Beyond Productivity: A Christian Vision for Work and Technology, Part II

This essay on a Christian vision for work in an age of algorithms, was originally written by Grady Burkhart for COMM-222: Interpersonal Communication, taught by Dr. Michael Kearney. In part two of two, Burkhart explores the communal dimensions of work and their implications for discipleship and stewardship.

Theologians in the Reformed tradition have long emphasized that work is not merely a way to earn a living but a form of worship, service, and participation in God’s ongoing renewal of creation. Vocation is relational, rooted in love of neighbor, stewardship, and communal responsibility. Even as automation transforms industries, these relational and moral dimensions of work live on. Puntoni (2024) notes that AI in marketing exposes the need for behavioral awareness, ethical discernment, and moral responsibility, tasks that require human judgment and cannot be reduced to technical efficiency. In design education, Fleischmann (2024) finds that students use AI to accelerate ideation, but they remain skeptical of its authenticity, suggesting an enduring commitment to human-guided interpretation and purpose. These insights reflect a broader truth: the more automation expands, the more visible the relational, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of work become.

When Christians reflect on the value of work in an increasingly automated age, the central question should not be reduced to which tasks machines are capable of performing. A more meaningful and faithful inquiry asks which aspects of work speak directly to personhood, community, and calling. While AI can automate repetitive processes, optimize efficiency, and analyze vast amounts of data, it cannot replace the relational core of human vocation. As Hannah Arendt suggests, action remains irreducibly human, rooted in interaction with others rather than mere production. This kind of action unfolds through communication, ethical judgment, creativity, and responsibility toward others, particularly in situations that require discernment rather than calculation. These dimensions of work reflect the concept of Imago Dei, emphasizing that human labor is not only about output but about participation in relationships and shared moral life.

This perspective does not deny the disruption that automation may bring, nor does it ignore the real economic uncertainty many workers face as technology reshapes industries. Instead, it reframes the Christian response to automation away from fear and toward discernment. Rather than defending work primarily as a source of identity or personal worth, Christians can affirm that identity is grounded in God and expressed through vocation. Vocation, in this sense, is not limited to a specific job title or set of tasks, but refers to a broader calling to love God and neighbor through one’s abilities and relationships. As machines take over more technical and repetitive functions, forms of work that emphasize relational responsibility, creativity, care, leadership, empathy, and moral agency become even more significant. These are not temporary gaps left by technology but enduring expressions of what it means to be human. The future of work, then, is not a future without people, but one that more clearly reveals the kinds of contributions only people can make.

In light of these realities, Christians can sustain a meaningful theology of work by recognizing that automation does not diminish human value but instead brings greater clarity to the relational and spiritual qualities of vocation. Interpersonal communication plays a central role in this understanding, reminding Christians that work is fundamentally about relationships, relationships with God, with others, and with the created world. Through communication, individuals coordinate action, resolve conflict, offer care, and pursue justice in ways that machines cannot replicate. While AI may assist, augment, or even replace certain tasks, it cannot enter into true relationships, embody empathy, exercise moral discernment, or express divine creativity. These capacities belong to persons, not systems, and they persist as the core of human work regardless of technological change. By grounding their understanding that their work is a reflection of the image of God and embracing the relational calling embedded in interpersonal communication, Christians can approach the advancements in automation not with anxiety, but with confidence, hope, and a renewed sense of purpose.

References:

1. Bender, S. M. (2023). Coexistence and creativity: screen media education in the age of artificial intelligence content generators. Media Practice & Education, 24(4), 351–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/257411...
2. Fleischmann, K. (2024). Making the case for introducing generative artificial intelligence (AI) into design curricula. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, 23(2), 187–207. https://doi.org/10.1386/adch_0...
3. Gunkel, D. J. (2020). An Introduction to Communication and Artificial Intelligence. Routledge.
4. Kizilhan, T. (2025). A Comparative Study on Ai Versus Human Design in Communication Design Education. Etkileşim: Academic Journal of Uskudar University Faculty of Communication, 8(15), 196–218. https://doi.org/10.32739/etkil...
5. Malecki, W. P., Messingschlager, T. V., & Appel, M. (2025). The impact of exposure to generative AI art on aesthetic appreciation, perceptions of AI mind, and evaluations of AI and of art careers. New Media & Society, 27(9), 5410–5432. https://doi.org/10.1177/146144...
6. Matich, P., Thomson, T. J., & Thomas, R. J. (2025). Old Threats, New Name? Generative AI and Visual Journalism. Journalism Practice, 19(10), 2402–2421. https://doi.org/10.1080/175127... Burkhart 10
7. Matsunaga, M. (2022). Uncertainty management, transformational leadership, and job performance in an AI-powered organizational context. Communication Monographs, 89(1), 118–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/036377...
8. Puntoni, S. (2024). Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: From Computer Science to Social Science. Journal of Macromarketing, 44(4), 883–885. https://doi.org/10.1177/027614...
9. Solomon, D. H., & Theiss, J. A. (2013). Interpersonal Communication: Putting Theory into Practice (2nd ed.). Routledge.
10. Stockton-Brown, M. (2023). Inking Cultures: Authorship, AI-Generated Art and Copyright Law in Tattooing. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law, 36(5), 2037–2065. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196...
11. Waelen, R. A. (2025). Rethinking Automation and the Future of Work with Hannah Arendt. Journal of Business Ethics, 201(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551...
12. Walters, R. (2025). Robots replacing human arbitrators: the legal dilemma. Information & Communications Technology Law, 34(2), 129–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/136008...