Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It

Episode: AI Chatbots Giving Spiritual Guidance, Christmas Music That Still Unites Us, and an Artist Preserving Memories in Stone
Date: November 28, 2025
Hosts: Myrna Brown, Nick Eicher
Guests/Critics: John Stonestreet, Arsenio Orteza, David Gillespie
Produced by: WORLD Radio

Episode Overview

This episode of "The World and Everything In It" explores the intersection of culture and faith through three key segments: the ethical and theological implications of AI chatbots providing spiritual guidance, a review of new and classic Christmas recordings that foster unity, and a profile of a craftsman preserving history and memory through traditional hand-carved gravestones. The show features commentary and expert analysis, rich in biblical perspectives and cultural critique.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI Chatbots Giving Spiritual Guidance

Segment start: 05:22

The Rise of "Jesus Bots"

• A New York Times article highlights new AI chatbots that offer spiritual guidance on demand, for a fee.
• The Gospel Coalition conducted a study on seven major AI platforms for biblical accuracy:
  • Some AI models reinforce Christian teachings,
  • Others advocate for "all viewpoints are equal."
  • The differences stem from "alignment"—human-defined guardrails dictating AI output.

Philosophical & Theological Questions

• Host (Nick Eicher): "Is there a place, for example, for AI tools for Bible study or personal devotions?" (06:43)
• John Stonestreet:
  “There’s absolutely a role for it there. ... The fundamental question is, do we know what makes humans human? ... As far as technology serves that, absolutely. The problem is, ... we haven’t taken seriously the biblical order of creation.” (06:46)
• John critiques a “disembodied, Gnostic” approach to spirituality facilitated by tech: relying on AI for faith can risk detaching from what it means to be human and image-bearers of God.
• Warns against the "uncritical use of AI," highlighting the need for discernment.
• Broader reflection: Society often fails to uphold the church’s responsibility to address public, embodied issues, not just individual piety.

2. AI in Christian Music & Creativity

Segment start: 08:27

AI-Generated Christian Artists

• Host (Myrna Brown): "You’re listening to the number one Christian artist… Except he’s not a dude... He’s Solomon Ray. AI generated." (09:01)
• Forest Frank (human CCM artist) argues that AI music “doesn’t have a soul,” and “doesn’t count as art.”
• Christopher Townsend (the man behind Solomon Ray) argues it’s an extension of his creativity: “It’s inspired by a Christian. It may not be performed by one, but ... why does that really matter?” (approx. 09:30)

Stonestreet’s Take On AI “Art”

• John Stonestreet:
  “Are we ready to say it’s creative for me to design a prompt and that’s artistic... That seems to be a pretty dumbed down definition of art and creativity.” (10:33)
• Raises the deeper question: "Do we need Christian music—or do we need Christian people?" (11:07)
• John acknowledges the moral complexity of AI-generated art and worries about reducing creativity to algorithmic prompt-designing.

3. Politics and Popular Culture: Trump, Ellison & Media Influence

Segment start: 11:10

Trump’s Influence via Media Moguls

• Semaphore Media reports on Larry Ellison’s (Trump supporter) growing influence over media conglomerates like Paramount and potentially Warner Studios.
• Discussion of potential shifting narratives in arts/media via political influence.

Neil Postman’s Perspective

• John Stonestreet:
  “Postman’s concern was the other way around... if our politics then become entertainment-driven, then our politics become, well, sillier.” (12:05)
• Argues that in modern America, politics encroaches on all cultural spaces (art, relationships, storytelling), crowding out other cultural influences.
• Warns: “Politics isn’t big enough to handle human creativity or storytelling or relationships or certainly marriage and having babies or all the other things that it’s creeped into and pushed out other influences.” (13:22)

4. A Hopeful Vision: Repentance and Revival in the West

Segment start: 14:07

Interview Excerpt: Os Guinness

• Excerpt on the West's decline and biblical patterns of exile-return; the pivotal role of repentance in national revival.
• Os Guinness:
  “You can see in the Bible there’s a freedom to repent... If you return to me, says the Lord, I will return to you and restore your fortunes...” (15:04)
  • Points to historical awakenings as agents of social, moral, and political renewal.

