Biblical Manhood and Womanhood According to AI

Why Christian patriarchalists and right-wing influencers tout computer-generated images instead of images of real, embodied people.

Welcome back to the Beaty Beat! Today I’m honored to share a guest essay by writer and Reformation history buff Amy Mantravadi. Amy came on my radar last year due to her brilliant Twitter/X threads, and we had the chance to connect in person at Fraunces Tavern in NYC in late 2023. Both of us are interested in women’s flourishing in the church — which is perhaps why we both recently noted the unsettling trend of patriarchalist/right-wing influencers (think Douglas Wilson) sharing images created by AI to tout idealized manhood and womanhood.

In the following guest essay, Amy digs into what’s going on with these images and describes how often, teachings on biblical manhood and womanhood amount to Law — a set of rules to follow to be considered right before God. Like a good Lutheran, Amy points us all toward the Grace that frees us from having to perform idealized manhood and womanhood. —KB

This image was recently shared on Twitter/X from @TheFeministTurnedHousewife with the caption, “Whic…