Other resources
Five ebooks by Heidi, free to read and share, along with the research projects and networks behind her work.
On artificial intelligence
Thinking Tools for AI, Religion & Culture
A collection of short essays by women scholars from several disciplines, religious traditions and seven countries. Together they raise the ethical questions most popular coverage of AI leaves out, and offer religiously informed ways of thinking about AI that move past both fear and easy acceptance. A good starting point for a staff retreat or study group.
The Distanced Church series
Three ebooks on how churches moved worship online during the COVID-19 pandemic, what they learned a year later, and what religious life should look like next. Together they trace how a sudden technical fix became a lasting question about the shape of faith communities.
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The Distanced Church: Reflections on Doing Church Online
Thirty essays from church leaders, theologians and media scholars, gathered in the first weeks of lockdown, on the challenges and opportunities of moving from in-person to online gatherings.
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Revisiting the Distanced Church
A year on, contributors compare then and now: the long-term effects of the technology choices churches made, where digital ministry is heading, and the theological questions that still need attention.
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What Should Post-Pandemic Religion Look Like?
Heidi and Troy distill what the pandemic taught faith communities into ten trends religious groups need to understand to survive and thrive in the next decade, with practical takeaways for building durability into ministry.
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A global conversation on the shape of the church in the digital age.
Digital Ecclesiology
Published in 2020 alongside the Distanced Church series, this collection widens the lens beyond North America. Eleven essays by authors in seven countries, writing from Catholic and Protestant traditions, ask how adopting digital media is reshaping the way churches understand what the church is, and what religious community means.
Projects and networks
The research communities Heidi leads, where much of the thinking behind her consulting is tested and shared.
- Tech in Churches ProjectHeidi directs this project on how congregations use and think about technology.techinchurches.org
- Network for New Media, Religion and Digital Culture StudiesThe scholarly network Heidi founded and directs at Texas A&M.digrel.com
- International Society of Media, Religion & CultureThe international scholarly society Heidi served as president.ismrc.org
- Routledge Studies in Religion & Digital CultureThe academic book series Heidi edits.routledge.com
- T&T Clark / Bloomsbury Digital Theologies SeriesThe book series on digital theology Heidi edits.bloomsbury.com
- Heidi’s academic websitePublications, talks and research.drheidicampbell.com
Research on AI and the church
Recent research, reporting and commentary on how pastors and congregations are approaching AI. Each link opens the original source.
- Barna Group, October 2026Pastors Say Churches Need AI Guidelines. Few Have Them.94% of U.S. Protestant pastors say churches should have AI guidelines, yet only 4% say their own church has a formal policy.
- Chicago Tribune, September 2026Pope Leo Says AI Safety Concerns Not ‘Fake News’Reports the pope’s insistence that warnings from AI experts deserve serious discussion and action. Describes Vatican efforts to study ways of keeping humanity central to AI development.
- Religion News Service, July 2026Can AI Replace Vocation?Considers how AI-driven workplace changes intersect with Christian understandings of calling. Argues that technological changes to employment do not eliminate the vocation God gives people. This is commentary by a campus pastor.
- Christianity Today, January 2026Why the Church Matters More Than EverArgues that AI’s promises of connection and meaning make embodied Christian community more important. Presents gathered worship, prayer, service, and local church participation as alternatives to a technologically mediated spiritual life.
- Hartford International University, August 2025How Ministry Leaders and Churches Are Embracing AI with Purpose & FaithChurch leaders increasingly use AI for administrative and communication tasks, but they are urged to apply it transparently and ethically without replacing sacred human work.
Put the reading into practice
Use the free generator to write your church's AI policy in about ten minutes, or talk with Heidi about what these questions mean for your community.