Sanctified spaces
Integrating ambient intelligence and smart environments into U.S. black baptist churches
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17832104 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marlon Deon Henderson (Luther Rice College and Seminary, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2662-9992 • E-ISSN: 2662-9992 |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1057/s41599-026-06756-5 |
| OpenAlex | W7131353282 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 57 |
Historically, U.S. Black Baptist churches have served as cultural anchors, spiritual sanctuaries, and centers of sociopolitical engagement in African American communities. Concurrently, Ambient Intelligence (AmI) and Smart Environments (SmE), which are sensor-rich and context-aware systems, have reshaped healthcare, education, and domestic life. However, the literature has not yet offered a consolidated framework that maps AmI/SmE adoption to the theological, privacy, and trust dynamics that can uniquely shape technology uptake in historically U.S. Black Baptist congregational contexts, leaving a technological justice gap. This conceptual theory-building paper proposes a Smart-Church Ecosystem (SCE), a theory-driven model aligning spiritual tradition with AmI innovation to enhance elderly care, worship participation, youth formation, security, and social outreach. Grounded in Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) and a UTAUT2 reframing that foregrounds theological compatibility and surveillance-shaped trust, the paper advances three testable propositions and a feasibility blueprint for a pilot deployment. The importance of justice-oriented data governance and participatory co-design is emphasized as an ethical necessity. It charts a path toward equitable, dignity-affirming, bright worship spaces
Actor–network theory · Blueprint · Citizen journalism · Cognitive reframing · Economic Justice · Environmental justice · Spirituality · Sustainability · Worship · Kierkegaardian Philosophy and Influence · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Religious Tourism and Spaces
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Virtual reality in K‐12 and higher education
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Demographic and Risk-Factor Differences between Users and Non-Users of Unscheduled Healthcare among Pediatric Outpatients with Persistent Asthma
Chronic Health Condition Influences on Client Perceptions of Limited or Non-choice Food Pantries in Low-income, Rural Communities
Toward understanding developmental complexities of religiously minoritized youth
Exploring the Ambient in Relation to Urban Life and AI
We’ve Come This Far by Faith
Religious Congregations' Technological and Financial Capacities on the Eve of the Covid-19 Pandemic
Disability Theology
Big Data, Ethics and Religion
Is the Black Church Dead
The Intersection of Bernard Lonergan's Critical Realism, the Common Good, and Artificial Intelligence in Modern Religious Practices
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |