An Interview with Michal Valčo

by Gordon Nary

Gordon: What is one of your favorite childhood memories?

Michal: I have many good memories from my childhood. One of my favorite memories is from a skiing trip in the mountains of Northern Slovakia where my mom took me and my younger sister skiing. The time spent with my mom and sister when I was young was always special and precious to me.

Gordon: When did you attend Lutheran Theological Faculty in Bratislava, what degrees did you earn. What was the topic of your doctoral dissertation?

Michal: It’s a pleasure to speak about my alma mater. I spent a significant and formative decade at the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava. I began my theological studies there in 1995, completing my Master of Divinity in 2001. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately transitioned into my doctoral work, earning my PhD in Lutheran Theology in 2005. My doctoral research focused on a key figure in the Lutheran tradition. My dissertation was titled, "The Sources and Meaning of Chemnitz’ Christology in his Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper". It was a deep dive into historical theology that has informed my work ever since, though I have since moved more towards ecumenical theology (of an ‘Evangelical Catholi’ type).

Gordon: When did you attend Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, what degree did you earn, and what was your favorite course, and why was that course ty favorite?

Michal: My time at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra was a period of expanding my academic focus. In 2015, I completed my Rigorous studies there, earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree, or PhDr., in the field of Ethics. My thesis explored "The Concepts of ‘Faith’ and Human ‘Subject’ by S. Kierkegaard and D. Bonhoeffer: Ethical implications". It was a special degree program where I worked on my topic independently and then defended my Rigorosa Doctoral thesis in front of a committee of professors. I did not take any courses during this independent research period.

Gordon: What other schools did you attend and study?

Michal: My academic journey has been wonderfully diverse. After my foundational degrees at Comenius University, I pursued post-doctoral work at the University of Prešov. There, at the Greek-Catholic Theological Faculty, I earned my habilitation, which is equivalent to an associate professorship, in Religious Studies in 2013. I was later inaugurated into a full professorship in the same field at Prešov in 2018. As we just discussed, I also earned a PhDr. in Ethics from Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra in 2015. I also try to keep my skills sharp in other areas; for instance, back in 1998, I passed the state language exam in English, which has been invaluable for my international work.

Gordon: When did you serve as Assistant Professor at Lutheran Theological Faculty in Bratislava, Slovakia and what curses did you teach?

Michal: I had the opportunity to begin my teaching career right where I had studied. I served as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Church History at the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Faculty of Comenius University from 2002 to 2005. During that time, my teaching focused on the history of doctrine. I taught a lecture course on the "History of Dogma" and led a seminar on the "Creators of the Formula of Concord". It was a fantastic experience to transition from student to faculty and to share my passion for historical theology with a new generation.

Gordon: When did you serve as Coordinator at Bible School in Martin, Slovakia and hat were tour primary responsibilities?

Michal: Thank you for this question. The documents I have refer to my role at the Bible School in Martin as "Director" or "Headmaster," which I held from August 2005 to August 2010. I will address this role in more detail in response to your later question about my time as Director there.

Gordon: What is one of your favorite memories when you were Copenhaver Scholar in Residence and Visiting professor in Roanoke College, VA?

Michal: My favorite memories revolve around my family and the time we spent together hiking in the Appalachian Mountains and other places in Virginia and beyond. I fondly remember the weekend we hiked McAfee Knob. Seeing the pride on our children's faces when we reached that famous ledge overlooking the valley was a memory our family will always cherish. We spent many weekends exploring along the Blue Ridge Parkway, just minutes from the college. We'd find a new overlook for a picnic or take a short trail and just enjoy the beauty of the mountains together. The kids loved our trips up Mill Mountain to see the Roanoke Star up close. We could see the entire valley from there, and it really felt like our home away from home. I enjoyed my teaching time at Roanoke College in Salem, VA, of course; but as I said, during the four months of Copenhaver Scholar in Residence (Fall of 2010) and then my time as Visiting professor at the same college (2012-13), it was a special time for our family to be more together and to explore new places and meet new people together as family. It was a rewarding and exciting experience for all of us. Just to clarify, our son Marek was born in 2003 and daughter Maggie in 2005, so they were both in primary school during our stays in Virginia. May wife, Katarina, taught with me at the College.

Gordon: When did you serve as Director of Bible School in Martin, Slovakia and what were your primary responsibilities?

