Belief in the Future

DZ Kalman

Technology and religion sometimes seem like oil and water, but they've been crossing paths for centuries and aren't going to stop. Hosted by DZ Kalman. New season coming June 2026. Belief in the Future is a production of Sinai and Synapses. It was made with support from Templeton World Charity Foundation.

  1. 3d ago

    The Mormon Way on AI

    There is more than one type of religious approach to AI. While the Catholic response has received by far the most media attention, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been developing a response that has a stronger emphasis on practice. I spoke with Elder Gerrit Gong, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, about the church's approach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min

  2. May 29

    A Catholic and a Jew read the pope's AI encyclical together

    On May 25, 2026, Pope Leo XIV issued Magnifica Humanitas, a major new document on AI for the world's biggest religion. I talked with Brian Green about what it says, why it was written this way, where it sits in the history of major church documents, and whether it is likely to effect change on the AI industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 5m

  3. Season 2, Episode 1 Trailer

    There's been an earthquake. We're coming back.

    After less than a year from the end of our first season, Belief in the Future is coming back into a world where religion and technology are now crashing into each other. *** Belief is affiliated with the Faith Family Technology Network. It is a production of Sinai and Synapses and is supported by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. This episode was edited by M. Louis Gordon, and our production manager is Misha Holleb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min
  4. What Could Go Right?

    08/27/2025

    What Could Go Right?

    To close out our summer episodes, we're talking with Kevin Kelly, founder of WIRED Magazine and writer about all things tech and culture. Kevin is a devout Christian with an eye toward the ethical good of technology. In our conversation, we cover technological skepticism, the AI identity crisis, the Amish, and much more.  P.S. Check out host David Zvi Kalman's new YouTube channel, Sabbath Mode, for more in depth conversations about religion and technology. Resources: Kevin's website Kevin's books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min
  5. The Two Codes

    08/20/2025

    The Two Codes

    BIG NEWS: Belief in the Future now has a YouTube channel: Sabbath Mode. Go check it out before listening to the episode Coding is one part skill, one part magic, and one part tradition. But when AI use takes out the conversation of code -- the necessary language of the code itself -- can the tradition be kept alive? How do we keep something living and growing without passing along its stories, its trials and errors, and its complexities? On this episode, host David Zvi Kalman speaks with scientist Samuel Arbesman about his new book, The Magic of Code, and the ways that religion and coding reflect one another.  Resources:  The Magic of Code by Samuel Arbesman  The poetic web Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    33 min
  6. Are AI Sermons a Good Thing?

    08/12/2025

    Are AI Sermons a Good Thing?

    Religious organizations, like all other organizations, are beginning to use AI. Some of these uses are unremarkable, but others bring AI into the business of delivering religious messages. In this episode, host DZ Kalman speaks with religion and AI evangelist Kenny Jahng about the tools he sees churches adapting and what it means to use AI as a tool for evangelism. Resources: Kenny Jahng's website Futureproof, by Kevin Roose Exponential NEXT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    33 min
  7. The Wild World of Bible Apps

    02/26/2025

    The Wild World of Bible Apps

    We often think about how technology has influenced religion, but we rarely question the opposite: how has religion pushed technological advancement? In the case of Christianity, software to share the Bible has been in development for decades and has been shaping tech advancement behind the scenes for even longer. On this episode, we're talking to John Dyer, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and the author of the new book People of the Screen that details the entwined history of software and evangelism. Reading and resource list:  YouVersion Hebcal The Medium is the Message, Marshall McCluhan Geneva Bible The Scofield Study Bible Encountering Peace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min
  8. The Church that wants to build God

    01/17/2025

    The Church that wants to build God

    What if AI and religion had a converging relationship rather than a parallel one? In Professor Beth Singler's new book, Religion and Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction, she explores how enmeshed technology and religion are in our current era, and how we as a society may be heading toward the creation and worship of a god-like AI.   Reading list:  Roko’s Basilisk or Pascal’s? Thinking of Singularity Thought Experiments as Implicit Religion The TESCREAL bundle: Eugenics and the promise of utopia through artificial general intelligence Existential Conversations with Large Language Models: Content, Community, and Culture The Turing Church Theta Noir Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min
See All (20)

Trailer

5
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

Technology and religion sometimes seem like oil and water, but they've been crossing paths for centuries and aren't going to stop. Hosted by DZ Kalman. New season coming June 2026. Belief in the Future is a production of Sinai and Synapses. It was made with support from Templeton World Charity Foundation.

Information

  • Creator
    DZ Kalman
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Copyright
    © 2024–6 David Zvi Kalman

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