Trump's Evangelical Advisers Should Be Reading Augustine

We live in the age when algorithms try to be our friends. When I open Spotify, log in to Netflix or pull up Amazon, their bots are always more than happy to expand my horizons and recommend something new. The machines extrapolate from what they know about me — my history — and lead me into new territory. The formula is familiar enough: "If you liked 'Notting Hill' you might also enjoy [insert Hugh Grant romcom]." Or: "People listening to Bon Iver also love Father John Misty." Often enough, my response is, "Yes, please."

But the bots don't always know how my life can change on a dime. It's hard for them to calculate for real-time changes in the winds of fortune. They might not realize I'm not the person I was yesterday.