Michal: I served as the Director of the Bible School in Martin, an adult education institution, for five years, from August 2005 to August 2010. My primary responsibilities were centered on leadership, fundraising, and management. This involved everything from setting the educational goals and vision for the school to building and managing the team of instructors and staff. A key part of the job was clear communication, organizing school events and programs, and ensuring we created a vibrant learning environment for our adult students. I had to travel much internationally to raise awareness, make new partnerships and raise funds for the school.

Gordon: When did you serve as Assistant Professor University of Zilina and what courses did you teach?

Michal: I had a long and very rewarding tenure at the University of Žilina, where I served as an Assistant Professor and later an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Humanities from 2002 to 2013. It was a period of great development for me. I had the chance to teach a wide array of courses at the intersection of theology, ethics, and history. My teaching portfolio included core subjects like "Dogmatics," "Christian Ethics," and the "History of Christianity". I also taught more specialized courses like "Missiology" and "Apologetics". This role allowed me to build a strong pedagogical foundation and explore many facets of religious and ethical studies.

Gordon: Tell us about your time as Assistant Professor Roanoke College Salem Virginia?

Michal: My time at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, was a highlight of my career and was spread over two different visits. The first was in the fall of 2010, when I was invited to be the Copenhaver Scholar in Residence. That was a wonderful opportunity that combined both research and teaching. I returned for a longer stay as a Visiting Assistant Professor for the full 2012-2013 academic year. During that year, I was fully engaged in the life of the college, teaching two courses each semester. Both experiences were incredibly enriching, allowing me to engage with American students and faculty, share my European perspective, and build lasting friendships. I taught an introductory course in Christian doctrine, a course on the relationship of faith and science, as well a course on ‘Religious Life of Young Adults’.

Gordon: When did you serve as Associate Professor of Religion at University of Zilina and what courses did you teach?

Michal: Following my time as an Assistant Professor, I was promoted to Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Žilina, a role I held from 2013 to 2015. During this period, I continued to teach many of the core courses in theology and ethics that I had previously, but with increased responsibility. I became the Head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, which added significant management and leadership duties to my plate. I also took on the responsibility of being the guarantor for the bachelor's program in "Missionary Work with Children and Youth" and a co-guarantor for the teacher education programs in religious education. It was a busy but very fulfilling chapter of my career.

Gordon: You have held several positions at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia. What were they and what if one of your favorite memories when you were there?

Michal: Yes, I had a dynamic period at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. From February 2017 to the middle of 2018, I served in a dual capacity as both a University Professor and as the Head of the Department of General and Applied Ethics. It was an intense and productive time, leading a department while also carrying out my teaching and research duties. I was responsible for courses such as "History of Ethics," "Theories of Moral Decision-Making," and "Ethical Aspects of the Labor Market". My favorite memories are tied to teaching the students there and helping them grow intellectually. Those one-on-one and small-group interactions, where you can really challenge and support a student as they develop their own scholarly voice, are the moments that truly stand out as a professor.

Gordon: When did you serve as a Professor University of Presov in Presov, Slovakia and what courses did you teach?

Michal: I worked at the University of Prešov from September 2018 to June 2020. My position there was as a Research Professor and Senior Researcher. Although I had earned my professorship qualification from the University of Prešov, my role during that time was primarily focused on research rather than teaching. My responsibilities included helping my colleagues at the Greek Catholic Theological Faculty in their research and publishing endeavors, and also in applying for and/or conducting research projects.

Gordon: You currently serve as Professor Comenius University in Bratislava. Tell us about the University.

Michal: That's right. In May 2020, I returned to where it all started and took up a position as a Professor at the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Faculty of Comenius University. It feels like coming home, in a way. I work specifically within the Department of Church History.

For those who may not be familiar with it, Comenius University is the oldest and largest university in Slovakia. It's a comprehensive public research university founded (in its modern version) in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. Its roots go much deeper in time, however, to the 17^th century Academia Istropolitana. It consistently ranks as the best university in the country and has a strong reputation throughout Central Europe. The university is named after the 17th-century teacher and philosopher John Amos Comenius, which I feel is a fitting legacy. It's an honor to be part of such a historic and respected institution.

Gordon: Does Comenius University teach courses on Artificial Intelligence? If so, what are they?

