The Word on Fire Show – Catholic Faith and Culture

Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron’s May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He discusses Eucharistic Adoration, wisdom from saints and holy people, and the power of “staying close to the fire.” Enjoy!

• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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How should we respond when the culture becomes inhospitable if not actively hostile to Christian values? Sadly, biblical and natural law points of view are unwelcome now in many of the institutions that constitute the core of our society, including corporations, public schools, higher education, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the legacy media, and even government entities themselves. What can Christians do to resist persecution by these secular powerhouses? How can we understand what it means to resist those who undermine Christians in light of Christ’s command to love our enemies?

A listener asks how she can share the faith with her non-religious family members.

00:00 | Intro 01:48 | Matt Walsh’s recent “Am I Racist?” film 02:50 | Distinguishing bigotry from disagreement 03:56 | Distinguishing inhospitality from hostility 06:12 | Anti-Christian sentiment in history 08:43 | Taking opposition at its word 12:47 | How the Olympics opening ceremony provoked response 14:58 | Provocative acts of nonviolence 18:08 | Unpacking “turn the other cheek” 22:24 | Recent revival of religious interest 23:38 | Resistance as an act of love 25:07 | What’s to be done with anger? 26:22 | Pacifism and forceful resistance 28:51 | How the martyrs inform the Church 30:09 | Resistance to culture as a form of evangelization 31:11 | Listener question: How do I share my faith with non-religious family and friends? 32:49 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• Bishop Barron’s article in Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/olympics-anti-christian-display-reflects-cultural-decline-opinion-1933565
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• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Today we bring you Bishop Barron’s lecture from the 2023 New Ressourcement Conference. The New Ressourcement is a quarterly journal of theology and philosophy published by Word on Fire Academic. It serves the Church and the academy by publishing scholarly articles that demonstrate the depth and relevance of the Catholic tradition.

In the talk, Bishop Barron explains the roots of this theological movement, his own coming-of-age experience in a postconciliar Church, and the particular concerns this movement aims to address. Enjoy!

• The New Ressourcement: https://newressourcement.wordonfire.org/
• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

In 1968, a book called The Population Bomb written by entomologist Paul Ehrlich helped spark panic in the west that the global population was reaching a breaking point, saying too many human beings would soon cause widespread famine and social chaos.

This view that a growing human population is an existential threat to humanity remains widespread to this day. For example, University of Chicago political philosopher Martha Nussbaum recently stated that given the world’s current population, “no one should be having any children.” Contemporary empirical evidence, however, points in exactly the opposite direction. Deaths are already outpacing births in many regions of the world, resulting in precipitous declines in national populations. Is this good news for humanity? Are public policies aimed at population control justified? Is there such a thing as an ideal population size? Should anyone care about whether others choose to have children or not?

A listener asks whether we should continue going to confession if we keep committing the same sin over and over again.

00:00 | Intro 01:49 | Seminarians kick off school year 03:00 | Assessing population decreases across the globe 05:36 | Increased attitudes against having children 08:24 | Unpacking “culture of death,” ego-drama, and theo-drama 11:33 | Childbearing as a societal good 12:35 | Population capping through public policy 14:07 | Human population and the environment 17:03 | Utilitarianism as a faulty moral theory for addressing population concerns 18:51 | Foregoing childbirth to spare potential children pain 21:20 | Foregoing childbirth to favor economic security 22:33 | Foregoing childbirth for lack of desire 24:55 | Old age without children 28:00 | The centrality of fruitfulness 29:14 | Pope St. Paul VI’s prophetic ban on artificial contraception 30:57 | How does the Church look forward? 34:05 | Listener question: Does repeating sins disqualify me from Confession? 36:35 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• Data for “Population Bomb”: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/book-incited-worldwide-fear-overpopulation-180967499/
• Article on Martha Nussbaum: https://www.opindia.com/2024/05/india-has-too-many-people-they-dont-have-enough-to-eat-philosopher-martha-nussbaum-makes-drastic-claims-population-reduction/
• Quote citation: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/apr/16/bill-maher-inflames-abortion-debate-by-saying-its-/
• Abortion statistic:  https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide
• Pew Research citation: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/07/25/the-experiences-of-u-s-adults-who-dont-have-children/
• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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We are happy to share Bishop Barron’s keynote address at the historic 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Enjoy.

• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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The nature and purpose of the human body was once considered obvious. But it has come under attack from secular culture in some strange and even disturbing ways in recent years. Now, unfortunately, it is up for grabs. The Word on Fire Institute sought to address this confusion surrounding the body at our recent Wonder Conference, “Nature and the Human Body.” Drawing on rich theological, philosophical, scientific, medical, moral, political, technological, and artistic resources, the conference sought to reclaim an authentic understanding and deep appreciation for the body—its resilience and fragility, its joys and its sufferings, its transcendence and its temporality, and, above all, its wonder.

A listener asks how Catholics should think about near-death experiences and stories.

00:00 | Intro 01:23 | Hosting the Wonder Conference in Bishop Barron’s own diocese 02:25 | Why we needed Wonder 03:50 | Understanding the false dichotomy of faith and science 06:20 | Addressing the question of body/soul unity 12:38 | Inherent dangers in dividing body and soul 15:36 | Can Catholic ministries give platforms to evolutionary biologists? 17:11 | Highlights from Dr. Heather Heying’s Wonder talk 18:45 | Beginning with the logos and intelligibility 20:04 | The human difference 21:04 | Bishop Barron Presents: liturgical artist Jonathan Pageau 23:06 | Materialism as an incoherent philosophy vs. scientific worldview 26:30 | The intelligibility of creation 27:36 | Fr. Robert Spitzer and the transcendent body 33:46 | Hope for reconciling faith and science in the public square 35:16 | Listener question 37:54 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• Interview with Selmer Bringsjord: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/selmer-bringsjord-on-life-and-logic/
• Interview with Charles Camosy: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/charles-camosy-sounds-the-alarm/
• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Recently, Bishop Barron traveled to the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. He gave a homily during a breakout session to all the priests present there, and now we are bringing it to you. Enjoy!

• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Some recent polling suggests that the number of those who identify with no religion has hit a ceiling, and it may even be declining. At the same time, a number of high-profile cultural influencers—even some formerly hostile to the faith—have either converted to Christianity or announced that they now identify as “cultural Christians.” Moreover, religion and politics, once considered verboten to mix, now seem to find themselves deeply intertwined.

How do we assess these cultural and political developments from an evangelical perspective? Is it really the case that society is becoming more receptive to Christianity? Are all these developments positive for the Church, or should we take a more cautious approach to evaluating what all this means for the future? 

A listener asks what he can share with non-Catholics to perhaps change their minds.

00:00 | Intro 01:32 | Bishop Barron’s update on the diocesan pastoral center 02:24 | Tracing the decline of Christianity in the West 06:07 | Assessing the decline of “nones” today 09:59 | Men, women, and trends of religious disaffiliation 13:45 | Public conversions and the indispensability of Christianity in culture 18:46 | Christianity, moral principles, and the legal system 23:09 | Is there broader cultural significance for the National Eucharistic Revival? 24:26 | Hopeful signs for Christianity in conversation 27:54 | Is interest in a broad Christianity simply good? 28:59 | What we can learn from the African and Eastern Churches 30:42 | Listener question 33:00 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• Pew Research Data: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/24/has-the-rise-of-religious-nones-come-to-an-end-in-the-us/
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• Data on Women Leaving the Church: https://www.americansurveycenter.org/newsletter/young-women-are-leaving-church-in-unprecedented-numbers/
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• Washington Examiner: “Faith and flag: Trump allies push for deeply conservative second term”
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• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Today, we bring you the latter half of Bishop Barron's conversation with Patrick J. Deneen, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. In this engaging discussion, the two address topics relating to freedom, truth, and the political order.

• Part I of this discussion: WOF 448
• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Does being committed to social justice necessarily entail neglecting the liturgy? Conversely, do reverent liturgies entail downplaying or even ignoring the Church’s mission to care for the poor? The answer to both questions is a resounding, no. How should we understand the right relationship between the liturgy of the Church and the virtue of justice, including social justice? And practically speaking, how can we, as a Church, overcome the unnecessary divisions between so-called “liberal Catholics” and “conservative Catholics”? 

A listener asks if someone can be Catholic but not believe in the Resurrection.

00:00 | Intro 01:20 | 10th National Eucharistic Congress recap 02:32 | Understanding the role and meaning of the liturgy 05:06 | The power of the spoken word in the liturgy 07:16 | The physicality of the liturgy 09:10 | Distinguishing between authentic and inauthentic liturgies 11:13 | Did Vatican II negatively effect the liturgy? 12:45 | Understanding justice as a cardinal virtue 14:45 | Relating justice and charity 18:24 | Social justice within a Catholic framework 20:34 | The relationship between loving God and loving neighbor 26:00 | Connecting the liturgy and social justice 27:33 | Is social justice possible without the liturgy? 28:51 | How cloistered monks and nuns serve the Church 30:01 | Bridging the divide between separated Catholics 31:40 | Listener question 33:50 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• Bishop Barron’s article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/barron/the-higher-you-go-liturgically-the-lower-you-should-go-in-service-of-the-poor/

• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Today, we bring you the first part of Bishop Barron's conversation with Patrick J. Deneen, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. In the discussion, they touch on topics relating to freedom, truth, and the political order.

• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

We bring to you the second part of Bishop Barron’s discussion with Dr. Tod Worner on the way a Catholic, and indeed all Christians, should approach the crossroads of Religion and politics.

Enjoy!

