Between the Logos and the Code: A Critical Theological Reading of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Culture

Abstract

This article provides a theological reflection on artificial intelligence and algorithms, structured around the hermeneutical axis “from the Logos to the code”. It argues that the christian Logos, as the personal self-communication of God in Jesus Christ, cannot be diminished to mere manipulable data nor comparable with purely technical-functional mediations. In a cultural context that tends to equate truth with calculation and efficiency, the study elucidates the distinction between revelation and algorithm and maintains that code must remain subject to human discernment. From an anthropological perspective, the imago Dei is reexamined to analyze how AI impacts human subjectivity, creativity, and moral responsibility, warning against a functionalist reductionism. Finally, the article proposes an integrative approach that connects Christology, anthropology, and the ethics of the common good, orienting a critical appropriation of technological innovation toward the service of human dignity and the Church's mission in the digital world.

Keywords: Logos and code. Artificial intelligence. Imago Dei. Theological hermeneutics. Digital culture.