Dr Ximian Simeon Xu
Current Appointments
Senior Research Associate Email: sx279@cam.ac.uk
Available for PhD-supervision
Available for consultancy
Biography
BEng, LLM, MDiv (1st Class Hons.), MTh (Dist.), PhD, AFHEA
Ximian Xu (徐西面; preferred name: Simeon) is originally from Wenzhou, China, a city referred to as “China’s Jerusalem” by the BBC. He completed Master of Divinity (First Class Honours) at the School of Divinity, the University of Edinburgh, in 2013, followed by Master of Theology in History (Distinction) in 2017 and PhD in systematic theology in 2020 at the same School. His doctoral thesis explored the Dutch Neo-Calvinist theologian Herman Bavinck’s idea of theology as the science of God and constructively articulated how this theological idea can help demonstrate the due place of theology in contemporary universities. In 2021, Simeon joined the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity and Edinburgh Futures Institute as Kenneth and Isabel Morrison Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Theology and Ethics of AI, followed by Duncan Forrester Fellow in the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities/Centre for Theology and Public Issues (2024). Having lived in Edinburgh for about 12 years, Simeon joined the Faculty of Divinity as Senior Research Associate in January 2025. He also serves as Co-Director (with Prof. David Fergusson) of the Cambridge Centre for Chinese Theology, funded by Lux Mundi Inc. (USA).
Research
Simeon’s research interests lie in Christian theology, Dutch Neo-Calvinism (esp. Herman Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper), Chinese theology (esp. Sino-Reformed theology), and theology and technology (esp. AI ethics, surveillance). He has published two monographs and some peer-reviewed articles on these subjects. He is currently working on a monograph project, provisionally entitled A Moral Theology of Artificial Intelligence: Christian Virtue Ethics,
Confucian Moral Philosophy, and Ethical AI. This project aims to explore how cross-cultural and contextual dialogues between Christian ethics and Confucian moral philosophy can contribute to the development of an international ethical framework for AI application.
Teaching & Supervision
Simeon has taught in a range of subjects in technology and religion, systematic theology, science and religion. He is happy to supervise postgraduate research in the areas of contextual theology (esp. Chinese theology), systematic theology, Dutch Neo-Calvinism, religion and technology (ethics).
Other Professional Responsibilities and Activities
Associate and Managing Editor, Brill Journal of Chinese Theology.
Board member, The Global Network for Digital Theology
Grant application reviewer: Research Grants Council of Hong Kong
Book reviewer: Routledge; Palgrave Macmillan
Journal article reviewer: Modern Theology | Journal of Reformed Theology | Studies in Christian Ethics | Heythrop | Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture
Publications
Monographs
1. The Imago Dei: A Holistic Interpretation. Cambridge Elements in Christian Theology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Under Contract).
2. The Digitalised Image of God: Artificial Intelligence, Liturgy, and Ethics. Routledge Science and Religion Series. New York: Routledge, 2024.
3. Theology as the Science of God: Herman Bavinck’s Wetenschappelijke Theology for the Modern World. Forschungen zur Reformierten Theologie. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2022.
Edited Volumes
1. T&T Clark Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, Religion, and Ethics. Co-edited with George Coghill. London: T&T Clark (Under Contract).
Peer-Reviewed Articles & Book Chapters
1. “Both a Pearl and a Leaven: Contextualising Herman Bavinck’s Public Theology of the Kingdom of God in Mainland China.” In Neocalvinismus: Formationen und Vernetzungen einer transnationalen Bewegung / Neocalvinism: Formations and Networks of a Transnational Theological Movement. Edited by Kai-Ole Eberhardt, Marco Hofheinz, and Hans-Georg Ulrichs. Göttingen: Vandenheock & Ruprecht (forthcoming).
2. “Eschatology.” In The Oxford Handbook of Digital Theology. Edited by Jonas Kurlberg, Alexander Chow, and Peter Phillips. Oxford: Oxford University Press (forthcoming).
3. “Growth or Decline: Christian Virtues and Artificial Moral Advisors.” Studies in Christian Ethics, Special Issue: Decline and Christian Ethics 38, no. 1 (OnlineFirst).
4. “How Virtuous Can Artificial Intelligence Become? Exploring Artificial Moral Advisor in Light of the Thomistic Idea of Virtue.” Perspectives on Science & Christian Faith: The Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 76, no. 2 (2024): 66–76.
5. “Shall We Sanctify Ourselves with Biomedical Technology? A Reformed Appraisal of Moral Bioenhancement.” Theology and Science 22, no.2 (2024): 292–308.
6. “Reconsidering Interaction between AI and Religion According to the AI100 Reports.” One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence (AI100), Stanford University (September 2023). *This essay was one of the six winning entries in the AI100 Early Career Essay Competition hosted by Stanford University.
7. “Human Sustainability in the Age of Technology: A Theological Proposal on Technomoral Human Futures.” Issues in Science and Theology: Global Sustainability. Edited by Michael Fuller, Mark Harris, Joanna Leidenhag and Anne Runehov. 187–196. Cham: Springer, 2023.