00:00 | Intro 00:26 | The relationship between morality, religion, and democracy 04:03 | The public nature of Christianity 06:04 | Is vitriol built into democratic politics? 09:34 | Argument over quarrel 14:32 | What is "the herd" doing today and how should Catholics respond? 15:57 | Life without transcendence 19:00 | The role of mediating institutions 22:07 | Catholic social teaching on wealth and power 23:50 | Remembering humanity's fallenness 26:06 | Principles for voting faithfully 27:28 | Is democracy worth retaining? 31:37 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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We recently hosted a Word on Fire Institute member event in London. At the event, Bishop Barron reflected on five animating sensibilities for evangelization. Enjoy.

• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Today, we bring to you the first part of Bishop Barron’s discussion with Dr. Tod Worner on the way a Catholic should navigate the crossroads of religion and politics. Enjoy!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Bishop Barron had the privilege of speaking to members of Parliament in London, England. He reflects on the presence of the Church in society, her endurance throughout the ages, and why Christianity is consistently a powerful cultural force. Enjoy.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Over 83 percent of Americans still believe in miracles, but what, specifically, are miracles? What are the grounds for believing in them, especially for non-eye witnesses? In the Catholic context, who has the authority to deem an event miraculous? Should Catholics incorporate devotions to Church-approved supernatural events like apparitions of the Virgin Mary and post-Ascension appearances of Jesus Christ into their faith life? We discuss the Catholic understanding of miracles and how the miraculous fits with a comprehensive evangelical vision of the life of the Church.

A listener asks if it was a sin when those healed by Jesus in the Bible told others of their miraculous healing, though Jesus had told them not to tell.

00:00 | Intro 01: 20 | Update on Winona-Rochester's new pastoral center 03: 10 | Distinguishing miracles from improbable or impossible events 06:15 | Conditions necessary for the miraculous 10:58 | The relationship between nature and grace 14:10 | How miracles are confirmed 16:44 | Science and miracles 20:09 | Miracles and the Bible 23:19 | If God's revelation is complete, why do miracles continue? 25:50 | The Vatican's recent document on apparitions 27:14 | Addressing skepticism of the miraculous 31:05 | Listener question 32:54 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• Poll citation: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/4400922-americans-ghosts-aliens-devil-survey/
• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

We have arrived at the end of our journey with Dante. At the top of Mount Purgatory, Dante ascends the Paradiso and in the highest heaven, he beholds the divine glory of the beatific vision: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Bishop Barron's course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” is timeless and ever-relevant. Watch it in its entirety in the Word on Fire Institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

The atheist political commentator and television host Bill Maher has long been a bitter critic of Christianity. In additional to regular swipes at Christians on his shows, Maher also devoted an entire documentary film, sardonically entitled Religulous, to lampoon what he takes to be Christianity’s moral and theological absurdities. However, Maher has recently tempered his anti-Christian rhetoric and started focusing his biting wit on criticizing progressive woke ideology and condemning positions like neo-racism, the denial of biology, and the stifling of free speech in ways that the Catholic tradition would largely agree with.

In light of this apparent shift, is it time for people of faith to reassess Bill Maher? Has one of Christianity’s most vocal opponents now become an ally or, perhaps, even a friend? 

A listener asks, “What is truth?”

00:00 | Intro 01:32 | Bishop Barron’s recent diaconate ordinations 02:35 | Bill Maher’s analysis of religion 04:47 | What rationalism misses in its critique of religion 06:35 | Historic interpretive strategies for reading the Bible 10:31 | Freedom of speech and cancel culture 12:14 | On racial emphases 14:11 | Equality vs. equity 17:05 | Oppressors and the oppressed 18:21 | The philosophical roots of classical liberalism 20:01 | The value of classical liberalism over political progressivism 22:14 | Critiquing classical liberalism 26:18 | Is classical liberalism necessarily doomed? 28:39 | Finding points of agreement 30:41 | Listener question 32:48 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• Religulous: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815241/quotes/
• Bishop Barron’s CNN article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/28/opinions/catholic-bishop-found-an-ally-in-bill-maher-barron/index.html
• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Our journey continues through Dante's poetic imagery of the seven deadly sins. As Bishop Barron describes them in order of their severity, we discover that in order to atone for each sin, those in purgatory are punished with the repetitive practice of a countervailing virtue.

Bishop Barron's course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” is timeless and ever-relevant. Watch it in its entirety in the Word on Fire Institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Is Christianity a useful religion to the West? Atheist Richard Dawkins recently claimed that, while still an atheist, he considers himself a “cultural Christian” because of Christianity’s utility in supporting Western cultural and political values, which he laments are under attack. Former atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali also recently shared that she became a Christian upon realizing that Christianity is necessary to preserve Western political norms.

There are some complex and even troubling underlying questions about making the connection between Christianity and utility, especially as it relates to contemporary “Western values.” How is the utility defined and in response to what specific societal goals? Is Christianity’s utility limited to the West alone? Aren’t there some “Western values” that are antithetical to Christianity?

A listener asks how to respond to the common criticism from atheists that Christians only believe in God because they are scared of death.

00:00 | Intro 01:32 | Bishop Barron’s recent farm visit 03:00 | Recapping Richard Dawkins and the New Atheism 07:14 | Unpacking Richard Dawkins as a “cultural Christian” 12:38 | Can Christianity be culturally useful without a fixed cultural aim? 14:13 | Making moral judgments without a fixed standard 16:43 | The fundamentality of Christian thought in the West 19:51| Remembering the doctrinal dimension of Christianity 21:51 | Other influences in Western thought 25:16 | Is linking Christianity and Western thought evangelically helpful? 27:23 | Listener question 29:44 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• Article: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/257276/famous-atheist-richard-dawkins-says-he-considers-himself-a-cultural-christian
• Article: https://unherd.com/2023/11/why-i-am-now-a-christian/
• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Continuing the journey in the fourth lecture of Bishop Barron’s course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” we see notion that “we’re damned alone, but we’re only saved together” on full display as Dante climbs Mount Purgatory. While hell was a place of violence and self absorption, purgatory is a place of charity, hope, and faith.

This timeless and ever-relevant course is available in its entirety in the Word on Fire Institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Terms like “safe spaces,” “trigger warnings,” “harm reduction,” “micro-aggression,” “emotional wellbeing” and “fragility” are dominating the culture as well as the governance of many institutions. But by some measurements, our society is more physically compromised and mentally delicate than ever. Today, we discuss the contemporary embrace of “safety” and whether it overlaps with a Catholic understanding of the individual and common good.  

A listener asks, can a priest ever deny absolution during confession?

00:00 | Intro 01:51 | Bishop Barron’s Confirmation season 02:30 | Understanding the contemporary use of “safety” 07:45 | The relationship between risk, safety, and flourishing 12:23 | The emotional life and its role 16:14 | Physical safety as the highest good 21:36 | Speech as a form of violence 24:04 | The spiritual works of mercy vs. coddling 25:16 | Safety and the cardinal virtues 26:42 | Christ crucified and the value of safety 27:58 | Listener question 30:03 | Word on Fire Institute

• Learn about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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We continue with the third lecture of Bishop Barron’s course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination.” We uncover the horrors of hell as Virgil takes Dante on a journey to see the three levels of sin and their corresponding punishments. This ever-relevant course is available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Most in contemporary secular culture have probably never heard of the name “Thomas Aquinas.” However, his thought remains more pertinent than ever—not only to theology and philosophy but also to current conversations on how to build a more stable, just, and prosperous political order. Today, we discuss the evergreen genius of St. Thomas Aquinas and how his legacy continues in the life and work of the contemporary Dominican theologian, Fr. Paul Murray.   

A listener asks, does the devil know that his rebellion is ultimately futile?

00:00 | Intro  01:12 | Bishop Barron in Rome  02:01 | Aquinas’ impact on Bishop Barron’s formation  03:56 | Why medieval thinkers like Aquinas still matter  06:18 | The relationship between metaphysics and ethics  07:29 | God as Being itself rather than as the greatest of beings  12:43 | How God can be both transcendent and immanent  15:58 | God’s non-competitive relationship with Creation  21:29 | Defining true human and social goods  23:00 | Does metaphysical speculation have a role in politics?  25:45 | Fr. Paul Murray, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Dominican charism  29:54 | Listener question  31:49 | Word on Fire Institute

Show Notes:

• Learn about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

We continue now with the next lecture from Bishop Barron’s popular course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute. We follow as Dante tries to go forward on his journey, but he is blocked by the beasts of sin. Enjoy this further glimpse into Dante’s always-relevant, poetic, moral, and theological genius. 

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your g

A recent article in The Atlantic magazine highlights the crisis of isolation befalling the United States. Americans have never been—or felt—more solitary, especially the younger generations. And the consequences are often fatal: loneliness is a major cause of the recent spikes in depression, anxiety, and suicide, which are at unprecedented levels. Today, we discuss the loss of our social bonds and how Catholic thought can help heal and re-unite us.

A listener asks, given free will, does God know what choices we will make?

00:00 | Intro 01:23 | Bishop Barron’s recent USCCB and diocesan work 02:22 | Why should a person’s chosen isolation matter to anyone else? 04:34 | Individuality vs. the Catholic conception of the individual 09:11 | Distinguishing between solitude and isolation 12:43 | Why in-person communities matter 14:00 | The role of unchosen communities in an individual’s development 16:09 | How to view the company of others 17:34 | Can one adequately substitute animal companionship for community? 22:06 | New media, smart devices, and screen time 26:45 | Advice to encourage more in-person gatherings 27:53 | Listener question 29:32 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

• “Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out” article in The Atlantic
• Screen time stats: https://www.harmonyhit.com/phone-screen-time-statistics/?clreqid=a5b99b78-5919-4ddd-a2d7-5cb3c4e66e6d&kbid=58587
• Learn about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Today we are excited to bring you the first lecture from Bishop Barron’s popular course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” which is available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute. We hope you enjoy this deep dive into Dante’s evergreen, always-relevant poetic, moral, and theological genius. 

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Pope St. John Paul II used the term “culture of death'' in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae to capture the secular world’s dark confluence of poisonous ideas and practices that lead—directly and indirectly—to spiritual and physical ruin.

