The Briefing with Albert Mohler

Episode Summary: Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Overview

In this episode of The Briefing, R. Albert Mohler, Jr. addresses two major themes:

1. The Evolution of Modern Warfare—highlighting how drone technology and asymmetrical tactics are redefining the landscape, especially in the context of recent Russian incursions into NATO airspace.
2. Contemporary Debates on Gender Roles—discussing the cultural and media response to conservative Christian approaches to masculinity, marriage, and the home, with a focus on recent reporting by USA Today on the so-called “manosphere” and Christian subcultures.

Mohler navigates both international security concerns and domestic cultural shifts, consistently framing them through a Christian and biblical worldview.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. The Redefinition of Warfare and Asymmetric Threats (00:00–20:00)

• Historic Parallel: Battleship Obsolescence (00:25)

  • Mohler compares recent developments in drone warfare to the sinking of the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse in 1941, which marked a pivotal change in naval strategy due to aerial attacks.
  • Quote:
    “Everything seems to be changed... Those two massive battleships, which were such symbolic representations of British naval power, that's when they were sunk in one day. And the big issue was not that they were sunk, but how they were sunk.” (01:10)
  • Emphasizes how quickly dominant paradigms can become outdated when new tactics or technology emerge.

• Modern Drone Warfare & Low Cost of Entry (05:00–07:40)

  • Examines how cheap, accessible drone technology enables non-state actors and smaller nations to challenge superpowers—an example of asymmetrical warfare.
  • References Ukraine’s successful use of low-tech drones against Russia and notes that Russia is now catching up and adapting these methods.
  • Quote:
    “It turns out that they [drones] can be very deadly as well. That has really been to the assistance of Ukraine... More recently, the advantage seems to be going to Russia.” (12:35)

• Russian Drone/Airspace Incursions into NATO Allies (07:45–13:30)

  • Mohler outlines how recent Russian incursions into the airspace of Poland and Romania are not accidental, but a deliberate test of Western/NATO responses.
  • Cautions that while there's no current indication of imminent invasion, these provocations signal growing Russian aggression and strategic probing.
  • Quote:
    “Russia in this case is not incompetent. It knows exactly what it's doing... Russia is testing Western determination.” (10:50)

• Analysis of NATO’s Vulnerabilities (15:00–18:00)

  • Cites The Economist's skepticism regarding NATO's readiness for low-level drone incursions during peacetime:
    “NATO air defenses are not really configured for low level drone incursions in peacetime.” (17:10)
  • Warns that these gaps are not just theoretical—aggressive nations are learning from these tests in real time.
  • Quote:
    “If Russia was testing NATO, then I'm not convinced the alliance passed.” (18:15)

• Worldview Application (19:00–19:50)

  • Mohler insists that these developments serve as a “wake up call” for Western societies that danger in the world is real and ongoing.
  • Quote:
    “It's an illusion, a dangerous illusion to believe otherwise. Vladimir Putin is making that point, and he's making it with emphatic clarity. Only insanity would fail to see it.” (19:40)

II. Gender Roles, the “Manosphere,” and Cultural Backlash (20:00–48:00)

• USA Today on the “Manosphere” and Christian Masculinity (20:10–22:00)

  • Mohler discusses a front-page article in USA Today focusing on evangelical pastor Doug Wilson, the “manosphere,” and the supposed cultural threat from conservative Christians.
  • Critiques the newspaper for presenting traditional biblical teaching as a dangerous subculture.
  • Quote:
    “There's some very dangerous people in our midst. These very dangerous people are Christians, and they are teaching a very dangerous doctrine that has to do with differences, say, between men and women... responsibility of men to take up this kind of responsibility and by the way, to show up visibly different than females.” (22:20)

• Historic Christian Teachings vs. Cultural Change (23:00–26:00)

  • Argues that what is now seen as “provocative” or “dangerous” was unremarkable for most of Christian history.
  • Asserts that the Christian doctrine hasn’t changed—society has.
  • Quote:
    “Biblical teaching hasn't changed...conservatives don't have to change in order for biblical conservatives to be considered ever more radical. It is because the culture is doing the changing.” (24:40)

• Media and Academic Framing of Patriarchalism (27:15–30:00)

  • Cites and critiques comments from Julie Ingersoll (University of North Florida), who sees complementarianism becoming “more harsh.”
  • Mohler notes this isn’t necessarily a negative development, but rather reflects increased doctrinal clarity in response to cultural confusion.
  • Quote:
    “...as time has passed, I think the issues have been tremendously clarified... what has changed is the cultural context.” (30:00)

• “Backlash” Narrative and Its Problems (32:00–34:00)

  • Engages with Matthew Taylor’s premise (Institute for Islamic Christian and Jewish Studies) that recent gender role emphases are a “backlash” against progressive gains.
  • Mohler replies that tightening definitions are a necessary adaptation for clarity, not merely reactionary backlash.

• The Need for "Thick" Religious Identity (36:10–40:00)

  • Admires the comprehensive, thick cultural frameworks of Orthodox Judaism and traditionalist Catholicism, asserting that only robust, theologically deep Christian cultures will survive increasing secularization.
  • Quote:
    “It's going to take something very thick and very substantial... which is why I think it is the thickest forms of deep Protestant evangelical theology... that's going to show where the Christians actually are.” (38:50)

• Male Identity and Social Cues (41:00–43:00)

  • Reflects humorously on the “performative men” described by USA Today—men who adopt progressive identity signals to impress liberal women, suggesting this strategy is largely unsuccessful.
  • Quote:
    “At the end of the day, it's probably for these performative males just themselves and their books.” (42:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Danger of Technological Shifts in War:
  “You now have American military authorities speaking openly of the fact that there's going to have to be an increased American use of and then defense against this kind of drone attack... It really lowers the cost of entry into warfare.” (13:00)

• On Cultural Backlash and Religious Clarity:
  “To put it another way, in a time of this kind of peril, this kind of secularizing pressure, it's really, really clear. In the age of temptations in which we live, you're going to have to have a very substantial Christianity that's not only theologically and doctrinally substantial and cohesive... but also that applies to every area of life.” (39:10)

• On Generational Shifts and Gender Differentiation:
  “I think it's because in an age of gender confusion, young men in particular decide to make abundantly clear that they are men. And that's one of the fastest ways to do it—beards clarify.” (35:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---|---------| | 00:00–05:00 | Introduction and historical context (Pearl Harbor, naval warfare shift) | | 05:00–13:30 | Asymmetrical warfare, drones, Ukraine/Russia, Russian incursions into NATO airspace | | 15:00–19:50 | Analysis of the implications for NATO, Western vulnerability, worldview takeaway | | 20:00–26:00 | Shift to US domestic issues: USA Today and the “manosphere” | | 27:00–34:00 | Academic and media interpretations of complementarianism and Christian patriarchy | | 36:10–40:00 | “Thick” religious identity as cultural survival | | 41:00–43:00 | Observations on “performative men” and secular masculinity | | 43:00–End | Conclusion of the cultural analysis, preview of ongoing debates |

Final Takeaway

Mohler’s episode underscores two urgent realities for his listeners:

1. Global Security is Shifting Rapidly—technology like drones changes the balance of power and exposes vulnerabilities; awareness and adaptation are crucial for national defense.
2. Christian Orthodoxy is Increasingly Countercultural—historic Christian beliefs about gender, family, and social order are now viewed as radical; only robust, clearly defined religious communities will endure the pressures of a secularizing environment.

His consistent tone—analytical, unapologetically biblical, and often wry—frames these developments as both a warning and a call to clarity and conviction.