ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES TEACHER EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Abstract

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into global education has raised significant opportunities and ethical questions, particularly for faith-based disciplines. Christian Religious Studies (CRS) teacher education, which sits at the intersection of theological tradition and contemporary pedagogy, offers a compelling context for examining AI's implications. Despite growing global scholarship on AI in religious education, no study has specifically examined this intersection within the Nigerian CRS teacher education context, a critical gap this paper addresses. Drawing on constructivist learning theory, technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), and the theology of education framework, this paper conceptually explores five key pedagogical opportunities: personalized learning, enhanced access to theological resources, AI-assisted lesson planning, simulation-based teaching practice, and global collaborative learning communities. The paper equally foregrounds five ethical tensions: algorithmic bias in representing Christian doctrines, erosion of relational and spiritual teacher formation, threats to academic integrity, the digital divide, and the preservation of human moral agency. As an original scholarly contribution, the paper proposes a theologically-informed, critically reflexive framework grounded in five principles: purposeful integration, theological discernment, relational primacy, equitable access, and ethical AI literacy as a responsible pathway for AI adoption in CRS teacher education in Nigeria. The paper concludes that the future of CRS teacher education lies not in choosing between technology and tradition, but in cultivating AI-literate teachers equally grounded in faith, ethics, and pedagogical excellence.