Sadly, we’ve seen the the culture of death advance on many fronts. Today, we focus on the increasing legalization of suicide in the United States and abroad. Listen as we discuss the issue and how Catholics can and should respond to it. 

A listener asks why we pray for the dead, and can we pray for the souls on atheists and non-Catholics?

00:00 | Intro  01:18 | Bishop Barron's recent diocesan work  02:34 | The role of euphemism in the euthanasia debate  06:39 | Unpacking "autonomy" and "compassion"  12:31 | Responding to critics of the slippery slope argument  20:56 | The State's role in moral disputes  24:40 | How can Catholics positively respond to euthanasia?  26:50 | Listener question  28:15 | Word on Fire Institute

SHOW NOTES:

• Evangelium Vitae
• “It’s Not Your Life, It’s Not Your Death, It’s Not Your Choice” article by Bishop Barron
• https://www.compassionandchoices.org/resource/states-or-territories-where-medical-aid-in-dying-is-authorized
• https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254197/assisted-suicide-in-the-united-states-where-is-it-legal
• Learn more about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Today we bring you Bishop Barron's keynote address from the recent Good News Conference. In it, he speaks in depth about what it means to be a full witness to Jesus Christ. Enjoy! 

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According to Fortune magazine, overall undergraduate enrollment experienced the steepest rate of decline on record from 2019 to 2022, and it has only worsened since then. There are several explanations, but one cause is entirely self-imposed: most universities and colleges have now replaced education with ideology, subverting the search for truth with political indoctrination. Today, we discuss the ideological takeover of higher education and how the Catholic conception of the university can help provide an antidote. 

A listener asks, if priests are meant to represent Jesus, are nuns supposed to represent Mary?

00:00 | Intro 01:47 | Catholic social thought tradition and the higher education crisis 03:50 | Differences between Catholic and secular universities 04:50 | Seeking while knowing the truth 07:33 | Resisting relativism 09:30 | Catholic staff ratios for Catholic universities 11:16 | Segregating Catholic identity 13:51 | Academic freedom at Catholic universities 15:46 | Dicy freedom of speech claims 17:06 | Catholic universities and male participation 18:37 | Higher education and vocational training 20:35 | High costs and accessibility 21:51 | What can we do to course-correct universities that have lost their way? 24:50 | Listener question 26:01 | Word on Fire Institute

• “Ivy League Presidents and the Collapse of Moral Reasoning” by Bishop Barron
• Statistic on men in 4-year schools: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/12/18/fewer-young-men-are-in-college-especially-at-4-year-schools/
• Learn more about the Word on Fire Institute: Institute.WordonFire.org

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Today, we are bringing you a recent conversation from the “Bishop Barron Presents” series between Bishop Barron and Congressman Ro Khanna. Congressman Khanna represents California’s 17th Congressional District, best known as the home of Silicon Valley. Over the course of the conversation, the Bishop and he discussed his background, Catholic social teaching, various policy matters, finding common ground, and why the American experiment is a great and worthwhile endeavor. Enjoy!

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Friends, the Book of Jonah is one of the shortest books of the Bible, yet it’s packed with profound truths about hearing and obeying the voice of God. On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss this powerful little book.

A listener asks, why did Jesus show up when he did and not at a different point in time? What would the world look like had he showed up later, or not at all?

00:00 | Intro 00:46 | Bishop Barron on Catholic Schools Week 01:51 | Bishop Barron’s recent conversation with Jordan Peterson 02:47 | Intro to the book of Jonah 04:41 | Jonah’s opening narrative 09:25 | Lessons from Luke’s road to Emmaus and Jonah 11:00 | The significance of Jonah’s storm 14:31 | The significance of Jonah’s fish 16:58 | Answering Jonah’s critics 18:22 | Jonah’s concluding narrative 20:17 | Jesus’ words on Jonah 22:48 | More resources on Jonah 23:34 | Listener question 26:17 | New book—Princesses of Heaven: The Flowers 27:13 | Special announcement about future of WOF Show

• A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment by Fr. Paul Murray
• Princesses of Heaven: The Flowers by Fabiola Garza

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Friends, what’s the proper relationship between liberal democracy and the Catholic Church? Many smart and reflective people, on either side of the Catholic/American divide, have felt that the two systems, democracy and Catholicism, were incompatible. But why?

Using the thought of the 19th century French diplomat and political philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, Bishop Barron explores this question in his 2023 Russell Kirk Lecture for the Heritage Foundation, titled “The Breakdown of the Tocquevillean Equilibrium.” Enjoy!

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Friends, we are in the midst of a mental health crisis, with many calling it another pandemic. Record-high numbers of Americans are facing depression and suicide. Nearly half of young people report feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness. What’s behind this crisis, and how can the Church help? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, is “just war theory” a concession to human weakness? How do we square that with Jesus’ teachings on non-violence?

00:00 | Intro 01:09 | USCCB recap on surrogacy 03:49 | Why the mental health crisis matters to bishops 06:00 | Social media's role in damaged mental health 09:39 | Community's role in healing mental health 13:03 | The connection between psychological and spiritual suffering 16:09 | Religious disaffiliation and mental illness 17:47 | Who is St. Dymphna? 18:40 | A word for those wrestling with poor mental health 20:55 | Listener question 24:17 | New book—“Christ Brings All Newness”

• Bishop Barron’s statement on surrogacy
• Christ Brings All Newness: Essays, Reviews, and Reflections by Fr. Robert Imbelli

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Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s recent talk at the 2023 Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) Conference held in London, England. His talk was titled “What is the True Nature of Freedom?”

As Bishop Barron explains, freedom for excellence is not self-determination. It is the disciplining of desire so as to make the achievement of the good first possible and then effortless. Enjoy!

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Friends, the Catholic Church seems locked in constant disagreements, often between so-called liberal and conservative Catholics. But is there a third way to lead us out of this quagmire?

Cardinal Francis George offers a compelling answer, which Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, did Jesus ever get sick?

00:00 | Intro 01:13 | New episodes of “Bishop Barron Presents” are back! 03:24 | Who was Cardinal Francis George? 06:31 | Cardinal George’s critique of liberal Catholicism 09:45 | Why liberal Catholicism falls short of giving life 12:26 | Cardinal George’s critique of conservative Catholicism 18:11 | Cardinal George’s solution: simply Catholicism 20:53 | How Is Catholicism for our times and against our times? 23:38 | What Cardinal George might say to us today 24:39 | Listener question 26:41 | 2024 Wonder Conference

• “How Liberalism Fails the Church” by Cardinal Francis George (Commonweal)
• Register for the 2024 Wonder Conference (August 2-4, 2024 – Rochester, MN)

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Friends, today we’re excited to share with you the newest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ.

Fr. Fessio was formed by some of the greatest figures of twentieth-century Catholicism, including Henri de Lubac, Joseph Ratzinger, and Hans Urs von Balthasar. This fascinating conversation covers his life story, his education, his experience in Europe, the founding of Ignatius Press, and much more. Enjoy!

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Friends, we all strive to be spiritually great. We want to be magnanimous, great-souled men and women. But how do we get there? The Church offers a concrete seven-fold path, and that’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode.

A listener asks, I’m coming back into the Church after a 15 year absence, and all the words [of Mass] have changed. What happened?

00:00 | Intro 00:55 | Bishop Barron’s California recap 02:18 | How spiritual works of mercy relate to corporal works of mercy 05:08 | Why loving others includes meeting spiritual needs 05:44 | 1) Admonish the sinner 08:24 | 2) Instruct the ignorant 10:17 | 3) Counsel the doubtful 13:32 | 4) Comfort the sorrowful 15:54 | 5) Bear wrongs patiently 19:00 | 6) Forgive all injuries 22:18 | 7) Pray for the living and the dead 26:18 | Listener question 28:32 | New book—Ethics for Beginners by Peter Kreeft

• Ethics for Beginners by Peter Kreeft

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Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s recent talk at Harvard University titled “The Catholic Intellectual Tradition,” sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Forum.

Bishop Barron explores some foundational themes in the Catholic intellectual tradition, including God, the human person, sin and grace, society, and freedom. All flow from Christology, our understanding of Jesus, so that, as St. Bonaventure said, Christ is truly found at the center of all the disciplines pursued in the university.

Get your copy of Word on Fire's 2024 Lent Reflection booklets: WordonFire.org/Lent2024

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Friends, each of us wants to be a good person. But how do we actually do that? How do we truly become a person of love? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode.

A listener asks, if I did not inherit the sins of my parents, why did I inherit the sins of Adam and Eve?

00:00 | Intro 00:46 | Update on Winona-Rochester Diocesan Pastoral Center 02:38 | Dorothy Day and the need for corporal and spiritual works of mercy 04:41 | The seven corporal works of mercy 05:50 | Corporal works of mercy as measuring marks for self-examination 06:36 | 1) Feed the hungry, 2) give drink to the thirsty, 3) clothe the naked 10:53 | Direct aid for the needy vs. indirect aid 12:57 | 4) Visit the imprisoned—is this literal? 14:41 | How acts of love can lead to peace 17:27 | 5) Shelter the homeless 18:53 | 6) Visit the sick 21:02 | 7) Bury the dead 22:57 | How ordinary parents can pursue corporal works of mercy 24:12 | Listener question 27:21 | 2024 Lenten Reflections booklet from Word on Fire

• 2024 Lent Reflections Booklet – FREE copy!

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Friends, the prologue of the Gospel of St. John is one of the richest and most densely textured writings in the scriptures as John expresses the very nature of God and the profundity of the Incarnation that we celebrate every Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you on behalf of my whole Word on Fire team!

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Friends, is the Christmas story little more than a sweet, saccharine tale about a cute baby being born? Or do the Gospels present something more subversive and revolutionary, a battle between two great kings? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode.

A listener asks, whose body is the Body of Christ in the Eucharist? Infant, crucified, or resurrected Jesus?

