ARDOR: A Translational Engagement Framework for Personalized Digital Scripture Encounter
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: This paper introduces ARDOR, a translational engagement framework for personalized digital Scripture encounter developed by R. Nicole Smith. ARDOR proposes that meaningful biblical engagement in digital ministry contexts requires more than content delivery-it requires emotional and spiritual attunement. Drawing on the distinct affective registers carried by four major Bible translations (NIV, AMP, MSG, and TPT), the framework advances a theory of translation-as-tone: the argument that different translations do not merely render the same text in different words but carry fundamentally different emotional registers that correspond to distinct spiritual and psychological states in the reader. ARDOR proposes a personalization model in which a user's current emotional and spiritual condition becomes the organizing principle of their Scripture encounter-meeting them in comprehension, conviction, processing, or pursuit as their present need requires. The paper situates this framework within the broader landscape of digital theology, faith-based technology development, and the theology of encounter, and proposes ARDOR as a conceptual foundation for next-generation digital ministry tools designed to produce genuine spiritual engagement rather than mere content consumption.
Author: Smith, Rachel
Institution: Liberty University
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7164942768
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