Stories this week:<ul><li>A woman in Japan “<a href='https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/japan-ai-wedding/'>marries</a>” an AI chatbot, raising serious questions about the nature of marriage, human relationships, and how emerging technologies blur the line between real and artificial intimacy. </li><li>An <a href='https://www.theatlantic.com/science/2025/12/physics-life-reductionism-complexity/685257/?'>Atlantic article</a> suggests physics may be reaching the limits of reductionism, as living systems exhibit emergence, self-organization, and information that can’t be explained by particles alone. </li><li>A <a href='https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/us/politics/military-unlawful-orders-pam-bondi.html?'>New York Times piece</a> sparks discussion on when military personnel are morally obligated to disobey unlawful orders, drawing on just war theory and biblical principles of higher law. </li><li>Ross Douthat’s <a href='https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/opinion/young-white-men-discrimination.html'>analysis</a> of the rightward shift among young men argues that perceived institutional discrimination and lost opportunities are fueling resentment and radicalization. </li><li>Listener question: Should churches use AI generated worship music?</li><li>Listener question:  Should woman receiving abortions be charged as criminal &quot;masterminds&quot;?</li></ul>Note: Our Weekly Cultural Update episodes will be on hiatus during Christmas &amp; New Years. We&apos;ll return in 2026!========== Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from <a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'>Talbot School of Theology</a> at <a href='https://www.biola.edu/'>Biola University</a>, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: <a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'>https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically</a>. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&apos;d like us to cover or guests you&apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at <a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'>thinkbiblically@biola.edu</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Stories this week:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;A woman in Japan “&lt;a href='https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/japan-ai-wedding/'&gt;marries&lt;/a&gt;” an AI chatbot, raising serious questions about the nature of marriage, human relationships, and how emerging technologies blur the line between real and artificial intimacy. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;An &lt;a href='https://www.theatlantic.com/science/2025/12/physics-life-reductionism-complexity/685257/?'&gt;Atlantic article&lt;/a&gt; suggests physics may be reaching the limits of reductionism, as living systems exhibit emergence, self-organization, and information that can’t be explained by particles alone. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;A &lt;a href='https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/us/politics/military-unlawful-orders-pam-bondi.html?'&gt;New York Times piece&lt;/a&gt; sparks discussion on when military personnel are morally obligated to disobey unlawful orders, drawing on just war theory and biblical principles of higher law. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Ross Douthat’s &lt;a href='https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/opinion/young-white-men-discrimination.html'&gt;analysis&lt;/a&gt; of the rightward shift among young men argues that perceived institutional discrimination and lost opportunities are fueling resentment and radicalization. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Listener question: Should churches use AI generated worship music?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Listener question:  Should woman receiving abortions be charged as criminal &amp;quot;masterminds&amp;quot;?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Note: Our Weekly Cultural Update episodes will be on hiatus during Christmas &amp;amp; New Years. We&amp;apos;ll return in 2026!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;==========&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture&lt;/b&gt; is a podcast from &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'&gt;Talbot School of Theology&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/'&gt;Biola University&lt;/a&gt;, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'&gt;https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&amp;apos;d like us to cover or guests you&amp;apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at &lt;a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'&gt;thinkbiblically@biola.edu&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Stories this week: A woman in Japan “marries” an AI chatbot, raising serious questions about the nature of marriage, human relationships, and how emerging technologies blur the line between real and artificial intimacy. An Atlantic article suggests physics may be reaching the limits of reductionism, as living systems exhibit emergence, self-organization, and information that can’t be explained by particles alone. A New York Times piece sparks discussion on when military personnel ar...

Cultural Update: Disobeying Unlawful Orders; The Truth Physics Can No Longer Ignore; Rightward Shift Among Young Men