00:00 | Intro 01:31 | Bishop Barron at Good News Conference 03:56 | The surprising subversiveness of the Christmas story 05:44 | Christmas details—Caesar and his census 08:31 | Christmas details—“no room in the inn” 10:37 | Christmas details—swaddling clothes 12:06 | Christmas details—laid in a manger 13:36 | Christmas details—shepherds as first witnesses 15:47 | Christmas details—“do not be afraid” 18:38 | Christmas details—“heavenly host” of angels 23:47 | Why did God come as a baby? 25:16 | Listener question 26:43 | Join the WOF Institute

• Word on Fire Institute – Join Today!

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Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s keynote talk from the 2023 Acton University conference, hosted by The Acton Institute.

“Wokeism” is arguably the most influential public philosophy in our country today. It has worked its way into the minds and hearts of our young people, into the world of entertainment, and into the boardrooms of powerful corporations. But what is it precisely, and where did it come from?

Bishop Barron argues in his presentation that “wokeism” is a popularization of critical theory, a farrago of ideas coming out of the French and German academies in the mid-twentieth century. Until we understand its origins in the thinking of Adorno, Horkheimer, Derrida, Marcuse, and Foucault, we will not know how critically to engage this dangerous philosophy.

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Friends, can everything in the world be reduced to atoms bumping against each other, and chemical reactions in our brains? Or is there something more to reality than its material elements?

That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode, with the help of a new book by Justin Brierley, titled The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again.

A listener asks, if feelings are not acts of the will, what is contrition? A feeling, an act of the will, both, or neither?

00:00 | Intro 00:58 | Word on Fire’s New Ressourcement Conference 03:10 | The problem with Materialism 07:56 | The problem with Determinism 10:57 | Consciousness and the problem it poses to Materialism 16:34 | Rationality, C.S. Lewis, and atheism 19:44 | Beauty as a path to transcendence 23:25 | Materialism’s inadequacy as a source of meaning 26:03 | The Meaning Crisis without the Highest Good 29:48 | Listener question 31:36 | New book—“Popcorn with the Pope”

• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again by Justin Brierley
• Popcorn with the Pope: A Guide to the Vatican Film List by David Paul Baird, Andrew Petiprin, and Michael Ward

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Today, we’re excited to share with you a talk that Bishop Barron recently gave at the University of Notre Dame titled “What Makes a University Catholic?”

The talk was cosponsored by the Notre Dame Student Government, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, the McGrath Institute for Church Life, and Campus Ministry.

Enjoy!

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Friends, an exciting group of psychologists, scientists, and thought leaders are rediscovering the beauty and brilliance of the Bible.

What’s causing so many of them to look at the Bible with fresh eyes? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode, with the help of a new book by Justin Brierley, titled The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again.

A listener asks, how can Jesus be, at the same time, a God and a human being since God’s nature and human nature have many differences?

• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again by Justin Brierley
• The Golden Key and Other Fairy Tales by George MacDonald

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Today, we’re excited to share Fr. Robert Spitzer’s keynote talk from the 2022 Good News Conference on “The Evidence for God from Science.” Fr. Spitzer introduces a growing amount of evidence for God found in contemporary science, along with data suggesting a rising number of young scientists who are open to God.

Fr. Spitzer is the President of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith and the Spitzer Center. He has authored several books including New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy (2010) and Science at the Doorstep to God: Science and Reason in Support of God, the Soul, and Life after Death (2023).

• 100 Great Catholic Poems edited by Sally Read

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Today, we’re excited to share with you the newest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with writer, filmmaker, and activist Chris Rufo.

Chris is the author of a new book titled America’s Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything. He has directed four documentaries for PBS and is a senior fellow of the Manhattan Institute and a contributing edi­tor of the public policy magazine City Journal. His reporting and activism have inspired a presidential order, a national grassroots movement, and legislation in twenty-two states.

Sit back and take in this latest conversation in our series “Bishop Barron Presents”. Enjoy!

• America’s Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything by Christopher Rufo

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Today, we share a discussion between Brandon Vogt and Fr. Steve Grunow, Word on Fire’s CEO and resident Halloween expert.

Several years back, Fr. Steve wrote an article for Word on Fire’s website titled “It’s Time for Catholic to Embrace Halloween” that went viral and remains one of our most popular articles of all time.

In today’s discussion, Fr. Steve explains what Halloween is fundamentally about, whether it is of pagan origin, and what a properly Catholic celebration of Halloween looks like.

00:00 | Intro  00:56 | Why is Halloween fascinating?  02:11 | What is Halloween fundamentally about?  03:10 | All Saints, All Souls, and Halloween  05:01 | Excesses in how Halloween is sometimes celebrated  06:36 | Is Halloween essentially a pagan holiday?  08:33 | Is Halloween evil, a doorway to darkness?  11:10 | Memento mori and Halloween  12:34 | Connection between Halloween and costumes  14:18 | “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 14:54 | Candy and Halloween  16:31 | What would a properly Catholic celebration of Halloween look like?

• “It’s Time for Catholics to Embrace Halloween” (Word on Fire) – Fr. Steve Grunow

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Friends, the New Atheism movement rose quickly in the early 2000s, led by vicious critics of religion such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. What made their polemics so popular and effective? And how did the New Atheist movement decline and fade almost as quickly over the past few years?

That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode, with the help of an excellent new book by Justin Brierley titled The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again.

A listener asks, does the Catholic Church teach that the Holy Spirit has a gender?

00:00 | Intro 00:50 | Bishop Barron’s visit to Harvard University 02:55 | Justin Brierley – The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God 03:32 | What is the New Atheism? 07:17 | What led to the rise of the New Atheism? 10:22 | Why the New Atheism appealed to young people 12:46 | How the New Atheism began to unravel 15:43 | How the New Atheism revitalized Christian apologetics 17:19 | The New Atheism’s failure to provide a satisfying alternative to religion 21:50 | New questions being asked by seekers and skeptics 24:21 | Listener question 26:49 | New book – Know Thyself: Catholic Classical Education and the Discovery of Self

• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again by Justin Brierley
• Know Thyself: Catholic Classical Education and the Discovery of Self by Andrew Youngblood

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today, we share a fun discussion between Brandon Vogt and Haley Stewart, Editor of Word on Fire Spark, our new imprint of books for young readers. Topics include:

• Were you a reader growing up? What were some of your favorite books?
• How would you assess the current landscape of childrens’ books? What’s good? What’s missing?
• What is Word on Fire Spark and how did it come to be?
• What is the mission/vision for Spark? How will Spark books stand out among other books for children?
• Upcoming books from Word on Fire Spark
• Forthcoming “Spark the Imagination” podcast
• The Spark Bible – a new Bible for young Catholic readers

• Word on Fire Spark
• Saintly Creatures: 14 Tales of Animals and Their Holy Companions by Alexi Sargeant

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, five years ago, we started what has become the largest online community of Catholic evangelists: the Word on Fire Institute.

Where did this come from, what’s the purpose of the Institute, and what’s coming next? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, will God still create humans in heaven?

00:00 | Intro 01:17 | Bishop Barron’s USCCB meeting 02:13 | Updates from the Diocese of Winona-Rochester 04:06 | Where did Word on Fire Institute come from? 08:00 | Building an army of Catholic evangelists 09:36 | St. Thérèse of Lisieux and the Word on Fire Institute 11:04 | Introducing Dr. Petrusek, new Senior Director of the Institute 12:52 | What a fully-formed evangelist looks like 14:53 | Why evangelists should be familiar with popular culture 17:36 | Why Catholic evangelists must understand the “nones” 19:31 | The future of the Word on Fire Institute 21:01 | Master’s Degree in Evangelization and Culture w/ University of St. Thomas 22:43 | Listener Question 24:40 | Join the Word on Fire Institute!

• Word on Fire Institute (free 30 day trial!)

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share Bishop Barron’s keynote talk from the 2023 Chesterton Conference from July 27, 2023, in Minneapolis, MN. The theme of the conference was “Chesterton and St. Francis” as it is the 100th anniversary of the publication of Chesterton’s biography of St. Francis, and Bishop Barron spoke about the enduring genius of that book. Enjoy!

• St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton
• Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton (Word on Fire Classics)
• Pivotal Players: G.K. Chesterton (Word on Fire) – Watch FREE when you join the Word on Fire Institute
• Chesterton.org

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Friends, why do we love being distracted from the important things of life? The great French philosopher Blaise Pascal observed, “The sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss why it is so hard to be still and contemplate reality, and how we can get better at it.

A listener asks, what are some things laity can do to build unity in the Church?

• Bishop Barron at World Youth Day
• Christianity for Modern Pagans: Pascal’s Pensees Edited, Outlined, and Explained by Peter Kreeft
• Saintly Creatures: 14 Tales of Animals and Their Holy Companions by Alexi Sargeant

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today, we’re thrilled to share with you the newest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with well-known Hollywood actors Ethan and Maya Hawke. Ethan has starred in many excellent movies while Maya is probably best known for her roles in the BBC adaptation of Little Women and the hit Netflix series Stranger Things.

But more recently, Ethan and Maya joined forces to produce a new film titled Wildcat, a biopic about the Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor. Ethan wrote and directed the film, while Maya stars as Flannery herself.

Bishop Barron and the Hawkes enjoy a delightful and wide-ranging conversation about the film, Flannery O’Connor’s stories, and so much more.

So sit back and take in this latest conversation in our series “Bishop Barron Presents”. Enjoy!

• “Wildcat” film (IMDB)

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, why are we so tempted to scapegoat people, especially online? And how do we escape that trap?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the great Catholic philosopher René Girard and his theory of scapegoating.

A listener asks, what does Bishop Barron think of classical education?

