Last week we tested the Artificial Intelligence-powered ChatGBT to see if it could generate a Lutheran sermon, with mostly unimpressive results. This week I wanted to drill down more to see how well it handles theology.
So here are the assignments, followed by the AI generated response. I’ll then discuss what it came up with. I invite you to join in. Also I invite you to play this game yourself, posing theological questions and tasks–these involve Lutheran theology but feel free to ask it about other traditions as well–and then report on how it did in the comments. You can access ChatGBT for free, though they’ll ask you to register, here.
Next week, I’ll ask it to generate a Cranach blog post!
Explain the Lutheran doctrine of the Lord’s Supper
The Lutheran doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, also known as the Sacrament of the Altar, is rooted in the belief that Jesus Christ is truly present in the bread and wine of Holy Communion. Lutherans believe that through the sacrament, Christ gives His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and for the strengthening of the faith of believers.
According to Lutheran theology, Christ’s presence in the sacrament is not a physical presence, but a spiritual presence. Lutherans reject the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, which teaches that the bread and wine are transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ.
Instead, Lutherans believe in consubstantiation, which means that the body and blood of Christ are present alongside the bread and wine, but not in a physical sense. Lutherans emphasize that the sacrament is a means of grace, by which believers receive forgiveness of sins, strengthening of faith, and spiritual nourishment.
The Lutheran Church teaches that the sacrament is to be received with faith, contrition, and a desire to receive the gifts that Christ offers through the sacrament. Lutherans also believe that the sacrament is to be celebrated regularly, as Christ commanded His disciples to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).
In summary, the Lutheran doctrine of the Lord’s Supper teaches that through the sacrament, believers receive the body and blood of Christ in a spiritual sense for the forgiveness of sins and for the strengthening of faith. The sacrament is to be received with faith and is celebrated regularly as a means of grace.
Verdict: Lutherans don’t believe in “consubstantiation”! Everybody ascribes that to Lutherans, and Lutherans keep denying that they believe it, but hardly anyone listens, including the bulk of the internet as scanned by Chat GBT. See this for why Lutherans reject the term.
Chat GBT does pick up that Lutherans believe that we receive in the Sacrament Christ’s body and blood given for the forgiveness of our sins. That is, that the Sacrament is a tangible instantiation of the Gospel.
As for the statement that Lutherans believe in Christ’s “spiritual presence,” not a “physical presence,” that is misleading. It is Christ’s body, not His spirit, that He says is given with the bread. Some of the Reformed antagonists of the Lutherans in the sacramental disputes would concede a “spiritual presence,” but insist that the body of Christ is in Heaven. Lutherans do reject that the body of Christ is in any way contained in the physical bread, or is physical in the sense that we are committing cannibalism when we receive the Lord’s Supper.
There is certainly a spiritual dimension to the Sacrament–namely, the faith that it builds in the receivers–but the confessions resist the tendency to make “spiritual” something less than literal, preferring to use such words as “supernatural” and “incomprehensible” to describe how Christ’s body and blood can be present “in, with, and under” bread and wine. (See Article VII in the Formula of Concord, both the Epitome and the more expansive Solid Declaration.)
The concept Lutherans developed to talk about such things is called the “sacramental union.” ChatGBT does not even mention that. Nor does it say anything about the “communion of attributes” in Lutheran Christology (see below), which is what makes it possible that the body of the Son of God can be present in Holy Communion.
Nor is anything said about the practice of the Lord’s Supper, such as the conviction that even non-believers receive Christ’s body and blood, the horizontal dimension of what it means to share in this communion with other believers, controversies over closed communion, etc.
Explain the Lutheran Doctrine of Vocation
The Lutheran doctrine of vocation is based on the belief that God calls and equips every individual to serve Him in a specific vocation or calling. According to Lutherans, vocation is not limited to church work, but rather encompasses all aspects of life, including family, work, and society.
Lutherans believe that God has ordained various vocations for individuals, and that each vocation serves a specific purpose in God’s plan for the world. Lutherans emphasize that all vocations are equally important, and that individuals should carry out their vocations with excellence and a sense of purpose, for the glory of God.
The Lutheran doctrine of vocation teaches that every individual’s primary vocation is to love and serve their neighbor. This involves carrying out one’s duties and responsibilities in a way that benefits others and promotes the common good.
Lutherans also believe that vocation is a means through which God works in the world, and that individuals are called to use their talents and abilities to serve others and bring about God’s kingdom on earth. Lutherans emphasize that vocation is not just a job or a career, but a calling from God to serve Him and others in a particular way.
In summary, the Lutheran doctrine of vocation teaches that God calls and equips every individual to serve Him in a specific vocation or calling. Vocation encompasses all aspects of life, and individuals are called to carry out their duties and responsibilities in a way that benefits others and promotes the common good. Vocation is a means through which God works in the world, and individuals are called to use their talents and abilities to serve others and bring about God’s kingdom on earth.
Verdict: OK, this is much better. It includes the points that vocation is not just a matter of a “job,” but that we have multiple vocations in the church, the family, work, and society. These allude to Luther’s doctrine of the “estates,” though ChatGPT does not mention it explicitly.
Also it picks up the point, neglected in many discussions, that God works through the vocation of human beings.
“Bring about God’s Kingdom on earth”? Well, no. “The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself,” says the Catechism.
Still, pretty good effort. I think ChatGPT, as it scoured the internet searching for information, was using some of the stuff I have posted on line.
Explain Lutheran Christology
Lutheran Christology refers to the Lutheran understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Lutherans affirm the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which teaches that there is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, Lutherans place a particular emphasis on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Lutherans believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, fully God and fully human. They affirm that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and that He lived a sinless life on earth.
Lutherans emphasize the centrality of the cross in Christ’s work of salvation. They believe that through His death and resurrection, Jesus atoned for the sins of the world and reconciled humanity to God. Lutherans teach that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ.
Lutherans also emphasize the importance of Christ’s presence in the life of the believer. They believe that through faith, the Holy Spirit enables the believer to participate in Christ’s life and work, and that Christ is present in the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
In Lutheran Christology, the focus is on Christ’s work of salvation and His ongoing presence in the life of the believer. Lutherans affirm that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ. They believe that Christ is present in the sacraments and that through faith, the believer is united with Christ in His life and work.
Verdict: This is true as far as it goes, but it is mostly just generic Christology common to all Christians. Lutherans have some distinctives that ChatGBT completely ignores, such as our understanding of the two natures of Christ and the communication of attributes. (See this.)
OK, now you play around with it. I made this a weekend post because ChatGBT can absorb lots of your time, so beware! But it’s kind of fun just the same.
Illustration: “Artificial Intelligence” by mohamed mahmoud hassan via PublicDomainPictures.net, CC0, Public Domain
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