It is not an understatement to say that AI has revolutionized virtually every aspect of human life. What should characterize a Christian posture towards AI? Should we be concerned? Optimistic? How do we think biblically about it the emergence of new AI technology? In this unique episode, Sean is joined by three Biola/Talbot professors who are experts in their fields and in AI: <a href='https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/yohan-lee'>Yohan Lee</a>, Associate Dean of Technology and Professor of Computer Science; <a href='https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/michael-arena'>Michael Arena</a>, Dean of Biola’s <a href='https://www.biola.edu/crowell'>Crowell School of Business</a>; and <a href='https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/mihretu-guta'>Mihretu Guta</a>, Professor of Philosophy and Apologetics.  Mihretu P. Guta, Ph.D. (Philosophy at Durham University, UK). After completing his Ph.D., he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Durham University within the Durham Emergence Project which was set up with cooperation between physicists and philosophers and funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Guta’s postdoctoral research focused on the nature of the emergence of the phenomenal consciousness taken from the standpoint of metaphysics, philosophy of mind, cognitive neuroscience and quantum physics.  Dr. Yohan Lee has led advanced technology organizations for over 20 years in commercial industry, education, and government. He has been privileged to serve as a civil scientist (U.S. National Institutes of Health), Principal Investigator (Google AI), Chief Science Officer (Riiid Labs, Inc.), and CEO (Scaled Entelechy, Inc). His undergraduate and doctoral studies were at UCLA in neuroscience and genomics with a focus on the neurological basis of learning and memory in addition to precision medicine. His doctoral work centered on large scale genomic data for health and distributed computing. In his corporate role, Dr. Lee has led research and business units in industry, public-private partnerships, the federal government, and international academic consortia for enterprise initiatives with Fortune 50 corporations. Michael Arena, Ph.D., is the dean of the Crowell School of Business at Biola University. He is also the chief science officer and co-founder of the Connected Commons, a research consortium that brings together business and academic thought leaders to develop and apply organizational network solutions. Prior to joining Biola, he served as the vice president of talent and development at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he leveraged network analysis to enable employee growth, organizational culture and innovation. Arena was also the chief talent officer for General Motors Corporation where he helped to facilitate a business transformation, which is highlighted in his book Adaptive Space. Arena also spent two years as a visiting scientist with MIT’s Media Lab researching human networks and acted as a design thinking coach within the Stanford School for three years. ========== Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from <a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'>Talbot School of Theology</a> at <a href='https://www.biola.edu/'>Biola University</a>, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: <a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'>https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically</a>. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&apos;d like us to cover or guests you&apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at <a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'>thinkbiblically@biola.edu</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;It is not an understatement to say that AI has revolutionized virtually every aspect of human life. What should characterize a Christian posture towards AI? Should we be concerned? Optimistic? How do we think biblically about it the emergence of new AI technology? In this unique episode, Sean is joined by three Biola/Talbot professors who are experts in their fields and in AI: &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/yohan-lee'&gt;Yohan Lee&lt;/a&gt;, Associate Dean of Technology and Professor of Computer Science; &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/michael-arena'&gt;Michael Arena&lt;/a&gt;, Dean of Biola’s &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/crowell'&gt;Crowell School of Business&lt;/a&gt;; and &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/mihretu-guta'&gt;Mihretu Guta&lt;/a&gt;, Professor of Philosophy and Apologetics. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mihretu P. Guta, Ph.D. (Philosophy at Durham University, UK). After completing his Ph.D., he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Durham University within the Durham Emergence Project which was set up with cooperation between physicists and philosophers and funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Guta’s postdoctoral research focused on the nature of the emergence of the phenomenal consciousness taken from the standpoint of metaphysics, philosophy of mind, cognitive neuroscience and quantum physics. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Yohan Lee has led advanced technology organizations for over 20 years in commercial industry, education, and government. He has been privileged to serve as a civil scientist (U.S. National Institutes of Health), Principal Investigator (Google AI), Chief Science Officer (Riiid Labs, Inc.), and CEO (Scaled Entelechy, Inc). His undergraduate and doctoral studies were at UCLA in neuroscience and genomics with a focus on the neurological basis of learning and memory in addition to precision medicine. His doctoral work centered on large scale genomic data for health and distributed computing. In his corporate role, Dr. Lee has led research and business units in industry, public-private partnerships, the federal government, and international academic consortia for enterprise initiatives with Fortune 50 corporations. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Michael Arena, Ph.D., is the dean of the Crowell School of Business at Biola University. He is also the chief science officer and co-founder of the Connected Commons, a research consortium that brings together business and academic thought leaders to develop and apply organizational network solutions. Prior to joining Biola, he served as the vice president of talent and development at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he leveraged network analysis to enable employee growth, organizational culture and innovation. Arena was also the chief talent officer for General Motors Corporation where he helped to facilitate a business transformation, which is highlighted in his book Adaptive Space. Arena also spent two years as a visiting scientist with MIT’s Media Lab researching human networks and acted as a design thinking coach within the Stanford School for three years. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;==========&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture&lt;/b&gt; is a podcast from &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'&gt;Talbot School of Theology&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/'&gt;Biola University&lt;/a&gt;, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'&gt;https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&amp;apos;d like us to cover or guests you&amp;apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at &lt;a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'&gt;thinkbiblically@biola.edu&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

It is not an understatement to say that AI has revolutionized virtually every aspect of human life. What should characterize a Christian posture towards AI? Should we be concerned? Optimistic? How do we think biblically about it the emergence of new AI technology? In this unique episode, Sean is joined by three Biola/Talbot professors who are experts in their fields and in AI: Yohan Lee, Associate Dean of Technology and Professor of Computer Science; Michael Arena, Dean of Biola’s Crowell Sch...

The AI Revolution: Expert Roundtable

Stories this week: <ul><li>Marijuana and youth health: New <a href='https://www.wsj.com/opinion/marijuana-referendum-massachusetts-pot-users-emergency-rooms-68fa22cd'>medical studies</a> show legalization has coincided with a sharp rise in adolescent ER visits, including severe physical and psychiatric effects, raising ethical and biblical concerns about bodily stewardship. </li><li>Australia’s social media ban: Australia enacted the <a href='https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/world/asia/australia-social-media-ban-how-what.html'>world’s first nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16</a>, shifting responsibility to tech companies and sparking debate over protection versus government overreach. </li><li>Charlie Kirk and spiritual response: A <a href='https://www.barna.com/research/impact-charlie-kirk/'>Barna study finds Kirk’s death prompted more spiritual than political action</a>, particularly among Gen Z and practicing Christians, suggesting deeper spiritual currents at work. </li><li>AI and academic integrity: A major AI conference <a href='https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03506-6'>discovered that over 20% of peer reviews were fully AI-generated</a>, exposing serious ethical failures and double standards in higher education. </li><li>Listener Question: Why some families have more children</li><li>Listener Question: Church becoming affirming</li><li>Listener Question: Praying without visible answers</li></ul> ========== Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from <a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'>Talbot School of Theology</a> at <a href='https://www.biola.edu/'>Biola University</a>, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: <a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'>https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically</a>. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&apos;d like us to cover or guests you&apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at <a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'>thinkbiblically@biola.edu</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Stories this week: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Marijuana and youth health:&lt;/b&gt; New &lt;a href='https://www.wsj.com/opinion/marijuana-referendum-massachusetts-pot-users-emergency-rooms-68fa22cd'&gt;medical studies&lt;/a&gt; show legalization has coincided with a sharp rise in adolescent ER visits, including severe physical and psychiatric effects, raising ethical and biblical concerns about bodily stewardship. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Australia’s social media ban:&lt;/b&gt; Australia enacted the &lt;a href='https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/world/asia/australia-social-media-ban-how-what.html'&gt;world’s first nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16&lt;/a&gt;, shifting responsibility to tech companies and sparking debate over protection versus government overreach. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Charlie Kirk and spiritual response:&lt;/b&gt; A &lt;a href='https://www.barna.com/research/impact-charlie-kirk/'&gt;Barna study finds Kirk’s death prompted more spiritual than political action&lt;/a&gt;, particularly among Gen Z and practicing Christians, suggesting deeper spiritual currents at work. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;AI and academic integrity:&lt;/b&gt; A major AI conference &lt;a href='https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03506-6'&gt;discovered that over 20% of peer reviews were fully AI-generated&lt;/a&gt;, exposing serious ethical failures and double standards in higher education. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Listener Question: &lt;b&gt;Why some families have more children&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Listener Question: &lt;b&gt;Church becoming affirming&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Listener Question: &lt;b&gt;Praying without visible answers&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;==========&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture&lt;/b&gt; is a podcast from &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'&gt;Talbot School of Theology&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/'&gt;Biola University&lt;/a&gt;, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'&gt;https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&amp;apos;d like us to cover or guests you&amp;apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at &lt;a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'&gt;thinkbiblically@biola.edu&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Stories this week:  Marijuana and youth health: New medical studies show legalization has coincided with a sharp rise in adolescent ER visits, including severe physical and psychiatric effects, raising ethical and biblical concerns about bodily stewardship. Australia’s social media ban: Australia enacted the world’s first nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16, shifting responsibility to tech companies and sparking debate over protection versus government over...