• Bishop Barron Presents: Luke Burgis
• All Desire is a Desire for Being edited by Cynthia Haven
• I See Satan Fall Like Lightning by René Girard
• Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis
• Tolkien’s Faith: A Spiritual Biography by Holly Ordway

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J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, is one of the best-selling books ever, selling over 150 million copies. In a 1999 poll of Amazon.com customers, The Lord of the Rings was judged to be their favorite “book of the millennium”.

However, few people know that Tolkien was an ardent Catholic. Holly Ordway has written a fascinating new volume titled Tolkien’s Faith: A Spiritual Biography, which shows how his faith and his fiction were related, though in subtle and complex ways. This long-overdue spiritual biography gives new insight into his works by shedding fresh light on their author’s deepest-held convictions.

Brandon Vogt recently sat down with Holly to discuss her new book and the depth of Tolkien’s Catholic life.

• Tolkien’s Faith: A Spiritual Biography by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Friends, is work something good or bad? Is it central to being human, or a punishment resulting from sin? And how do we understand our work theologically, tying it to God?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the Catholic Church’s view toward the dignity of work and the rights of workers, learning from Dorothy Day, St. Josemaría Escrivá, and several recent popes.

A listener asks, what do you mean by the term “transcendence,” and how does it differ from immanent?

• The Theology of Bishop Barron by Matthew Levering
• Catholic Social Teaching Collection by Word on Fire

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Today we share with you Bishop Barron’s keynote talk from the 2023 Wonder Conference, hosted by Word on Fire.

His keynote addressed scientism, the view that authentic truth claims can be made only in regard to those matters treatable through the scientific method, and offered three paths of scape: the intelligibility of the world, the immateriality of the mind, and the inescapability of metaphysics.

• A Grand Slam for God: A Journey from College Baseball Star to Catholic Priest by Fr. Burke Masters

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Friends, death is a topic most of us try to avoid. So, why does Catholicism teach we should meditate regularly on our death?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the ancient Christian practice of memento mori (remember your death), and how Christ solves the four problems that death poses to each of us: identity, futility, loss, and the end of earthly joys.

A listener asks, what should Catholics think about near death experiences and stories?

• Understanding the Hillbilly Thomist: The Philosophical Foundations of Flannery O’Connor’s Narrative Art by Fr. Damian Ference
• Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope by Mathew McCullough
• The Soul’s Upward Yearning: Clues to Our Transcendent Nature from Experience and Reason by Fr. Robert Spitzer

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Today we share Bishop Barron’s 2023 Commencement Address at Hillsdale College, delivered on May 13, 2023.

In his address, Bishop Barron examined not the question of what we are to do in life—important as that is—but rather what kind of person we ought to be? Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness or do we seek our own advantage? In a way, he says, there is no question in the moral and spiritual order more fundamental than that.

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Friends, what makes great leaders great? Why do certain men and women seem to lead with such effectiveness?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss several great leaders including Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Pope St. John Paul II, and Queen Elizabeth II.

A listener asks, how can I be sure if I’m acting out a theo-drama or an ego-drama?

• Evangelization and Ideology: How to Understand and Respond to the Political Culture by Matthew Petrusek
• The Thomistic Response to the Nouvelle Théologie: Concerning the Truth of Dogma and the Nature of Theology by Raymond-Léopold Bruckberger

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We know Church leaders need to be trained well in theology, morality, scripture, liturgy, and pastoral ministry. But if we want them to be able to wield those skills as effective leaders, they must also be great communicators.

After all, sharing the Good News is, at its heart, the task of communicating. Communication is a linchpin skill that unlocks the full potential of all other skills, and church leaders often get very little training in it.

That’s why most parishes fail to engage 93% of parishioners, and it’s why Matthew Warner wrote his excellent new book titled Why They Follow: Lessons in Church Communication from That One Lost Sheep, which was just published by Word on Fire.

Today, Brandon Vogt sits down with Matthew to discuss the book and the communications tips and strategies he recommends.

The Church needs great communicators. This book will teach you to be one. It belongs on every church leader’s desk.

• Why They Follow: Lessons in Church Communication from That One Lost Sheep by Matthew Warner

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Friends, Christians often speak of “having a personal relationship with Christ” or “knowing Jesus personally,” but what does this actually mean? Is it possible? How do we go beyond knowing about Christ to truly knowing him? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show.”

A listener considering conversion to Catholicism asks, how do I go about looking for a parish?

• Why They Follow: Lessons in Church Communication from That One Lost Sheep by Matthew Warner

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In this talk from the 2022 Good News Conference, Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla shares the story of her mother, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children. She also discusses her parents’ love through their many letters and their devotion to Our Lord, which solidified their union. 

St. Gianna’s holiness had everything to do with her beloved husband, Pietro. They were both dedicated to working for the salvation of their spouse’s soul, and this commitment to love and holiness inspired their children to trust in divine providence.

Learn more about the Good News Conference and sign up to attend this year’s conference at https://goodnewsconference.com.

• Good News Conference

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Friends, my favorite current TV show, “Mrs. Davis,” features an adventurous nun, a search for the Holy Grail, and an all-powerful algorithm. It also raises many interesting questions about artificial intelligence, God, free will, and our mystical union with Christ.

In today’s “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss these themes and more.

(NOTE: This episode does not contain any major spoilers so it’s safe to listen before watching the series.)

A listener asks, is artificial intelligence a threat or an opportunity for evangelization?

• The Mystical Body of Christ by Fulton Sheen w/ introduction by Brandon Vogt and foreword by Bishop Barron

In this talk from the 2022 Good News Conference, Fr. Paul Murray reminds us that the God whom we are seeking is endlessly seeking us. It is through beauty that our hearts can be pierced with the desire to know God more deeply, and it is often by stories and poetry that God communicates his message. Our God is a lover, a poet, and he goes after the least of us.

Learn more about the Good News Conference and sign up to attend this year’s conference at https://goodnewsconference.com.

• Good News Conference

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Friends, an interesting article was published at The Gospel Coalition titled “Savior or Stoics? Why Modern Men Look for Spiritual Wisdom Outside the Church”. The author observed how a growing number of young men are filling a moral and spiritual void in their lives by turning to modern self-help books based on ancient Stoic thinkers. Authors such as Jordan Peterson, Ryan Holiday, and Navy SEAL Jocko Willink have won large followings of men by translating the principles of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus into modern advice.

Why is Stoicism so appealing to many young men today? And what lessons might Christians learn from this development? That is what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks for recommendations before receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time.

• “Savior or Stoics? Why Modern Men Look for Spiritual Wisdom Outside the Church” by Shane Morris (The Gospel Coalition)
• Word on Fire Eucharist resources
• This is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival by Bishop Robert Barron ($2 per copy)

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In this talk from the 2022 Good News Conference, Britt Fisk, shares her wisdom on what it means to hand over complete trust to the Lord, particularly in times of great suffering. Though we may feel like we’re at a loss when we are not in control, this is the moment when the Lord meets us and asks us to hand over control and trust his will for our lives. As Britt affirms through her story of suffering, untold beauty comes from that surrender of control. 

Learn more about the Good News Conference and sign up to attend this year’s conference at https://goodnewsconference.com.

• Good News Conference

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Friends, what fuels our modern “culture of contempt,” so prevalent online? And how can Catholics resist it?

A helpful new book by John Allen, Jr., Catholics and Contempt, seeks to answer those questions, and on today’s “Word on Fire Show” I discuss the book with Brandon Vogt.

A listener asks, do the three transcendentals include unity?

• Catholics and Contempt: How Catholic Media Fuel Today’s Fights and What to Do About It by John Allen, Jr.
• Word on Fire Bible, Vol III: The Pentateuch
• This is My Body by Bishop Robert Barron
• Word on Fire Rosary Initiative

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Friends, in February 2023, at the Sharing the Church’s Story Conference in London, I reflected on the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and how these counsels can be lived out by the laity.

Vatican II wanted great Catholic parents, great Catholic lawyers, great Catholic politicians, great Catholic writers and journalists, great Catholic business leaders, great Catholic bankers and investors, and more living their faith vibrantly and publicly. How do we accomplish that? By living out the evangelical counsels.

• Sharing the Church’s Story Conference
• Word on Fire Bible, Volume III: The Pentateuch

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Friends, a recent study from the Pew Research Center found that nearly seven-in-ten Catholics (69%) believe that during Mass, the bread and wine used in communion “are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” Only one-third of U.S. Catholics believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation, which says the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.

This is a spiritual crisis, and in response, the United States bishops have launched a three-year Eucharistic revival to help Catholics understand the truth and beauty of this sacrament. On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss our hopes for the revival and the special resource Word on Fire created to accompany it.

A listener asks, if the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, is the Eucharist a person?

• National Eucharistic Revival
• Word on Fire Eucharist resources
• This is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival by Bishop Robert Barron ($2 per copy)

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, in February 2023, award-winning historian, author, and broadcaster Tom Holland and I discussed Western culture, the intellectual and moral aspects of Christianity, and the doctrine of original sin, among many other topics, at the Sharing the Church’s Story Conference in London.

• Sharing the Church’s Story Conference
• This is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival by By Bishop Robert Barron

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Friends, many people are familiar with the Thomistic tradition, following St. Thomas Aquinas, but what about the Franciscan intellectual tradition, following St. Francis? Who are some of the great Franciscan theologians, and what can they teach us today? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, does God the Father love us as much as he loves Jesus and the Holy Spirit?

• Venerable Jerome Lejeune Fellowship
• Ordered by Love: An Introduction to John Duns Scotus by Thomas Ward
• This is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival by Bishop Robert Barron

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Friends, does Christianity still have a place in the public square? What can it contribute to the broader culture?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss some of the unique ways that Christianity has shaped the modern world.

A listener asks, what is the Catholic response to post-modernity, specifically the claim that everything is predicated on power?