Michal: Yes, absolutely. As a major research university, Comenius is deeply engaged with the challenges and opportunities of Industry 4.0. While my own work on AI is primarily from the perspective of theology, ethics, and philosophy, the university offers robust technical programs. The Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, for example, has a comprehensive computer science program. They offer a range of courses and specializations in artificial intelligence, covering topics from machine learning and neural networks to natural language processing and computer vision.

In my own faculty, I bridge this gap from the humanities side. For instance, I teach a seminar called "Science, Theology and the Challenge of Transhumanism", which directly engages with the ethical and anthropological questions raised by AI. My work is also informed by my role on the national Permanent Committee for Ethics and AI Regulation and as the national contact for the UNESCO International Research Center on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI). So, the university approaches AI from multiple angles—the technical, the ethical, and the societal.

Gordon: Please explain how students can use and misuse Artificial Intelligence?

Michal: That really is the critical question of our time, isn't it? I think about it constantly, both as a professor who sees it in the classroom every day, and as a person of faith who wonders what this technology means for our humanity. I see AI not as a simple 'thing,' but as a powerful force with a dual nature. And our most important task as educators—and maybe even as parents and pastors—is to help our young people cope with it with wisdom, well-formed mind, and well-shaped character. I feel like, on the one hand, there is such incredible promise. I am genuinely excited by the ways AI can serve human flourishing. When used with prudence, it can be a revolutionary tool for learning. Imagine it as a tireless, expert research assistant that can help a student sift through mountains of data, or as a Socratic partner for brainstorming ideas for a project. For a student struggling with a difficult concept, it can be a patient, personalized tutor, adapting to their unique pace in a way a single teacher in a large class often cannot. In my own field, the thought of being able to trace a single theological concept through centuries of texts in mere minutes is astounding! Used rightly, it’s a tool that augments our God-given intellect. It can free us from drudgery to focus on what is uniquely human: the deep, critical, and creative thinking that leads to real insight.

But then, on the other hand… there’s a pull towards a different path that is deeply concerning. And I’m not just talking about the obvious problem of academic dishonesty. Using AI to write an essay isn’t just a new form of plagiarism. Of course, there have always been these issues and they will likely stay with us in the future. But from a virtue ethics perspective, it's a failure to cultivate intellectual courage and honesty. It’s taking a shortcut that bypasses the formation of character, and this really bothers me. What kind of people are we, as society, ‘producing’ with this kind of technology? So, the misuse that truly worries me is subtler, more existential. It’s the danger of a kind of 'outsourcing of the self.' When a student consistently defaults to AI, are they simply finding an answer, or are they avoiding the beautiful, difficult, and character-building struggle of learning? Because if it is the latter, then we are truly in trouble.

I like looking at things from a Christian Personalist viewpoint. This perspective informs us, among other things, that we humans aren’t just information-processors. We are persons, personal, relational beings who are formed and deepened through encounter, challenge, and even failure. The process of wrestling with a text, of finding the right words to articulate a fragile new idea, of building an argument piece by piece—that is not just an academic exercise for which one gets points and finally a grade. It entails the work of becoming a more thoughtful, discerning, and articulate person. It really makes you wonder: what kind of person are we forming if that formative struggle is removed?

This goes right to the heart of our Christian anthropology, to the doctrine of imago Dei. We believe we are made in the image of God. I always teach my students that that ‘image’ isn’t just about our capacity for reason; it’s about our capacity for relationship, for love, and for creativity in imitation of our Creator. The danger of an uncritical use of AI is that it can flatten this reality. It can exchange the deep satisfaction of intellectual craftsmanship for the shallow efficiency of a machine-generated answer. It frightens me to think of the consequences of this experiment. It risks making learning a lonely, transactional event rather than a relational journey with authors, teachers, and peers.

So the ultimate question for me is this: How do we use these powerful tools without diminishing the very things that reflect the divine image in us? How do we ensure that AI serves the human person, rather than the person unconsciously conforming themselves to the logic of the machine (which, by the way, has been happening to us ever since the arrival of smart phones and the clever, mind capturing and engagement cultivating algorithms)? We have to guide our students to see AI not as an oracle to be consulted, but as a tool to be mastered by a virtuous and discerning human hand, for the glory of God and the good of their fellow human beings

Gordon: Thank you for a great interview.