Randall Reed
Dr. Randall Reed is a scholar of Religious Studies whose work investigates the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and religion. He employs a sociological framework to explore how emerging technologies reshape ethical systems, cultural narratives, and practices of meaning-making. His forthcoming book with Tracy J. Trothen, Understanding Artificial Intelligence and Religion: Meaning-Making in the Digital Age (Routledge, Fall 2025), examines how AI functions not just as a tool but as a site of human significance. His projects challenge the boundaries between the human and the artificial while highlighting the interpretive power of the humanities. Dr. Reed’s work calls attention to the unique role Religious Studies can play in helping us understand and navigate the social and ethical questions posed by AI in contemporary society.
Upcoming Projects: Dr. Reed currently leads two interdisciplinary research projects: “Digital Jesus,” which simulates distinct versions of Jesus based on canonical and non-canonical texts to explore doctrinal and ethical variance, and a study on audience reactions to AI-generated versus human-created religious art. This Fall, he will be presenting at AAR on the “Thoughts of AI,” examining how the new thinking models change how we understand artificial intelligence.
