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!

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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.