At a glance
High Trust in AI for Personal Flourishing
Practicing Christians express majority-level trust in AI across most domains of personal flourishing—and nearly half (48%) say they would trust AI with their spiritual growth. Pastors, by contrast, express far lower trust across all the same domains.
Trust Has a Ceiling
83 percent of practicing Christians worry about AI misinterpreting scripture, and 72 percent worry about AI replacing the role of pastors or spiritual leaders.
AI Trustworthiness is Growing
Even so, one in three U.S. adults say AI’s spiritual guidance is as trustworthy as a pastor’s—a share that climbs among younger adults, approaching two in five among Gen Z (39%) and nearly half among Millennials (44%).
New Barna research — conducted in partnership with Gloo — reveals a striking tension in how practicing Christians relate to AI: majorities express trust in AI across nearly every domain of personal flourishing, including spiritual growth, yet large majorities simultaneously worry about AI misinterpreting scripture or replacing the role of pastors. One in three U.S. adults now considers AI's spiritual guidance as trustworthy as a pastor's — a share that rises to more than four in ten among Millennials. The data, part of the State of the Church yearlong Faith & AI series, confirms that Christians are extending trust and registering fear at the same time — and haven't yet resolved the tension.
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