Faith and the Printing Press (w/ Michelle Margolis)

Faith and the Printing Press (w/ Michelle Margolis)

Author: DZ Kalman July 24, 2026 Duration: 37:43
Yes, AI is new and unique—but we've been through an information revolution before. The printing press transformed religion, authority, and public life. Those upheavals offer insights into the age of AI. Michelle Margolis is the Norman E. Alexander librarian for Jewish studies at Columbia University, and she's the past president of the Association of Jewish Libraries. From censorship and misinformation to expertise and trust, we explore why history still matters when technology changes everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world often framed by conflict, Belief in the Future explores the surprising and fertile intersections where our oldest spiritual questions meet our newest technological realities. Host David Zvi Kalman guides conversations that move beyond simple debate, delving into how faith traditions adapt to artificial intelligence, how ritual lives alongside digital life, and what ancient wisdom might offer to our most modern dilemmas. This isn't about proving one side right, but about listening deeply to the nuanced ways people are actually navigating these realms. Each episode offers a thoughtful space to consider how the tools we build and the beliefs we hold shape our humanity, for better or worse. Released every other week, this podcast from Sinai and Synapses, with support from Templeton World Charity Foundation, invites you into a long-running conversation that feels more urgent than ever. You'll hear from theologians, engineers, artists, and philosophers, all contributing to a richer understanding of our collective path forward. Tune in for a series that finds connection in the places we least expect it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 27

Belief in the Future
Podcast Episodes
The Two Codes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:01
BIG NEWS: Belief in the Future now has a YouTube channel: Sabbath Mode. Go check it out before listening to the episode Coding is one part skill, one part magic, and one part tradition. But when AI use takes out the conv…
Are AI Sermons a Good Thing? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:34
Religious organizations, like all other organizations, are beginning to use AI. Some of these uses are unremarkable, but others bring AI into the business of delivering religious messages. In this episode, host DZ Kalman…
The Wild World of Bible Apps [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:43
We often think about how technology has influenced religion, but we rarely question the opposite: how has religion pushed technological advancement? In the case of Christianity, software to share the Bible has been in de…
The Church that wants to build God [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:12
What if AI and religion had a converging relationship rather than a parallel one? In Professor Beth Singler's new book, Religion and Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction, she explores how enmeshed technology and reli…
The Temptation of AI Christ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:56
The confessional booth is usually a private space for reflection and human connection. But what if, on the other side of the wall, you discovered you were asking forgiveness from a robot? This week, we're talking to Marc…
Does Religion Have Wisdom for Tech? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:36
Does religion have a role in developing ethical frameworks around technology? On this episode, we're talking to Rabbi Zvika Kreiger, spiritual leader of Chochmat Halev and former Director of Responsible Innovation at Fac…
Is Tech Too Fast to be Governed? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:43
Technology moves quickly – often times faster than governments can create laws to regulate it. So how do we adapt our lawmaking practices to keep up? We’re talking to Gideon Lichfield, a journalist and alum of MIT Techno…
The Secret Synagogue Tapes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:51
You're not allowed to record in synagogue. But what if you're saving a dying culture? Have a question/tip/criticism? Write to us at our fancy new website, beliefinthefuture.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg…
The Cantor in the Brothel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:32
What happens when you take synagogue music out of the synagogue? Works mentioned Jeremiah Lockwood, Golden Ages: Hasidic Singers and Cantorial Revival in the Digital Era Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.…
What Silicon Valley Means by "God" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:02
Why do tech CEOs and visionaries use religious language—and what, if anything, does it have to do with organized religion? We talk Mary-Jane Rubenstein, Professor of Religion and Science in Society at Wesleyan, about uni…