• As Kingfishers Catch Fire: Selected and Annotated Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins edited with an introduction and notes by Holly Ordway

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Friends, in his talk at the 2022 Good News Conference, Fr. John Riccardo speaks about the unwavering trust and hope that Christians are called to.

When tempted to despair, we are challenged to hope that the Lord is addressing the storms in our lives, the lives of others, and the life of the Church.

• Good News Conference

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Friends, what are the liberal arts, and why are so many schools getting rid of them? A recent article in The New Yorker titled “The End of the English Major” revealed that during the past decade, the study of English and history at the collegiate level has fallen by a full third.

Do the liberal arts still matter? Why should people study them? That’s what I discuss with Brandon Vogt on today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, what is your response to the claim that more blood has been shed in history over the name of Jesus Christ than any other individual?

• “The End of the English Major” (The New Yorker) – Nathan Heller
• “Don’t Give Up on the Liberal Arts!” (Word on Fire) – Bishop Robert Barron
• Subscribe to Bishop Barron’s YouTube channel
• Subscribe to Word on Fire Institute YouTube channel

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In his keynote talk at the 2022 Good News Conference, Bishop Barron speaks on the evangelical power of beauty in the Catholic tradition. True beauty leads by steady steps to the ultimate source of beauty, Christ.

To evangelize, we can show the Sistine Chapel or Chartres Cathedral; show someone how to read Brideshead Revisited, the stories of Flannery O’Connor, or the poetry of T.S. Eliot; listen to Beethoven’s “Seventh Symphony.” This great tradition of beauty has the power to draw people in.

• Good News Conference

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Friends, one major theme appearing throughout the teachings of Pope Francis is the danger of technocracy. In his 2015 encyclical, Laudato si’, he coined the term “technocratic paradigm,” using the term five times in the encyclical.

Should we be concerned about our technocratic society, one dominated by tech and science and which, in turn, aims to dominates nature? That’s what I discuss with Brandon Vogt today on “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, what’s the difference between the Protestant and Catholic understandings of the Church?

• Word on Fire Liturgy of the Hours (Founder’s Discount ends 3/31)
• Bishop Barron at The Heritage Foundation
• Bishop Barron w/ Brett McKay on “Art of Manliness”
• Bishop Barron w/ Alex O’Connor on “Within Reason”
• Laudato si’ by Pope Francis
• Letters from Lake Como: Explorations in Technology and the Human Race by Romano Guardini
• After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man by Michael Ward

Friends, in this conversation at the 2021 Good News Conference, Bishop Robert Barron and Fr. Mike Schmitz share about their vocation stories.

This is part of a much longer conversation the two shared. You can hear the full discussion in episode 331 of the “Word on Fire Show,” during which they discuss how they began their ministry on YouTube, their favorite movies, and what inspired them to approach their creative presentations to the Bible.

• Good News Conference

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Friends, today we share with you Chris Stefanick’s talk from the 2021 Good News Conference. In a world fraught with fear, anxiety, and denial, Chris explores the fundamental rules for living joyfully.

• Good News Conference
• Word on Fire Liturgy of the Hours

Friends, in today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” we share Lecture 1 from Peter Kreeft’s new 12-part video series on “Socrates’ Children: The Great Debates of Philosophy.” In this lecture series, Dr. Peter Kreeft examines key ideas in philosophy by comparing and contrasting two representative philosophers in each lecture. The first lecture compares the father of philosophy, Socrates, with the Sophists, whose philosophy is marked more by cleverness and emotion rather than by wisdom and truth.

This video series is being released alongside Word on Fire’s new book series by Kreeft, titled Socrates’ Children: An Introduction to Philosophy from the 100 Greatest Philosophers. In this four-volume series, Kreeft examines with his characteristic wit and clarity, the big ideas of four major eras—ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary—and immerses the reader in the “great conversation” the ongoing dialogue among the great thinkers of history.

• Socrates’ Children books + video series

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Friends, we often find two groups in the Church in tension with each other: those concerned with the liturgy and those concerned with social justice.

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss how to bridge this great divide, and why we should have enthusiasm for both the liturgy and the Church’s social doctrine.

A listener asks, can you repeat the argument for God that persuaded you as a high schooler?

• Socrates’ Children: An Introduction to Philosophy from the 100 Greatest Philosophers by Peter Kreeft

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Friends, today we share Fr. Stephen Gadberry’s keynote talk from the recent Good News Conference in Orlando, Florida.

As Fr. Gadberry explains, every baptized Christian shares in Jesus’ offices of priest, prophet, and king. In this talk, Fr. Gadberry focuses on the priestly role and discusses the responsibility of every Christian to pray and work in union with Christ for the sanctification of the world.

• Good News Conference

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Friends, there are thousands of religions out there. So, why think Christianity is the right one? And why Catholic Christianity in particular?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss these challenges which have been raised during Bishop Barron’s Reddit #AMAs.

A listener asks, do you have any advice for a Muslim considering conversion to Catholicism?

• The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection: Decrees and Declarations

Friends, when universities turn to the secular narrative of the ego drama, which views education as directed to self-advancement alone, they suffer a loss of identity.

In her talk at the recent Good News Conference, Jessica Hooten Wilson offers a different vision of education that is based on an apprenticeship to tradition and is oriented toward a contemplative life for both educators and students.

Moving toward this vision creates a university system that orders its teachers and students to a good beyond themselves.

• Good News Conference
• The Power of the Cross: Good Friday Sermons from the Papal Preacher by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa

Friends, do we have a right to choose how and when we die? Should we be worried about the rapid rise of euthanasia, including in the United States?

Euthanasia has been in the news lately thanks to reports out of Canada, where last year, over 10,000 Canadians ended their lives via euthanasia. Those numbers are sure to go up, as Canada has loosened restrictions so that people can now choose euthanasia not only to avoid pain and suffering in the face of terminal disease, but simply for “mental health reasons.”

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss these alarming trends and how to make the case that life is worth living.

A listener asks, why does it matter where we go to worship the Lord as long as we’re doing so?

• The Power of the Cross: Good Friday Sermons from the Papal Preacher by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa

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Friends, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. In the Mass, God is glorified and humans are sanctified.

In his keynote address at the recent Good News Conference, Abbot Jeremy Driscoll walks us through the beauty and richness of the Mass, in which we worship the Lord and then are sent out to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Abbot Jeremy is a Benedictine monk and was elected the 12th abbot of Mount Angel Abbey, elected by the community in March of 2016. He has taught theology at Mount Angel Seminary and at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. He continues to serve on various Vatican commissions, conducts conferences and retreats throughout the world, and continues to write and publish.

• Good News Conference

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Friends, we just marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, the Second Vatican Council. Six decades later, can we say the Council was a success? A failure? Something in between?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt discuss a provocative pair of op-eds published in the New York Times by Ross Douthat, who argues that the Council was both necessary and a failure, and yet cannot be undone.

A listener asks, if God is without form, then at the Transfiguration, what was Jesus transformed into?

• “How Catholics Became Prisoners of Vatican II” – Ross Douthat
• “How Vatican II Failed Catholics—and Catholicism” – Ross Douthat
• The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection
• The Paschal Mystery: Reflections for Lent and Easter (Word on Fire Lent booklet)

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Friends, how do we educate the whole person? Religious sister and mental health counselor Sr. Josephine Garrett talks about this question in her keynote speech at the recent Good News Conference.

In her talk, Sr. Josephine shares how in order for the whole person to be educated, the object of the education must be properly ordered to the love of God.

• Good News Conference

Friends, did you know that the birth rate in America is the lowest it’s ever been? Why have families stopped having so many kids, and what can we do about it?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss a recent First Things article by Kevin DeYoung titled “The Case for Kids”.

A listener asks, how do you reconcile the fact that we have to honor our parents but also Jesus asking us to leave our parents to follow him?

• “The Case for Kids” by Kevin DeYoung (First Things)

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Friends, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 95 years old.

In this special “Word on Fire Show” discussion, Brandon Vogt and I reflect on his life, impact, and key ideas and contributions.

We specifically touch on five key areas:

1) True reform vs. false reform in the Church

2) Liturgical renewal

3) Importance of the Bible for theology

4) Synthesis of faith and reason

5) Christocentrism

• Bishop Barron’s resources on Pope Benedict XVI
• The Pope Benedict XVI Reader (Word on Fire)

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Friends, when society dismisses the natural law tradition, is it any wonder we see voluntarism take its place? I recently spoke with Ben Shapiro on his Daily Wire show about natural law, family, happiness and much more.

• Bishop Barron on Ben Shapiro’s “Sunday Special”

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Friends, many people in the Church, including the Holy Father, have been talking about “synodality.” But what is it? What does it mean? How can it help the Church, and what are possible dangers? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, what is appropriate to bring with you into Eucharistic Adoration?

• Good News Conference

Friends, today we share Fr. Mike Schmitz’s keynote talk from the recent Good News Conference in Orlando, Florida.

As Fr. Mike explains, joy is a choice, just like love. We can either chase the feeling or choose the reality. Joy comes from the fact that you know that God is here and that you are known and loved by him. The Christian life is a pursuit of the One who loved us first, the One in whom we find our true joy.

• Good News Conference

Friends, why is art important? An uptick in vandalism against famous pieces of art, calling to mind outbreaks of iconoclasm throughout history, has raised questions about art’s value and purpose.

On today’s “Word on Fire Show,” I discuss with Brandon Vogt why art matters.

A listener asks, is God’s true nature love or truth? What’s the interplay between those two?

• The Great Story of Israel: Election, Freedom, Holiness by Bishop Robert Barron

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we share Bishop Barron’s 2022 Commencement Address at Benedictine College, which he offered on May 14, 2022.

Well aware that he was on Benedictine ground, a place filled with the mind and spirit of St. Benedict, Bishop Barron shared some simple rules of life that flow from the heart of that great saint.

