. Çev. Lothar Krauth. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1994.
59. Siker, Jeffrey S. Liquid Scripture: The Bible in a Digital World. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2017.
60. Singler, Beth. “‘Blessed by the Algorithm’: Theistic Conceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Online Discourse.” AI & Society 35/2 (2020): 945-955. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-00968-2
61. Text With Jesus, “Testimonials: ‘I love talking to my Lord every single day…’; ‘Just to have something or someone to talk to…’” Erişim 5 Nisan 2026. https://textwith.me/en/jesus/#testimonials
62. The Guardian. “Deus in Machina: Swiss Church Installs AI-Powered Jesus.” Erişim 09 Nisan 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/21/deus-in-machina-swiss-church-installs-ai-powered-jesus
63. The Pillar. “Swiss Church Puts ‘AI Jesus’ in Confessional.” Erişim 02 Nisan 2026. https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/swiss-church-puts-ai-jesus-in-confessional
64. The Singularity Group. “SG Project: AI Livestreams.” Erişim 01 Nisan 2026. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wijySK7DDbA6AeVo1Yq13q9UlL-akcGERM-KiYCkh4I/edit?usp=embed_facebook
65. The Singularity Group. “SG Track Record.” Erişim 01 Nisan 2026. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a-65IWzLkc3kGxOyQdhapDYfHaHPgPRtfpaxukpVoTg/edit?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook
66. The Washington Post. “A New AI App Lets Users ‘Text’ with Jesus. Some Call It Blasphemy.” Erişim 01 Nisan 2026. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/08/12/text-with-jesus-chatgpt-ai/.
67. Texthatat. “Amazing app, but I must say be a bit careful”. App Store, 12 Ağustos 2023. Erişim 5 Nisan 2026. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/text-with-jesus/id6446922759
68. Tillich, Paul. Dynamics of Faith. New York: Harper & Row, 1957.
69. Turkle, Sherry. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. New York: Basic Books, 2011.
70. Twitch. “ask_jesus.” Erişim 03 Şubat 2026. https://www.twitch.tv/ask_jesus/about
71. Ty, Rey. “Impact of AI-Powered Technology on Religious Practices and Ethics: The Road Ahead.” Religion and Social Communication 21/2 (2023): 339-375.
72. Ünal, Mehmet Süheyl. “Dinsel Bireycilik: Tehdit mi, Fırsat mı?”. Dini Araştırmalar 13/37 (2010), 5-18.
73. Verhoef, Anné H. “Kunsmatige-intelligensie-Jesus-kletsbotte se uitdaging vir teologie:’n verkennende studie.” LitNet Akademies 22/2 (2025): 319-340.
74. Weizenbaum, Joseph. "ELIZA—A Computer Program for the Study of Natural Language Communication between Man and Machine." Communications of the ACM 9/1 (1966): 36-45. https://doi.org/10.1145/365153.365168
75. Wertheim, Margaret. The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace: A History of Space from Dante to the Internet. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999.
76. Wright, Webb. “God Chatbots Offer Spiritual Insights on Demand. What Could Go Wrong?” Scientific American. Erişim 13 Nisan 2026. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-god-chatbots-changing-religious-inquiry/
77. Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2018.