It’s Monday, November 18, 2019. I’m Albert Mohler, and this is the Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.

For me, this introduction has become an intrinsic part of my morning routine. I wake up, eat breakfast, walk to work, and listen to the Briefing as I respond to emails that have accumulated over the night.

What is the Briefing?

The Briefing is a podcast produced by the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to analyze news from a Christian perspective. A new episode is released each weekday, except in the month of July, during which I am mostly uninformed about world events. The podcast covers both national and international news, with a significant amount of the thirty-minute episode spent on our current cultural situation.

The host, Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., garners topics such as abortion, politics, and religious freedom, from the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other of the world’s leading newspapers. As an example, on August 20, 2019 the following topics were discussed: Planned Parenthood Proves Its Deadly Commitment to Abortion by Withdrawing from Title X Funding; Nonsense in the Cathedral: A Church that Has Lost Its Message and, Apparently, Its Mind; The Logic of Death vs. the Logic of Life: All Life Is God’s Gift Under His Sovereignty.

Who is Albert Mohler Jr.?

Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological seminary. He is a widely known and sought-after speaker, and is reported to be one of the leading voices in modern evangelicalism. He is the author of several books, including We Cannot Be Silent: Speaking Truth to a Culture Redefining Sex, Marriage, & the Very Meaning of Right & Wrong (Thomas Nelson), Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters (Bethany House), and Culture Shift: Engaging Current Issues with Timeless Truth (Multnomah). He holds strongly to the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture, and is known to be a strong complementarian.

Pros

I find the Briefing to be a refreshing and helpful evaluation of news and events. Dr. Mohler has a vast amount of wisdom, experience, and biblical knowledge that he carefully applies to current events. Unlike most other newscasts that I have listened to, he, as a general rule, takes each news item to Scripture, and asks “What does the Bible Say?” in regard to the topic being addressed. I appreciate the tenor of the podcast. Dr. Mohler strongly speaks out of his convictions and positions but does so in a way that is clear and gracious, illustrating the apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:15 – “Speak the truth in love.”

If you’re an Anabaptist, you might be wondering how much Dr. Mohler’s political views affect his discourses on the Briefing. Dr. Mohler, I am happy to report, rarely brings his personal views into consideration. He will discuss politicians and their views, but again he will take the discussion back to Scripture.

Cons

My main caution about the Briefing is that Dr. Mohler is fairly patriotic. In the past, I have had to sift through his evaluation of news regarding military, Labor Day, etc. I don’t believe he would condemn the non-resistant position, but he would probably see Anabaptists as pacifist.

Another concern that some may have is that Dr. Mohler holds strongly to doctrines typical of the Reformed position. I’m not here to debate eternal security, election, or other such doctrines. However, I believe we need to be discerning and make sure we never go further than Scripture allows.

I believe the Briefing is a useful tool, helping us understand and evaluate the times we live in. But both you and I must remember to always appraise what is said by the Word of God, even when it comes from a Christian source.

Aaron Beery and his wife, Sadie, live in Elnora, Indiana, where he serves as the Administrative Assistant at the Elnora Bible Institute. He enjoys playing the piano, singing, reading and horseback riding. He hopes to use his counseling training to speak into people’s lives in this sin-cursed world for the glory of God.