BRIDGING DIGITAL THEOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE: A RESEARCHER’S AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDER'S PERSPECTIVE
The intersection of theology and computational methods is a rapidly evolving frontier in academic research. Scholars are discovering new ways to analyze texts, visualize patterns, and extract insights from theological data/corpora using increasingly AI-based digital tools.
This presentation will explore the current challenges of computational theology from the perspective of a research infrastructure provider and suggest ways to foster research opportunities and enhance visualization.
June 4 2025 | Global Network for Digital Theology 2025
by Timotheus 창회 Kim | https://bsky.app/profile/ixtheo.bsky.social
Challenge 1: Visibility and Discoverability
Fragmented Distribution
Projects scattered across multiple platforms
Interdisciplinary Boundaries
computational theology Projects occurs mostly within the digital humanities
Limited Indexing
No centralized repository for computational theology projects
Digital theology projects are currently scattered across various interdisciplinary websites, databases, and institutional repositories. Without standardized metadata or a centralized index, researchers struggle to discover relevant computational projects within their specific theological domains.
This fragmentation creates significant barriers to building upon existing work, leading to duplication of efforts and missed opportunities for collaboration between researchers working on similar problems across different institutions.
Challenge 2: Access to Data and Code
Publication
Research findings published in journals or books
Raw Data
Underlying data often unavailable or in proprietary formats
Analysis Code
Computational methods rarely shared in executable form
Disconnection
Weak links between publications, data, and code repositories
Even when theological researchers do share their computational methods, the raw data and executable code often remain inaccessible or disconnected from the published findings. This lack of transparency inhibits verification of results and limits the potential for others to build upon methodological innovations.
Journal policies increasingly mandate data and code availability, yet implementation remains inconsistent in theological disciplines compared to other scientific fields.
Challenge 3: Code Reusability and Reproducibility
Technical Barriers
Programming expertise required to use existing tools
Environment Dependencies
Code tied to specific software configurations
Documentation Gaps
Insufficient instructions for implementation
Computational tools developed for specific theological research projects often remain difficult to adapt or execute by scholars without advanced programming skills. Project-specific code rarely undergoes the refactoring necessary to make it generalizable across different research contexts.
This creates a significant barrier for theological researchers who could benefit from computational methods but lack the technical expertise to implement them. As a result, innovative computational approaches remain siloed within technically-proficient research groups rather than benefiting the broader theological community.
Integrated Data & Code Linking
Repository for code: Github, GitLab ZENODO, figshare
Making code available
● Code repositories: GitHub / GitLab (citable, no DOI)
● Generic repositories: Zenodo / Figshare (citable, DOI)...
Using code as part of a publication
● Cite your code on GitHub / Zenodo etc.
● Deposit your code in a (journal) data and code repository (citable)
● As supplemental material (not citable)
https://openeconomics.zbw.eu/en/knowledgebase/introduction-to-open-science/
Enhanced Indexing at Index Theologicus
Comprehensive Project Indexing
Creating detailed metadata schemas specifically designed for computational theology projects, capturing methodology information, tool usage, and data characteristics
Integrated Resource Linking
Establishing permanent connections between publications, project websites, data repositories, and code repositories to enable seamless navigation across the research ecosystem
Specialized Facet Search
Implementing advanced filtering capabilities allowing researchers to discover projects by computational method, theological subject area etc.
Our first initiative addresses the discoverability challenge by enhancing the Index Theologicus database to specifically accommodate computational theology projects. By creating specialized metadata fields and search capabilities, we'll enable researchers to easily find relevant computational publications or projects within their theological domains of interest.
Lower-threshold Environment for Computational Theology
Code Adaptation
Creating and adjusting existing project code into standardized, well-documented libraries accessible to non-technical users
Interactive Notebooks
Creating Jupyter and Google Colab notebooks with pre-configured environments for immediate use
Community Hub
Establishing platforms and collaborative spaces for theological researchers using computational methods by collecting, sharing, and creating or improving Jupyter Notebooks collaboratively
Our second initiative focuses on reducing technical barriers by creating accessible computational environments. We enable theologians without programming expertise to apply computational methods to their research questions by developing lightweight, executable scripts with comprehensive documentation.
Example of a prototype: : https://github.com/socheres/text-data-mining-examples/blob/main/README.md
Best Practices for Digital Theology Research
100%
Research findings freely accessible to all scholars regardless of institutional affiliation
100%
Open Raw Data
Complete datasets available in standardized formats with clear documentation
100%
Open Code
Well-documented, executable code available through public repositories
The future of digital theology depends on embracing principles of transparency and openness. By committing to these best practices, researchers contribute to a more collaborative, reproducible, and innovative scholarly environment.
At Index Theologicus, we aim to promote and facilitate these practices through our enhanced infrastructure services. We invite researchers and institutions to help us build a more accessible, interconnected ecosystem for computational theological research. Ultimately, this will advance our collective understanding of theological texts and traditions.
Open Publication