What AI Says About The PhxP
Because age and infirmities have affected my abilities to do (almost) everything, I’ve started working a bit with AI.
Maybe it can help me write when my brain seems unable to do anything but pet the cats and eat Fritos.
Back in the day, we used to Google ourselves to see what the internet said about us…I stopped doing that a long time ago as it wasn’t usually a pleasant experience.
This morning, I “AIed” myself and this is what Microsoft Co-Pilot had to say about me:
“The Phoenix Preacher is an online platform focused on faith, theology, and church accountability. It is run by Michael Newnham, who has been known for his commentary on church issues, particularly regarding Calvary Chapel and broader Christian movements. The site serves as a space for discussions on theology, prayer, and religious transparency”
“Michael Newnham is a writer and theologian known for his blog Phoenix Preacher, which discusses faith, church accountability, and theological issues. His views often challenge mainstream evangelicalism, and he has been critical of certain church movements, particularly Calvary Chapel.”
Some key aspects of his perspective:
- Church Accountability – He advocates for transparency and accountability within Christian leadership.
- Theological Reflection – He engages in deep theological discussions, questioning traditional interpretations of scripture.
- Anglican Affiliation – He transitioned from evangelicalism to Anglicanism, which sparked debate among his critics.
- Social and Political Commentary – He comments on religious and political intersections, sometimes critiquing evangelical political involvement.
- Michael Newnham’s views have had a notable impact on the Christian community, particularly in areas of church accountability and theological discussion. Through his Phoenix Preacher platform, he has fostered conversations on faith, leadership, and transparency within Christian institutions. His critiques of evangelicalism and church governance have resonated with many who seek reform and openness in religious leadership.Some key ways his views have influenced the community:
- Encouraging Accountability – His writings have pushed for greater transparency in church leadership, particularly within movements like Calvary Chapel.
- Theological Reflection – He has challenged traditional interpretations of scripture, prompting deeper discussions on faith and doctrine.
- Community Engagement – His blog has created a space for believers to discuss issues openly, fostering a sense of shared inquiry and support.
I was going to ask Co-Pilot what color shirt I’m wearing this morning, but I chickened out…
That’s a great review!!!!
I think AI will have some fine uses as we get to understand it better.
Linn,
I found it helpful…it reminded me of what we’re about…
My problems with AI:
• It can be repetitive as well as say the same thing multiple times, over and over 😉
• If it doesn’t know something, it simply makes $#!+ up.
• It will replace a lot of technical writers, and with content that is just “good enough”.
• Every image you see online becomes suspect, and its mostly for click-baiting
Terry,
I hear you.
I think it’s a tool…and I’m at a point where I need assistance.
We’ll see if it’s helpful.
What? No mention of cats?
I can see that AI’s thoroughness is lacking.
Alex,
That is a glaring error… 🙂
All you have to do with AI is query accurately with as much good info as you can give it, and be clear about what is questionable. You can ask it to self-correct its hallucinations. I’m wary of the “black box of AI” fears, as it seems no smarter than a precocious teen, or high functioning autistic high schooler – like Ben Shapiro. Plus, if it were to be heading so fast towards a supposed singularity/superhuman intellct, how is it so hampered by funding, battery power, available land, EPA laws…?
I have used it to fix the car, fix the tractor, to learn to weld, fix the pond
pump,
Count to ten in Arabic
Write smooth IEP goals
Ascertain whether the teens in rote Counting are Saxon based or Arabic,
ask it about its “black box”…
Shuts me down on that one…
I think I embarrassed it.
AI definitely nailed this one! The things it mentions are what I’ve loved about PhxP all these years.
I’m with Alex though. How could it not include the cats?
AI must be a dog person who’s full real name is Aloysius.
One thing I learned from attending a bilingual church is service that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a burrito.
Where I work, some honest AI would help us greatly to combat the dishonest humans who call constantly to scam us. It takes me only a couple seconds to recognize a criminal, but if I just hang up he’ll immediately call someone else who might fall for the scam, cost the company $1or 2k, and get fired. So the most loving Christian thing I can do is waste as much of the schnook’s time as possible. But I’m only one man, and wasting his time wastes mine as well. What we need is an army of friendly bots screening calls. They can be programmed to learn which methods keep the crooks busy the longest, using a wide variety of voices and personalities. Come to think of it, church elders and search committees could benefit from such an army as well, to screen out wolves and waste their time. Get the applicant going on and on about the glorious wonders of the moses model, for example…
AI was parodied in South Park about 2 years ago where the show writers used ChatGPT it was credited as co-writer for the episode to make the parody especially ironic.
At the end of the day, AI is a tool…I’m going to try to learn to use it for good.
I just added the copilot app. I have a friend who’s staunchly dispensational and has been a Bible teacher for some 60 years. I know I won’t change his mind, but feel inadequate to explain why I’m not convinced. I was thinking that that system focuses too much on Christ ruling from a literal throne in literal Jerusalem for a brief literal thousand years. It’s fine if that happens, but it just seems — lacking in many ways. So I asked the AI to help me write a sermon contrasting the present Jerusalem versus the Jerusalem above. It gave me a concise and accurate outline with references and application. It offered to expand or refine any points I wanted.
Idahoan,
I wish there was a way to find out what sources or resources they fed into Co Pilot to make it work…could trust it a bit more if it provided a bibliography…
Bibliography: follow the links… you may find it’s often a copy and paste mosaic from the top search engine hits.
1
no mention of cats, their role in your life and their cosmic significance?!
2
Charles mickey fickey Bowden!!!
3
immigration is a great topic you’ve discussed here, and you’ve positively changed minds
4
you’ve been a good friend to me and answered so many of my random questions….
Praying for you, Der Blogmeister
jtk,
Thank you, my friend…I am a bit surprised that cats were left out of my AI bio…maybe AI is like those who actually know me in person…tired of hearing about my cats and what Bowden said… 🙂
Jerod,
I was running some theological stuff on AI last night and it was pretty accurate…the bibliography I want is who the authors were whose writing were used to make those answers.