8. “A Theological Account of Artificial Moral Agency.” Studies in Christian Ethics 36, no. 3 (2023): 642–659.
9. “Give Us Dutch Neo-Calvinism: Retrieving and Reconsidering Dutch Neo-Calvinism in the Chinese Context.” In Modern Chinese Theologies, Volume 2: Independent and Indigenous. Edited by Chloë Starr. 69–88. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2023.
10. “How to Make Sino-Reformed Theology Possible? Retrieving Abraham Kuyper’s Proto-Reformed Contextual Theology.” Journal of Chinese Theology 8 (2022): 163–185.
11. “Confessing Faith: The Freedom of Conscience, Acting Confession and Confessional Allegiance.” Horizons: The Journal of the College Theology Society 49, no. 2 (2022): 357–383.
12. “Gloriously Intertwined: A Bavinckian Account of the Single Organism of Dogmatics and Ethics.” International Journal of Systematic Theology 24, no. 1 (2022): 80–99.
13. “Did Christ Have a Conscience? Revisiting the Debates on Christ’s (un)Fallen Humanity.” Theological Studies 82, no. 4 (2021): 583–602.
14. “The Scientific Calling of the Church: Herman Bavinck’s Exhortation for the Churches in Mainland China.” Studies in World Christianity 27, no. 2 (2021): 145-169.
15. “Karl Barth’s Ontology of Holy Scripture Revisited.” Scottish Journal of Theology 74, no.1 (2021): 26-40.
16. “Herman Bavinck’s “Yes” and Karl Barth’s “No”: Constructing a Dialectic-in-Organic Approach to the Theology of General Revelation.” Modern Theology 35, no. 2 (2019): 323-351.
17. “Appreciative and Faithful?: Karl Barth’s Use of Herman Bavinck’s View of God’s Incomprehensibility.” Journal of Reformed Theology 13, no. 1 (2019): 26-46.
18. “The Sage of Sages: T. C. Chao’s Christology in Yesu Zhuan.” Studies in World Christianity 23, no.2 (2017): 162-180.
19. “The Dialogue between Herman Bavinck and Mou Zongsan on Human Nature and Its Quality.” Journal of Reformed Theology 11, no.3 (2017): 298-324.
Invited Academic Talks
1. Continuing Ministry Education (Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Ministry of Defence, UK): ‘Artificial Intelligence, Religion, and Moral Responsibility’ on 6-7 March 2025
2. OCRPL Public Lecture (Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life): ‘Artificial Companion or Companionable AI: A Case Study on Christian Pastoral Care’ on 30 August 2024
3. AI, Ethics and Morality: Re-evaluating Moral and Systematic Theology in Light of AI (University of Bath): ‘A Hope for the Future of AI: Christian Morality and Ethical AI’ on 20 June 2024
4. AI and Public Theology (Taiwan Theological College and Seminary): Responding to ‘AI and Religion: Overstepping and Reconstructing Sacred Boundaries’ on 25 March 2024
5. The Joint Seminar of Theology & Ethics and Science & Religion (School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh): ‘Can AI Advise on the Imitation of Christ? Artificial Moral Advisors and the Christian Moral Life’ on 18 March 2024
6. The Digital in Theology and Religious Studies (School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh): ‘AI and Christian Liturgy’ on 17 January 2024
7. Theology and AI (Chinese Theological Seminary, Rome, Italy): ‘Theology and AI: A Brief Introduction’ on 6 January 2024
8. ETS Research Seminar (Edinburgh Theological Seminary): ‘A Theological Account of Artificial Moral Agency’ on 24 January 2023
Knowledge Exchange
1. Interview by the Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelism (Mandarin) on 7 November 2024
* Conversations on my new book The Digitalised Image of God
2. Research Blog, Centre for Technomoral Futures, University of Edinburgh on 20 September 2024 * Christian Pastoral Care and Companionable AI
3. Mosaic, Singapore Bible College (Mandarin) on 18 April 2024 * ‘The Theology and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Technologies’
4. Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of Edinburghon 3 August 2023 * ‘Understanding AI from a Theological Perspective’
5. Interview by Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelism (Mandarin) on 21 September 2022
* Conversations on the catholicity and contextuality of theology and on AI-and-theology research
6. “AI Can Preach and Sing. So Why Can’t It Worship God?” Christianity Today. 25 August 2022 (Invited)
7. “Theologie Herman Bavinck bevat drie lessen voor Chinese kerken.” Reformatorisch Dagblad. 24 February 2022.
8. “3 Lessons for Chinese Churches from Herman Bavinck.” Christianity Today. 18 February 2022 (Invited)
9. Interview by Reformed Evangelical Ministries (Hong Kong) (Mandarin) on 17 December 2021
* Conversations on my doctoral research on Herman Bavinck (turned to my first monograph) and the practice of academic theology in the Chinese context.