Friends, in many parts of the world the Catholic Church is shrinking. Parishes are closing or merging, pastors are devising strategies of consolidation. But for the Church to flourish, we can’t just manage decline. We need strategies for growth. That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, why should Catholics be pro-life?

• Newman on Doctrinal Corruption by Matthew Levering

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

A new Word on Fire book titled With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life features essays by Catholic women who offer a call to pursue what is too often excluded from our picture of femininity: the intellectual life.

Full of practical advice and personal testimonies, and featuring a foreword by celebrated scholar Tracey Rowland, this collection opens readers to the endlessly unique ways for a woman to follow the first and greatest commandment: to love the Lord with all her soul, with all her heart, and with all her mind.

Today we share an interview with the editor of the book, Rachel Bulman, conducted by Haley Stewart, Editing Manager of Word on Fire Spark.

• With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life edited by Rachel Bulman

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, what is the role of religion in civic life? Must we bracket religion from the political sphere? Those are pressing questions as we near the midterm elections. On today’s “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the relationship between politics and religion and the proper place of tolerance.

A listener asks, do you have any recommendations for explaining the Eucharist to high schoolers?

• Light of the Saints by Cory Heimann and Tricia Dugat

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we share a recent discussion between Bishop Barron and the theologian Larry Chapp about Vatican II. The conversation ranges over several topics, including:

• Why evangelize?
• Deification through the Cross
• The 20th-century Biblical Renewal and the Liturgical Renewal
• Evangelization and the Use of Beauty
• Revival of Catholic Art

If you missed the “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion with Larry Chapp, you can listen to that in episode #299 of this podcast.

• Larry Chapp’s YouTube channel
• Word on Fire Vatican II Collection

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, Tertullian famously asked in the third century, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” What does philosophy have to do with theology, or reason with faith?

However, on today’s “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss a provocative new article that wonders what Athens and Jerusalem have to do with Silicon Valley. How should we understand the intersection of reason, faith, and technology?

A listener asks, how do you feel about neuroscience, and how does it fit in with your understanding of the soul?

• “The Three-City Problem of Modern Life” by Luke Burgis
• Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings (Cycle A) by Peter Kreeft

Friends, today we share Lesson 1 from our new Word on Fire Institute course titled “Evangelizing Protestants.” The course is taught by Andrew Petiprin, the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Fellow of Popular Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, also a former Episcopal priest who converted to Catholicism.

Andrew takes you inside several important texts that express how the Church thinks about Protestants and explain how they belong with us in the Catholic Church. You’ll look at works by St. John Henry Newman, Pope Pius IX, the Second Vatican Council, and Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

In this first lesson of the course, Andrew shares a little about his personal journey and encourages Catholics to support any Protestant friends or family members who may be discerning coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. He also draws on the particular experience of St. John Henry Newman. Andrew sees Newman as a role model for all our Protestant brothers and sisters who are considering making this step.

To watch the other lessons in this course, sign up for the Word on Fire Institute today!

• Word on Fire Institute

Friends, what is a Holy Hour? How do you do it, and why should you start? On today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines you can adopt.

A listener asks, if the Eucharist is so important, why isn’t it mentioned in the Nicene Creed?

• The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo
• The Word Became Flesh: Reflection for Advent and Christmas edited by Matthew Becklo

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we share a conversation I had with leaders at Biola University on proclaiming and encountering Christ. It was wonderful to sit down with our Protestant brothers and sisters to discuss the importance of evangelization in today’s culture.

In this discussion, we explore how to evangelize through the new media, reach the disaffiliated, prepare to become an evangelist, and much more.

• Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux (WOF Classics)

Friends, on today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss some comments recently made by Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, about space and religion.

What does Catholicism have to say about the universe and the possibility of alien life? Should we be curious about the cosmos? And what opportunities might space exploration introduce to Catholic evangelists?

A listener asks, given recent research on anti-aging, is aging a disease?

• WonderConference.com
• With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life edited by Rachel Bulman
• The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we share a talk I recently gave to the service men and women at the United State Air Force Academy. After previously speaking at the Naval Academy about three sailors from the Bible, then at West Point about three soldiers from the Old Testament, I wondered, what should I speak of to the Air Force Academy?

What came to me was the angels, those famous fliers in the pages of the Bible. I told the Air Force men and women that they are flyers, too, and so they should consider the angelic realm, the realm of pure spirits, those who fly into the very presence of God, becoming radiant by contact with him. I encouraged them to join the angels in flight, trust their life to a higher power, and become a person of right praise.

• The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo
• With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life edited by Rachel Bulman

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, on today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I recap two recent discussions I shared with Lex Fridman and Shia LaBeouf. With over two million views combined, these discussions struck a chord with people and I think they reveal several lessons for Catholics interested in drawing others closer to God.

A listener asks, how do you get so many things done?

• Lex Fridman discussion
• Shia LeBeouf discussion
• The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo
• With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life edited by Rachel Bulman
• Wonder Conference

Friends, today we share my recent “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion with Shia LeBeouf. Shia is an actor famous for his roles in Transformers, Honey Boy, and Peanut Butter Falcon, among other films. His most recent role is as the young Padre Pio in a new biopic on the great saint, a role which changed his life as he explains in this discussion. His story of conversion is profound and I think you will find it deeply moving.

• New book – The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo
• Wonder Conference – WonderConference.com

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today on the “Word on Fire Show,” we conclude our series of discussions called “Understanding the Present Moment.” Brandon Vogt and I have examined four massively influential figures who together help explain our present moment, how we arrived at where we are today.

The ideologies undergirding much of the unrest in our culture stem from these four thinkers: Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Michel Foucault. Once we understand these figures and their key ideas, we will recognize them everywhere and be prepared to engage today’s challenges.

In today’s fourth and final discussion, we focus on Michel Foucault, perhaps the least known of the four but maybe the one with the greatest direct impact on the way many in our culture think today.

A listener asks, how do we understand God as bring if he’s both Father and Son?

• Two new Thomas Aquinas books! – Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master by Bishop Barron and Thomas Aquinas: Selected Commentaries on the New Testament edited by Jason Paone
• Bishop Barron discussion with Lex Fridman (Youtube)
• The Holy Hour: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration edited by Matthew Becklo

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

In this new “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, Bishop Barron sits down with bestselling author Luke Burgis to discuss his new book, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life.

Why do we want what we want? And how do our desires shape us as people? How are desires related to freedom?

In their conversation, Bishop Barron and Burgis discuss these topics and more, such as:

• René Girard
• Mimetic desire
• Social media
• The scapegoat mechanism

• Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today on the “Word on Fire Show,” we continue our series of discussions called “Understanding the Present Moment.” Brandon Vogt and I are examining four massively influential figures who together help explain our present moment, how we arrived at where we are today.

The ideologies undergirding much of the unrest in our culture stem from these four thinkers: Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Michel Foucault. Once we understand these figures and their key ideas, we will recognize them everywhere and be prepared to engage today’s challenges.

In today’s third discussion, we focus on Jean-Paul Sartre.

A listener asks, how does someone be selfless and yet love himself?

• The Installation of Bishop Robert Barron
• Wonder Conference – WonderConference.com

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we share the homily I gave for my installation Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Rochester, Minnesota. Celebrating the Feast of Sts. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, I correlated those three disciples to what Pope Benedict XVI identified as the three tasks of the Church: worship, service of the poor, and evangelization.

Friends, today on the “Word on Fire Show,” we continue our series of discussions called “Understanding the Present Moment.” Brandon Vogt and I are examining four massively influential figures who together help explain our present moment, how we arrived at where we are today.

The ideologies undergirding much of the unrest in our culture stem from these four thinkers: Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Michel Foucault. Once we understand these figures and their key ideas, we will recognize them everywhere and be prepared to engage today’s challenges.

In today’s second discussion, we focus on Friedrich Nietzsche.

A listener asks, what’s the difference between the theological virtues of faith and hope?

• Wonder Conference – WonderConference.com

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the second half (listen to the first half here) of Bishop Barron’s presentation titled “Breaking Through the Buffered Self,” which he offered for the prestigious 2022 Albert Cardinal Meyer Lecture series hosted at Mundelein Seminary back in March 2022.

In the talk, Bishop Barron looks at the intellectual matrix that has made the army of the disaffiliated possible, namely, what Charles Taylor calls the culture of the “buffered self,” the ego cut off from any living contact with the transcendent. Then, using the three great transcendentals—the good, the true, and the beautiful—as his framework, he proposes ways to break through the buffered self and to open the restless heart to a consideration of God and the things of God.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, as you may have heard, Pope Francis recently appointed me the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota). I will be formally installed on July 29. 

On today's episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss how I found out, how the process works, how it will affect Word on Fire, and what I'm looking forward to most in my new diocese.

A listener asks, what is it like to act in persona Christi from a physical and emotional perspective?

Today we share Bishop Barron’s presentation entitled “Breaking Through the Buffered Self,” which he offered for the prestigious 2022 Albert Cardinal Meyer Lecture series hosted at Mundelein Seminary back in March 2022.

In the talk, Bishop Barron looks at the intellectual matrix that has made the army of the disaffiliated possible, namely, what Charles Taylor calls the culture of the “buffered self,” the ego cut off from any living contact with the transcendent. Then, using the three great transcendentals—the good, the true, and the beautiful—as his framework, he proposes ways to break through the buffered self and to open the restless heart to a consideration of God and the things of God.

(This is Part I of his lecture series. We will share Part II on a future episode.)

Friends, today on the “Word on Fire Show,” we kick off a new series of discussions called “Understanding the Present Moment.” Brandon Vogt and I will look at four massively influential figures who together help explain our present moment, how we arrived at where we are today.

The ideologies undergirding much of the unrest in our culture stem from these four thinkers: Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Michel Foucault. Once we understand these figures and their key ideas, we will recognize them everywhere and be prepared to engage today’s challenges. In today’s first discussion, we focus on Karl Marx.

A listener asks, what advice would you give to a man discerning the permanent diaconate?