Hope Amid Decline

• John Stonestreet:
  “Our ultimate hope ... is not in what happens in our cultural moment. It’s what we know to be true about the whole story of the world... it’s centered around the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (16:27)
• Shares the story of cake artist Jack Phillips: “Do what’s right. Make the choice, and we leave the rest up to God.” (18:16)

5. Christmas Music That Still Unites Us

Segment start: 19:59
Critic: Arsenio Orteza

Unity in Seasonal Song

• Reflects Mark Steyn’s thesis: Christmas music uniquely “crosses all boundaries” in an otherwise fragmented popular culture.
• Recommends a diverse array of new and classic albums:
  • Messiah Choruses by The Sixteen – tradition-rich and newly recorded carols.
  • Joy to the World by Chanticleer – modern harmonies blending the old and new.
  • Cuban Christmas by the Sarabanda – classic pieces like The Nutcracker infused with Cuban rhythms, paying homage to the American jazz tradition.
  • Southern Christmas Songbook and Hymnal by renowned Americana artists – a reverent yet energetic instrumental take.

Notable Quote

• Arsenio Orteza:
  “Seasonal songs still cross boundaries. ... The magic of Christmas lies in old meeting new—a motif that runs throughout the album.” (approx. 21:45 & 22:18)

6. Artist Preserving Memories in Stone

Segment start: 27:09
Reported by: Kristen Flavin & Carissa Garcia

Hand-Carved Gravestones by David Gillespie

• Gillespie maintains a family trade in hand-carved gravestones, a diminishing craft in the age of machines.
• David Gillespie:
  “When I strike the chisel with the mallet... those striations show that some man did this. It wasn’t a machine that did this.” (28:11)
  • Learned the craft to honor an ancestor and now specializes in both new stones and restorations, favoring slate for its durability and detail.

The Value of Remembrance

• Gravestones serve as the only record for some ancestors:
  “The only document that's left on this earth that testifies that this man was living on this earth was this gravestone that my ancestor carved for him.” (31:30)
• Gillespie personalizes each project: “This isn’t just a job. This represents a soul.” (32:31)
• Hopes to one day pass the tradition, but acknowledges the unique challenges of training new artisans in such a niche field.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John Stonestreet:
  “Are we ready to say it’s creative for me to design a prompt and that’s artistic... That seems to be a pretty dumbed down definition of art and creativity.” (10:33)

• Os Guinness:
  “We look at reality unblushingly and realistically, and we will decline unless there’s a massive return. But the Awakening is something when the Word speaks in power and conviction, and the Spirit comes down in power and conviction, and there’s an incredible transformation.” (15:51)

• Arsenio Orteza:
  “The magic of Christmas lies in old meeting new—a motif that runs throughout the album.” (22:18)

• David Gillespie:
  “This isn’t just a job. This represents a soul.” (32:31)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• AI and Spirituality: 05:22 – 12:02
• AI and Christian Music: 08:27 – 11:10
• Politics/Culture Crossover: 11:10 – 14:07
• Os Guinness on Hope and Revival: 14:07 – 18:29
• Christmas Music Reviews: 19:59 – 27:00
• Hand-Carved Gravestones Feature: 27:09 – 33:12

Conclusion

This episode weaves together rich discussions on faith, technology, culture, and memory. The hosts and guests challenge listeners to think deeply about the role of AI in both spirituality and creativity, the urgent need for cultural repentance and renewal, the unifying power of Christmas music, and the value of preserving history through artisanal crafts. Through thoughtful Christian analysis and memorable storytelling, "The World and Everything In It" offers both sobering warnings and hopeful reminders anchored in the gospel.