CFP: Philosophia Reformata special issue "Faith, Philosophy, and AI"

Call for Papers Special Issue Philosophia Reformata

Journal: Philosophia Reformata (www.brill.com/phir)

Special issue: Faith, Philosophy, and Artificial Intelligence

Guest editors: Christine Boshuijzen-van Burken (Eindhoven University of Technology; The Netherlands Defence Academy) and Maaike Harmsen (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Deadline: Papers (5,000–9,000 words) may be submitted through the journal’s website until 31 July 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) has received much attention over the last decade, not only from those working in computer science, who saw a swift advancement in existing AI models and architectures, but also from investors who spur the development and uptake of AI in various professions, as well as from ethicists seeking to address ethical issues relating to AI development and use. Typical approaches include the listing of principles for responsible use and development of AI, principles such as fairness, transparency, explainability, and accountability.

Less attention, however, has been paid to philosophical issues as they relate to reasoning about AI, including the religious assumptions that inform normative positions toward its use and development. What do we mean when we say we are developing or using “artificial intelligence”? What existential need gives rise to the demand for AI ethics and regulation? Rather than adding to the multiplicity of existing definitions and ethical stances, this special issue seeks to unpack philosophical presuppositions, metaphysical assumptions, and religious commitments that explicitly or implicitly inform AI debates. We invite authors who discuss AI from either Christian or other religious philosophical perspectives. Relevant topics include ontological, epistemological, metaphysical, and other philosophical questions and issues regarding AI in general—for example:

• Metaphysical/religious assumptions in AI debates
• Epistemological issues with regard to AI metaphor(s)
• AI and philosophical reasoning
• AI and religious experiences
• AI and human autonomy, human dignity, human agency
• AI and Imago Dei
• Philosophy education and AI
• AI and normativity

In addition, authors may discuss specific “manifestations” of AI, such as large or small language models, AI decision support systems, AI vision detection and classification tools, video-generating AI, agentic AI, and GenAI.

For more information, please contact the editorial assistant, Mathanja Berger: [email protected].