• Redeeming the Time: Gospel Perspectives on the Challenges of the Hour by Bishop Robert Barron

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

In this new “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, Bishop Barron sits down with bestselling author Tara Isabella Burton to discuss her new book, Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World.

Burton argues that while younger generations are supposedly the most secular according to surveys, they’re actually notably religious—it’s just that they have adopted strange new religions. She claims today’s Americans are embracing a kaleidoscopic panoply of spiritual traditions, rituals, and subcultures, from astrology and witchcraft to SoulCycle and the alt-right. In search of the deep and the real, they are finding meaning, purpose, ritual, and communities in ever-newer, ever-stranger ways.

In their conversation, Bishop Barron and Tara discuss topics such as:

• Are people actually moving away from religion?
• The unaffiliated
• The retreat into self
• Christian truth claims
• Why people leave organized religion
• And numerous other topics

• Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella Burton
• Redeeming the Time: Gospel Perspectives on the Challenges of the Hour by Bishop Barron

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, our culture is obsessed with self-determination: finding our own voice, setting our own agenda, doing things according to our own lights. But is this problematic? And what does the Bible have to say about self-determination?

On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss how, in the Christian tradition, heroes are never those who “find themselves,” but rather those who heed the voice of God and remain obedient to the mission that God has given them.

A listener asks, how do you possibly balance a passion for baseball with your faith life?

• “Why Doing What Is Right in Your Own Sight Is Such a Bad Idea” by Bishop Barron
• The New Apologetics: Defending the Faith in a Post-Christian Era edited by Matt Nelson

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

In this new “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, Bishop Barron sits down with evolutionary biologists Dr. Heather Heying and Dr. Bret Weinstein, the best-selling authors of A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life. They discuss several topics, such as:

• Evolution, science, and religion
• The importance of public discourse
• G.K. Chesterton’s fence
• The problems of pornography

• The New Apologetics: Defending the Faith in a Post-Christian Era

Friends, what can St. Benedict, a sixth century monk, teach us about evangelization today? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss in today's episode of “The Word on Fire Show.” We explore several Benedictine principles including humility, justice, the cultivation of beauty, the intellectual life, community, and becoming masters of the spiritual life. Also, a listener asks whether I truly do my own dishes.

• “Bishop Barron Presents: Tara Isabella Burton”
• “The Making of a Catholic Priest” – YouTube film with Fr. Stephen Gadberry

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, in the book of Revelation, Jesus says, “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me.” But how does this work? How do we allow him into our hearts? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss in today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, what do you think about the series, The Chosen?

• Word on Fire Liturgy of the Hours

Friends, did you know that nearly 60% of religious believers agree with the statement that “religion and science conflict with one another”? This tragic confusion is especially prevalent among young people.

In today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss five ways to help young people escape this false dilemma and come to understand that there is no actual conflict between true faith and legitimate science.

A listener asks, how can adult children evangelize their parents who have left the faith?

• Word on Fire Liturgy of the Hours

Friends, today we share a sample lesson from another great Word on Fire Institute course titled “To the Peripheries!,” taught by Fr. Damian Ference.

In this course, Fr. Damian Ference will take us through numerous examples from the Gospels, his own life, and the philosophy of several saints on ways in which we evangelize. Each of these examples are modeled on the life of Christ.

Want more? Join the Word on Fire Institute at https://wordonfire.institute/

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we share a sample lesson from another great Word on Fire Institute course titled “The Five S’s of Effective Evangelization,” taught by Elizabeth Scalia.

In this course, Elizabeth Scalia walks us through the five S's of effective evangelization: storytelling, Scripture, sacraments, saints, and small moments.

Want more? Join the Word on Fire Institute at https://wordonfire.institute/

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, the Liturgy of the Hours is the highest form of prayer after the Mass. It is an ancient, structured way of praying Scripture throughout the day, focusing especially on the Psalms. In today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss why this prayer is so powerful and how to get started with it.

We also introduce a new resource from Word on Fire that makes it easier to pray these sacred prayers.

A listener asks, is there much point to praying anything other than the Lord’s will?

• Word on Fire Liturgy of the Hours

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, I recently had the privilege of speaking with Fr. Mike Schmitz, host of the popular “Bible in a Year” podcast. We spoke at the 2021 Good News Conference, and our conversation ranged over a variety of topics, including our vocation stories, our early efforts on YouTube, our favorite movies, arguing on social media, and much more. We also shared what inspired us to take creative new approaches to the Bible, and how the success of these projects reveals a hunger for a deeper understanding of Scripture. Enjoy!

• The Word on Fire Bible
• The “Bible in a Year” Podcast
• More Content from the Good News Conference
• Word on Fire Liturgy of the Hours

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today I take several questions from kids all over the world, including:

• 1:40 - Why did Jesus appear so long ago?
• 4:26 - Why did God the Father send Jesus to be born if God could be born himself?
• 7:28 - How can you be happy in heaven if someone you love isn’t there?
• 12:10 - What would happen if Jesus didn’t get crucified?
• 14:38 - Can God die?
• 18:35 - How will God end the world?
• 21:08 - How did the devil get kicked out of heaven? By my research, once you’re in heaven, I thought you can’t get kicked out?
• 26:10 - Does God like when we discover something?

Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled “Living the Liturgical Year in the Home,” taught by Haley Stewart.

In her course, Haley Stewart unpacks the treasures of the Liturgical Year and explores how liturgical living can strengthen the Domestic Church or the life of faith in the family.

Want more? Throughout the month of Lent, enjoy a FREE trial of the Word on Fire Institute at https://wordonfire.institute/lent

Friends, cynicism is on the rise. Our culture is increasingly pessimistic, characterized by a general distrust of others people's motives. So, how do we escape this decline? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss in today's episode of “The Word on Fire Show.”

A listener asks, how can adult children evangelize their parents who have left the faith?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

• Upworthy - “We are being lured by the siren song of cynicism. We have to choose a different route”

Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled “The Art of Happiness,” taught by Dr. Arthur Brooks.

Blending social science and Catholicism, this course combines cutting-edge research and top-notch scholarship with the lives of great saints and our incredible inheritance of Church teaching. There are even surprising places to discover where secular science reinforces sacred wisdom. Plus, you’ll receive clear take-aways and action items that you can put into practice right now—to build more happiness for yourself, and to help you share more joy and peace with your family, your friends, and everyone else God puts before you!

Want more? Throughout the month of Lent, enjoy a FREE trial of the Word on Fire Institute at https://wordonfire.institute/lent

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Bishop Barron recently had the experience of recording all 150 Psalms for the Catholic app Hallow. Listen as he shares about that experience, discusses his favorite Psalm, and helps us better understand this songbook of the Church.

A listener asks, how do I fall in love with God?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

• Hallow app - https://hallow.com/wordonfire
• Confessions by St. Augustine (Word on Fire Classics)
• Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton (Word on Fire Classics)
• With All the Saints: My Journey to the Roman Catholic Church by Mark Galli

Friends, today we conclude our “Word on Fire Show” series on how to understand Genesis by focusing on Joseph, the great figure who went from slave to ruler of Egypt.

How should we understand his sinking into slavery and prison? Or his gift for interpreting dreams? As Christians, what’s the big takeaway from the Joseph story?

A listener asks, how do you begin learning philosophy casually without getting bogged down?

• With All the Saints: My Journey to the Roman Catholic Church by Mark Galli
• “Thomas and the New Atheists” – Bishop Barron talk

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron's new Word on Fire Institute course titled “Reading Scripture with the Early Church Fathers.” In this course, Bishop Barron introduces the spiritual dynamics of Biblical exegesis in Origen and St. Augustine of Hippo. The Church Fathers did not separate Scripture and spirituality but saw the form of the spiritual life within the Scripture. As the key of the Scriptures, Christ is the key to the spiritual life. This course delves into the riches of how the Church reads Scripture, greatly inspired by the writings of Origen and St. Augustine.

Get the rest of the lessons by joining the Word on Fire Institute at https://wordonfire.institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we discuss an interesting new book titled​​ Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella Burton. Burton argues that while younger generations are supposedly the most secular according to surveys, they’re actually notably religious—it’s just that they have adopted strange new religions. She claims today's Americans are embracing a kaleidoscopic panoply of spiritual traditions, rituals, and subcultures, from astrology and witchcraft to SoulCycle and the alt-right. In search of the deep and the real, they are finding meaning, purpose, ritual, and communities in ever-newer, ever-stranger ways.

A listener asks, if religious faith is based on our response to the revealing God, how do we reconcile this with the plurality of religions?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

• Word on Fire Bible, Volume II (Acts, Letters, and Revelation)

Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled “Evangelizing the Open-Minded.” In this course, Dr. Matthew Nelson explains how to engage people who are confident in their nonbelief but willing to seriously consider reasons for believing in Christianity.

Get the rest of the lessons by joining the Word on Fire Institute at https://wordonfire.institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, the long-awaited Word on Fire Bible, Volume II (Acts, Letters, and Revelation) is now available! Today, we give you a peek inside. Brandon Vogt and I discuss what’s new about this volume and why it’s even better than Volume I.

A listener asks, if God is full of love, does God love the devil?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

• Word on Fire Bible, Volume II (Acts, Letters, and Revelation)

Today we share Lesson 1 from Bishop Barron's latest Word on Fire Institute course titled "Dante's Catholic Imagination." Listen as Bishop Barron leads us on a journey through the life of Dante and his major work, The Divine Comedy, the great literary treasure dedicated to the dynamics of the Christian spiritual life.

In this first lesson from the course, Bishop Barron introduces us to Dante Alighieri, the thirteenth-century Italian poet who authored the epic poem. This seminal work captures the Catholic imagination of the dynamic afterlife in three distinct sections: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.

Join the Word on Fire Institute today to get access to the rest of this great course!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

What makes life meaningful? What is meaning, and where do we find it? