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 are morally obligated to disobey unlawful orders, drawing on just war theory and biblical principles of higher law.
Ross Douthat’s analysis of the rightward shift among young men argues that perceived institutional discrimination and lost opportunities are fueling resentment and radicalization.
Listener question: Should churches use AI generated worship music?
Listener question: Should woman receiving abortions be charged as criminal "masterminds"?

Note: Our Weekly Cultural Update episodes will be on hiatus during Christmas & New Years. We'll return in 2026!

==========

Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California.

Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.

To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

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

Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

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