Big Data – Big Theology

Erkki Sutinen

edTechΔ (www.uef.fi/edtech)

University of Eastern Finland

What is Big Data?

• Large scale, unstructured and complex data that cannot be processed with traditionaldatabase techniques

• Accuracy and precision usually less than 100% unlike with traditional databases

• Volume, variety, velocity, variability, veracity, complexity

• BD Analytics: Connection, Cloud, Cyber, Content/context, Community, Customization

In the Context of Digital Theology?

• Digital theology: Digital platforms and tools for the representation and analysis of theologically relevant data, bottom up or at/by the base-of-the-pyramid (BoP)

• Field in digital humanities – an emerging interdisciplinary field with unexpected links to as far as bioinformatics (like fylogenetic trees or story sequencing)

Towards Big Theology?

• Representing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, predicting and visualizing theological phenomena based on the entire corpus (body, collection) of relevant digital data

• A global collection of explicit or implicit digital expressions of faith– Textual, visual, aural or other types of narratives

– Cognitive, emotional, spiritual contents

• Narrative theology digitized

• Supports multiple, diverse entrances or perspectives to and several layers of faith-related data

• Enhances contemporary theological on-off debates

Digital theology and classic theological disciplines

Applications

• A set of possible application of digital theology using big data possibilities

• Implementation requires trained Data theologians

• The applications are to show the urgency of the challenge in the contemporary world

Mobile Catechism

• Relating or sense-making faith to the user’s everyday life with context-aware technology

• Crowdsourcing a comprehensive understanding of faith in the diverse global village

• Theologically informed and manageable dialogue within a massive exchange of expressions of faith

Instrumentation of Peace

• “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace” digitally implemented

• The prayer from 1912 uses information oriented (or epistemological) vocabulary (doubt, harmony, truth, faith, understand) and is close to the Reconciled reconcilers agenda of the Anglican church

• Human language technologies can identify and bridge mutually conflicting expressions or misunderstandings

Technologies for sacred spaces

• Churches, chapels, places of worship

• Augmented pilgrimage – example C2C (http://cape2cape.fi)

• One’s own body as a temple of Holy Spirit (1Cor. 6:19)

• Explicating one’s existential experience in a sacred space and sharing it with others (global mass)

Church leadership and digital discipleship

• Compiling trend analyses based on people’s faith-sensitive expressions in social media and visualizing them

• Identifying weak signals for unexpected changes• Explicating tacit knowledge of senior Christians• Visibilizing – standing up as a Christian, becoming

visible within social media• Diversifying as a global body of Christ with many

members (1Cor. 12:12-) experiencing their interdependence

Challenges – Opportunities and Flaws

• Openness vs authorization

• Experimental digital theology lab

• Glocal theological training – knowledge, skills, attitudes

• Bodily or physical theology

• Could robots independently craft a religionand use social media to attract devoted members? Can an AI-based religion pass a Turing test?

Walking on• International collaboration

– ACCORD in SA– ELCT for mobile catechism– LC in Zambia– South Korean ICT partners?– ELCA?

• European collaboration– CODEC at Durham University (No. 1 theology school in the UK); U.

Oxford; King’s College?– U. Lausanne within digital humanities; USI, Lugano

• In Finland– Tekes grant proposal (FBMA, Kotimaa, Logos Ministries of Finland,

Evangelical Missionary Association, Kitee Ev Folk HS)– Local development site – would the Diocese of Mikkeli profile in

Finland, with Kitee Evangelical Folk HS as a training center?