Cultural update: Australia's Social Media Ban; Marijuana and Youth Health; Study on Charlie Kirk Death

Who was Dr. C. Everett Koop and why is his life so significant? How did he become so passionate about abortion? How did he navigate bioethical controversies during his tenure as Surgeon General under President Ronald Reagan? We’ll discuss these questions and more with our guest and Dr. Koop’s biographer, Dr. Nigel Cameron. Biographer Nigel Cameron is President Emeritus of the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies (C-PET) in Washington, DC, which he founded in 2007 and led for ten years, former Technology Editor at UnHerd.com and Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Science and Society at the University of Ottawa, Canada. A native of the UK, he is also a citizen of the United States and Belgium. He has written widely on the policy impacts of emerging technologies, including: Innovation President (Amazon Kindle), The New Medicine, &amp; Nanoscale: Issues for the Nano Century, and Will Robots Take Your Job? A Plea for Consensus (Polity Press / John Wiley). ========== Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from <a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'>Talbot School of Theology</a> at <a href='https://www.biola.edu/'>Biola University</a>, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: <a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'>https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically</a>. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&apos;d like us to cover or guests you&apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at <a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'>thinkbiblically@biola.edu</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Who was Dr. C. Everett Koop and why is his life so significant? How did he become so passionate about abortion? How did he navigate bioethical controversies during his tenure as Surgeon General under President Ronald Reagan? We’ll discuss these questions and more with our guest and Dr. Koop’s biographer, Dr. Nigel Cameron. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Biographer Nigel Cameron is President Emeritus of the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies (C-PET) in Washington, DC, which he founded in 2007 and led for ten years, former Technology Editor at UnHerd.com and Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Science and Society at the University of Ottawa, Canada. A native of the UK, he is also a citizen of the United States and Belgium. He has written widely on the policy impacts of emerging technologies, including: Innovation President (Amazon Kindle), The New Medicine, &amp;amp; Nanoscale: Issues for the Nano Century, and Will Robots Take Your Job? A Plea for Consensus (Polity Press / John Wiley). &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;==========&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture&lt;/b&gt; is a podcast from &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'&gt;Talbot School of Theology&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/'&gt;Biola University&lt;/a&gt;, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'&gt;https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&amp;apos;d like us to cover or guests you&amp;apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at &lt;a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'&gt;thinkbiblically@biola.edu&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Who was Dr. C. Everett Koop and why is his life so significant? How did he become so passionate about abortion? How did he navigate bioethical controversies during his tenure as Surgeon General under President Ronald Reagan? We’ll discuss these questions and more with our guest and Dr. Koop’s biographer, Dr. Nigel Cameron.  Biographer Nigel Cameron is President Emeritus of the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies (C-PET) in Washington, DC, which he founded in 2007 and led for ten y...

The Remarkable and Influential Life of Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop

