Journal of Christian Religious Studies

Nigeria's church landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. As digital technologies reshape every sector of society, religious institutions can no longer afford to operate outside the boundaries of technological innovation. This paper offers a philosophical and historically grounded appraisal of the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI), entrepreneurship education, and church growth in Nigeria. While entrepreneurship education has traditionally been framed within secular developmental discourse, this study argues that the Nigerian Church has evolved into a strategic ecosystem for human capital formation, socio-economic transformation, and institutional expansion. Drawing from Human Capital Theory, Religious Economy Theory, and Pragmatism, the paper demonstrates that the integration of AI technologies with entrepreneurship education enhances multidimensional church growth through financial sustainability, social legitimacy, digital innovation, and economic empowerment of members. The study situates this discussion within Nigeria's missionary, indigenous Aladura, and neo-Pentecostal trajectories, showing that the fusion of faith, technological intelligence, and enterprise development is deeply rooted in the historical evolution of Nigerian Christianity. Through conceptual clarification, philosophical reflection, and interdisciplinary analysis, the paper argues that churches integrating AI-driven entrepreneurship education build greater institutional resilience, expand economic participation, and contribute significantly to national development. The paper concludes that AI-enabled entrepreneurship education is no longer optional for theological institutions in Nigeria; it is a strategic imperative for sustainable church growth and societal transformation.

Open Full Text (PDF)