The Church in an Algorithmic Age: Catholics, AI, and the Benedictine Symposium – Dr. Matthew Muller – 09/02/2026

Dr. Matthew Muller, assistant professor of theology at Benedictine College and director of the Symposium on Transforming Culture, joins Bo Bonner to preview this year's conference: "The Church in an Algorithmic Age," Friday evening, September 4 through Saturday, September 5, on the Benedictine College campus in Atchison, Kansas. The theme takes up artificial intelligence and technology head-on — the opportunities and the challenges — with a deliberate mix of scholars and practitioners. Featured speakers include: Dr. Paul Scherz, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, delivering Friday night's opening keynote on the role of technology in society Dr. Kristin Collier, MD, associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, on how medicine can remain human and treat patients with dignity in a world governed by technocratic utilitarianism Matthew Sanders, CEO of Longbeard and the company behind Magisterium AI, the AI tool for questions about the Catholic faith that has generated no small amount of discussion in Catholic circles Dr. James Madden, professor of philosophy at Benedictine College, and Bo Bonner on a featured panel on technology and the sacred More than sixty breakout and colloquium presentations run Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, spanning education, philosophy, politics, and more — roughly thirty-six hours of programming, all on Benedictine's academic hill. Dr. Muller also traces the symposium's history: it began about twelve to fourteen years ago as a spring gathering of around fifty people, conceived as an intellectual retreat and Catholic think tank for people interested in evangelization and transforming culture. This year marks its first move to the fall — partly to catch people before the academic year wears them down, partly because Atchison is beautiful in September, and partly, he jokes, because the food is much better enjoyed outside of Lent. The event now draws attendees from across the country and occasionally overseas. Bo, who has spoken at the symposium in some form for about nine years — often alongside his Uncommon Good co-host Dr. Bud Marr — previews his own contribution: a portion of the thesis he worked on in Europe this summer, parsing what we actually mean by "algorithms." He'll take up optimization and probability as the mechanics underneath algorithmic thinking, and argue that the Church has long had its own vocabulary for these ideas — and a better account of the ethical and moral life than the one the algorithmic age would hand us. Registration and the full speaker lineup are at Benedictine College. A little space remains as of this recording. Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com. #CatholicAI #ArtificialIntelligence #BenedictineCollege #ChurchInAnAlgorithmicAge #CatholicEthics #FaithAndTechnology #MagisteriumAI #TransformingCulture #CatholicPodcast Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.