This week: “Jesus Bots” &amp; AI Spirituality: Sean and Scott discuss a <a href='https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/opinion/faith-bot-individualism.html'>New York Times piece on religious chatbots</a>, raising concerns about me-centered faith, shallow “AI Jesus” advice, and how tech may distort spiritual formation.UC San Diego’s Education Crisis: A Wall Street Journal editorial reveals that <a href='https://www.wsj.com/opinion/uc-san-diego-and-the-crisis-of-education-f6332836'>1 in 12 UCSD freshmen can’t perform middle-school math</a>, prompting a conversation about grade inflation, DEI pressures, COVID learning loss, and the need for academic accountability.AI &amp; the Decline of Critical Thinking: An Atlantic article sparks discussion on <a href='https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2025/12/people-outsourcing-their-thinking-ai/685093/'>how people increasingly outsource decision-making to AI</a>, rewiring their brains, avoiding discomfort, and creating new forms of dependency.The New Singlehood Dilemma: The hosts unpack <a href='https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/04/single-positivity-obligation/682262/'>cultural mixed messages</a>—society simultaneously pushes people to find a partner and to celebrate being single—leading to confusion, shame, and loneliness.Listener Question – Tattoos &amp; Piercings: Sean and Scott explain that Old Testament prohibitions were tied to pagan rituals, meaning tattoos today are largely a wisdom issue rather than a moral one.Listener Question – Guns in Church Security: They discuss self-defense biblically and practically, concluding that armed security can be appropriate when trained and focused on protecting the congregation.Listener Question – Devotionals for Teens: Recommendations include reading Scripture together or using teen-friendly devotionals, with Sean mentioning his book A Rebel’s Manifesto as a helpful cultural guide. ========== Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from <a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'>Talbot School of Theology</a> at <a href='https://www.biola.edu/'>Biola University</a>, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: <a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'>https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically</a>. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&apos;d like us to cover or guests you&apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at <a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'>thinkbiblically@biola.edu</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;This week: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;“Jesus Bots” &amp;amp; AI Spirituality:&lt;/b&gt; Sean and Scott discuss a &lt;a href='https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/opinion/faith-bot-individualism.html'&gt;New York Times piece on religious chatbots&lt;/a&gt;, raising concerns about me-centered faith, shallow “AI Jesus” advice, and how tech may distort spiritual formation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;UC San Diego’s Education Crisis:&lt;/b&gt; A Wall Street Journal editorial reveals that &lt;a href='https://www.wsj.com/opinion/uc-san-diego-and-the-crisis-of-education-f6332836'&gt;1 in 12 UCSD freshmen can’t perform middle-school math&lt;/a&gt;, prompting a conversation about grade inflation, DEI pressures, COVID learning loss, and the need for academic accountability.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;AI &amp;amp; the Decline of Critical Thinking:&lt;/b&gt; An Atlantic article sparks discussion on &lt;a href='https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2025/12/people-outsourcing-their-thinking-ai/685093/'&gt;how people increasingly outsource decision-making to AI&lt;/a&gt;, rewiring their brains, avoiding discomfort, and creating new forms of dependency.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;The New Singlehood Dilemma:&lt;/b&gt; The hosts unpack &lt;a href='https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/04/single-positivity-obligation/682262/'&gt;cultural mixed messages&lt;/a&gt;—society simultaneously pushes people to find a partner &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; to celebrate being single—leading to confusion, shame, and loneliness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Listener Question – Tattoos &amp;amp; Piercings:&lt;/b&gt; Sean and Scott explain that Old Testament prohibitions were tied to pagan rituals, meaning tattoos today are largely a wisdom issue rather than a moral one.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Listener Question – Guns in Church Security:&lt;/b&gt; They discuss self-defense biblically and practically, concluding that armed security can be appropriate when trained and focused on protecting the congregation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Listener Question – Devotionals for Teens:&lt;/b&gt; Recommendations include reading Scripture together or using teen-friendly devotionals, with Sean mentioning his book &lt;em&gt;A Rebel’s Manifesto&lt;/em&gt; as a helpful cultural guide.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;==========&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture&lt;/b&gt; is a podcast from &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/talbot'&gt;Talbot School of Theology&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/'&gt;Biola University&lt;/a&gt;, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: &lt;a href='https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically'&gt;https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you&amp;apos;d like us to cover or guests you&amp;apos;d like us to have on the podcast, email us at &lt;a href='mailto:thinkbiblically@biola.edu'&gt;thinkbiblically@biola.edu&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

This week:  “Jesus Bots” &amp; AI Spirituality: Sean and Scott discuss a New York Times piece on religious chatbots, raising concerns about me-centered faith, shallow “AI Jesus” advice, and how tech may distort spiritual formation. UC San Diego’s Education Crisis: A Wall Street Journal editorial reveals that 1 in 12 UCSD freshmen can’t perform middle-school math, prompting a conversation about grade inflation, DEI pressures, COVID learning loss, and the need for academic accountability. ...

Cultural Update: Jesus Bots; UCSD Education Crisis; The New Singlehood Dilemma; Guns in Church

A weekly podcast that offers Christian perspectives on some of the most significant issues facing today's church and culture. In each episode, hosts Scott Rae and Sean McDowell — professors at Biola University's Talbot School of Theology — draw upon biblical wisdom and insights from guest experts as they explore how Christians can thoughtfully and faithfully engage with cultural trends and current events.

Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

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