The Briefing with Albert Mohler

Episode: Friday, January 16, 2026
Host: R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Theme: Cultural Commentary from a Biblical Perspective

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Mohler begins by examining the obituaries of two notable 20th-century women—Brigitte Bardot and Hesse Levinson’s Taft—offering cultural and worldview analysis on their lives and legacies. The remainder of the episode is dedicated to answering listener questions on a range of ethical and theological issues, including law enforcement controversies, biblical counseling vs. integrationist models, Christian perspectives on the body after death and end-of-life care, and a biblical understanding of selfishness.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Obituaries with Worldview Significance

Brigitte Bardot (00:48–08:16)

• Cultural Symbol: Bardot is characterized as a French femme fatale and an international icon of sexuality, emerging in the 1950s as a key figure in post-war French cinema and Western sexual liberalization.
• Quote from The Washington Post:
  “Hollywood had voluptuous but fragile Marilyn Monroe and Italy had earthy but dignified Sophia Lorenzo. But Ms. Bardot’s unapologetic hedonism made her a singular phenomenon. She became... one of the most photographed women in the world. She ‘triggered a million fantasies and think pieces.’”
• Existential and Moral Debate: Simone de Beauvoir reportedly called Bardot “a locomotive of women’s liberation,” while conservative critics denounced her influence, with editor Raymond Cartier condemning her as “immoral from head to toe.”
• Cultural Comparison: Mohler notes how French cinema dressed up overt sexuality in philosophical terms, making it appear more acceptable and “artistic” compared to the “cruder” American approach.
• Political Shift: After her career as a sex symbol, Bardot became an animal rights activist and supporter of the far right in France, shocking her former admirers on the left.
• Analysis:
  “She is remembered in France now as someone who turned into a supporter of the far right... The artistic left thought she was one of them. And I guess she was, so long as she was a sex symbol. But once that was over, guess what? She turned out to be very much aligned with the French political right.” (07:46)

Hesse Levinson’s Taft (08:17–14:52)

• Story Overview: Taft was born to Latvian-Jewish parents in 1934 Berlin. At six months old, her photograph was entered (without her parents’ knowledge) in a Nazi contest for the “perfect Aryan baby” and was selected by Joseph Goebbels, despite her Jewish ancestry.
• Quote:
  “‘But you know that this is a Jewish child.’ The photographer responded, ‘I wanted to allow myself the pleasure of this joke. You see, I was right. Of all the babies, they chose the baby, this baby—that means a Jewish baby—as the perfect Aryan...’” (12:28)
• Life Journey: The family fled Nazi Germany, passing through Latvia, Paris, and Cuba before settling in New York. Hesse became an academic and contributed to the AP Chemistry exam.
• Worldview Reflection:
  “What an indictment... of the race theories of the Nazis. They have a contest to find the perfect Aryan baby. None other than Joseph Goebbels himself picks the perfect Aryan baby...[who] was Jewish.” (14:04)

2. Listener Questions & Christian Worldview Responses

Law Enforcement and Moral Judgments (14:53–20:56)

• Question on Minneapolis ICE Agent Incident:
  A federal agent listener asks how Christians should process a situation where activists interfered with law enforcement, resulting in tragedy.
• Mohler’s Response:
  • Emphasizes the preciousness of human life and the volatility of situations where citizens confront law enforcement.
  • Stresses need for careful, fact-based judgment and caution against premature moral conclusions.
  • Cites Romans 13:
    “We either believe in the process of law, in due process, and in due order... Christians have to believe in such authorities, and we have to at least allow these authorities to do their work before we make moral judgments about that work that’s not yet done.” (18:45)
  • Warns that undermining confidence in lawful authority creates both practical and theological peril.

Biblical Counseling vs. Integrationist Model (20:57–27:56)

• Listener Asks: How to approach counseling while in an “integrationist” academic environment, holding to a biblical counseling mindset.
• Mohler Outlines Three Models:
  1. Christianized Secular Psychology: Adds biblical elements to secular frameworks.
  2. Biblical Counseling: Rooted in sola scriptura, Scripture as the sole final authority—even in counseling.
  3. Integrationist Model: Seeks a “syncretistic” blend of theological and secular psychological concepts.
• Opinion:
  “We are firmly committed to biblical counseling... Scripture has to be the sole final authority. And our confidence has to be in the work within the human heart, in which by the Spirit and the word believers are conformed to the image of Christ.” (26:41)
• Critique of Integration: Though some integrationists are “faithful,” Mohler finds the model unstable and insufficiently grounded in biblical authority.

