Automated Text Analysis in Theology: An Application

This article examines the use of NLP methods in theology. We analyzed a corpus of 37 homilies written by Josemar & iacute;a Escriv & aacute;, a Spanish priest who founded the Catholic Church institution "Opus Dei". We assumed no prior knowledge of Escriv & aacute; and used automated text analysis methods like topic categorization, machine learning algorithms, and network science to examine his presentation of Christ as the center of creation and Christian existence. Our results match the findings of previous studies by numerous Escriv & aacute; scholars. We discuss opportunities and risks of incorporating NLP methods into theological research.