The Briefing with Albert Mohler, Jr.

Episode Date: Friday, January 9, 2026
Theme: Cultural and News Commentary from a Christian Worldview

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Albert Mohler dives deeply into pressing social questions through a biblical lens. The first half unpacks William Galston’s Wall Street Journal piece on the decline of marriage in America, especially among the working class and men, linking it to broader cultural shifts and the vital role of Christian counterculture. The latter half features Mohler’s thoughtful, pastoral responses to listener questions about the centrality of the cross in evangelical theology, the Trinity and pronouns, Christian engagement with literature and politics, U.S.–Cuba relations, and the implications of AI translation and globalization in light of the Tower of Babel.

Main Discussion: America’s Marriage Emergency

1. William Galston’s Warning

[00:00–04:30]

• Mohler discusses William Galston's WSJ article, headlined "America needs more husband material," emphasizing the sharp rise in never-married 40-year-olds (from 6% in 1980 to 25% by 2020).
• Quote [01:00]:
  “The statistics are beyond undeniable at this point. We're simply looking at the fact that what is is, and what is represents a vast emergency. And Christians have to see this in deeper and more urgent terms even than others.” — Mohler

2. Education, Class, and the ‘Marriage Collapse’

[04:30–10:30]

• Galston’s key observation: After the 1960s, marriage rates slightly declined among the college-educated but plunged among the working class.
• Mohler highlights the irony: progressive elites espoused anti-marriage ideologies but personally maintained stable, legacy-focusing family lives, while the working class adopted the rhetoric but bore the consequences without similar resources.
• Quote [07:00]:
  “You have people of very liberal values who live quite conservative lives in terms of their own marriages and families… You have liberal theories and conservative lives, and… conservative theories and liberal lives.” — Mohler

3. The Impact on Young Men

[10:30–14:30]

• Clear divergence in trajectories for young men and women: women excel educationally and professionally, while many men, especially those without higher education, lag behind and are less prepared for marriage.
• Mohler observes that the breakdown in “the entire man-making business in society” particularly hurts non-elites.

4. Christian Counterculture

[14:30–18:30]

• Conservative Christian communities, colleges, and churches, bucking national trends, are vibrant with young marriages and children—thanks to intentional discipleship and intact families.
• Quote [16:45]:
  “They come from Christian homes… produced by Christian churches that have not only preached the scripture but lived it out. And in most cases, these young men had fathers in the home, and that shows up. And they are emulating what they have seen at home.” — Mohler

5. Marriage Market Dynamics

[18:30–21:30]

• Mohler explains the 'marriage market': As the number of college-educated men falls, college-educated women often seek the top tier of non-college-educated men (especially those in high-income trades), leaving many less educated men and older women unmatched.

6. The Deep Personal Costs

[21:30–23:30]

• The crisis, Mohler argues, is not just social but personal—broken families create lifelong consequences.
• Quote [23:10]:
  “You destroy the family. You marginalize community life. This is one of the inevitable results… The tragedies here are personal, not just sociological.” — Mohler

Listener Q&A

1. The Cross: Center of the Gospel?

[23:50–27:30]

• Mohler defends the centrality of the cross against those who downplay it, citing 1 Corinthians 15 and Galatians 6:14.
• Quote [25:30]:
  “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Apostle Paul, cited by Mohler
• The trend to minimize the cross often veils discomfort with substitutionary atonement and a tilt toward universalism.

2. Trinity and Pronouns

[27:30–30:15]

• Mohler addresses a challenge regarding why Christians don’t use plural pronouns for God.
• He clarifies evangelical belief: “one God in three persons,” not a “group of persons.” Thus, singular pronouns are proper.
• Quote [28:45]:
  “We would never refer rightly to the Trinity as a group of persons…” — Mohler

3. Engaging with Classic Literature as a Young Christian

[30:15–34:20]

• Advice to a 16-year-old concerned by sexual content in classics: Cultivate discernment, learn to “skip a bit,” and constantly guard your heart.
• Quote [33:20]:
  “You can't help as a young man what birds fly over your head, but you can keep the wrong birds from building nests in your hair.” — Quoting Martin Luther
• Mohler lauds such questions and candor in young men.

4. Christian Teens and Political Engagement

[34:20–37:00]

• Mohler encourages young Christians to get involved in politics proportionately, using discernment with information sources, and relying on parents and church community for guidance.
• Quote [36:00]:
  “The last thing I want to do is to pour any cold water at all on your interest. I'm thrilled that a Christian young man has that kind of interest at your age.” — Mohler

5. U.S. Action in Cuba?

[37:00–39:30]

• Responding to a Cuban-American listener, Mohler underscores the U.S.’s historic interest in Cuba, lamenting its communist regime and advocating for liberation—possibly someday by intervention.
• Quote [38:50]:
  “If you want Exhibit A of how communism fails, then simply look to Cuba.” — Mohler

6. The Tower of Babel, Globalization, and AI Translation

[39:30–42:30]

• The aspirations for technological translation and global unity, Mohler says, won’t override God’s judgment seen in Babel. Sin and pride doom such projects.
• Quote [41:10]:
  “…as much as you may have through AI some, some real translation gain, the fact is that we still are deeply embedded in different language groups. And you come to know by Genesis 11 that's a part of God's plan, indeed it's a part of God's judgment.” — Mohler

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• America’s Marriage Emergency:
  “What the left, the radicals, were pressing for in the 1960s and the 1970s… it didn't affect those who have the most options… It's those who are not among the elites who pay the damage.” — [07:50]
• Cross-Centered Faith:
  “Evangelicals should never apologize for this… anyone who complains about the cross-centeredness of evangelical Christianity is actually revealing a problem in the question being asked, not in the centrality of the cross…” — [27:10]
• Martin Luther’s Wisdom for Young Men:
  “You can't help as a young man what birds fly over your head, but you can keep the wrong birds from building nests in your hair.” — [33:20]

Key Timestamps

• 00:00: Episode and topic introduction
• 01:00: Galston’s “America needs more husband material”
• 07:00: The paradox of elite lifestyles and rhetoric
• 16:45: Patterns among Christian families and young men
• 23:10: The deep cost of family breakdown
• 25:30: The cross as central to the gospel
• 28:45: Clarifying the doctrine of the Trinity
• 33:20: Martin Luther’s pastoral advice
• 36:00: Encouraging youth in political engagement
• 38:50: On communism’s failure in Cuba
• 41:10: Babel, translation, and God’s plan

Summary

This episode offers a sobering look at cultural shifts undermining marriage, the roots of this crisis (especially for working-class men), and the far-reaching fallout. Mohler’s analysis is both sociological and theological, ultimately urging Christians to value and exemplify the biblical model for family, to prize the cross, and to think biblically about literature, politics, and global ambitions. Through insightful Q&A, he addresses the confusions and hopes of young believers with clarity and warmth.