The Christian View of the Body after Death (27:57–31:10)

• Listener’s Concern: At her grandmother's funeral, some referred to the body as “just an envelope” or “taking out the trash.” Is this biblical?
• Mohler’s Correction:
  “That’s fundamentally at odds with biblical Christianity. It’s fundamentally at odds with Christian doctrine, understanding, first of all, who we are as human beings. We are body and soul in a unity.” (29:07)
• Doctrine: Christianity holds high regard for the body—even in death—reflecting the doctrine of bodily resurrection and imago Dei.

Ethical Medical Decisions: Curative vs. Palliative Care (31:11–35:06)

• Listener’s Dilemma: Making life-and-death decisions for a terminally ill relative.
• Key Distinction:
  • Curative Care: Pursue if hope for recovery exists.
  • Palliative Care: Is legitimate when death is imminent and focused on comfort, but must not be hastened to cause death.
• Ethical Guidance:
  “We should not withdraw medical treatment if there is any hope for recovery. But that does not mean that when a person has entered the process of dying and death, that we have to use every medical means to try to extend life on the threshold of death.” (32:48)
• Support: Praises the listener’s evident thoughtfulness and Christian conviction in navigating this difficult responsibility.

What is Biblical Selfishness? (35:07–39:45)

• Question from a 17-Year-Old: What is selfishness biblically, and how can you stop being selfish?
• Definition and Verses:
  • Selfishness is focusing on oneself rather than others (“failing to see others as God sees them”).
  • Philippians 2:4: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
  • 2 Timothy 3:2: “People will be lovers of self...”
  • 1 Corinthians 10:24: “Let no one seek his own good but the good of his neighbor.”
• Advice:
  “You can’t make yourself unselfish in the same way you can’t stop thinking about something you want to stop thinking about. What you have to do is start thinking about something else...Seek and serve others.” (38:40)
• Practical Insight: Replacing self-focused thoughts with concern for others is the way to become less selfish. Quoting Martin Luther’s principle: to stop an unwanted thought, fill your mind with something else.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Let’s be very honest, Americans got [to sexual liberalization], but they got there through a cruder form of cinema. The French could dress it up. This tells you something about worldview analysis.” (05:37)
• “Of all the babies, they chose the baby—that means a Jewish baby—as the perfect Aryan, as the New York Times tells us. Suddenly, the photo was everywhere... My parents were both shocked by the possible consequences...and amazed at the irony of it all.” (12:44)
• “We either believe in the process of law, in due process, and in due order...Christians have to believe in such authorities, and we have to at least allow these authorities to do their work before we make moral judgments about that work that’s not yet done.” (18:45)
• “Scripture has to be the sole final authority. And our confidence has to be in the work within the human heart, in which by the Spirit and the word believers are conformed to the image of Christ.” (26:41)
• “We are body and soul in a unity... we have to treat the body itself as essential to our identity and as part of our identity as Christians, our eternal identity...” (29:20)
• “Selfishness is focusing on the self rather than on others. And biblically, it is grounded in failing to see others as God sees them and would have us see them.” (35:21)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:48 – Brigitte Bardot: Cultural symbol and her complex legacy
• 08:17 – Hesse Levinson’s Taft: Nazi race theory irony
• 14:53 – Minneapolis ICE agent incident and Christian response
• 20:57 – Biblical counseling vs. integrationist counseling
• 27:57 – The Christian view of the body after death
• 31:11 – End-of-life ethics: curative vs. palliative care
• 35:07 – What is selfishness, Biblically, and how do we fight it?

Conclusion

Dr. Mohler masterfully weaves news analysis and worldview reflection, giving both historical context and direct scriptural counsel to contemporary questions. The episode is rich with cultural insights, robust doctrinal guidance, and practical wisdom for navigating the complexities of Christian life in the modern world.