Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Pastoral Counseling: Opportunities, Risks, and Theological Boundaries
Authors
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Theofilus Josias F K Matrutty
Indonesia
Institut Agama Kristen REAL Batam, Batam
Author
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Wilma Sance Pattiasina
Indonesia
Institut Agama Kristen REAL Batam, Batam
Author
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Yudhy Sanjaya
Indonesia
Institut Agama Kristen REAL Batam, Batam
Author
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Enis Kobak
Indonesia
Institut Agama Kristen REAL Batam, Batam
Author
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62282/juilmu.v4i1.29-45Keywords:
artificial intelligence, digital ethics, Imago Dei, pastoral counseling, theological boundariesAbstract
The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) raises a fundamental question for pastoral counseling: to what extent can non-personal, algorithm-based systems perform functions that have traditionally been carried out by human pastoral counselors? This study aims to construct a three-layered normative framework (therapeutic, relational, and theological) for evaluating the opportunities, risks, and theological boundaries of AI use in pastoral counseling. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement, and 52 studies published between 2015 and 2024 in practical theology, mental health, and digital ethics were synthesized through a hybrid deductive–inductive thematic analysis, followed by normative theological reflection. The synthesis indicates that AI offers accessibility, consistency, scalability, and structured psychoeducational support, while the literature also documents risks related to simulated empathy, emotional dependence, crisis detection, data privacy, and cultural bias. Drawing on relational, eschatological, and incarnational readings of the Imago Dei, the authors argue that AI may support but should not replace core pastoral functions that presuppose a personal encounter between human persons. This position is advanced as a theological-normative boundary rather than as an empirical finding. The study contributes an operational framework that churches, seminaries, and spiritual care institutions can use to adopt AI responsibly.
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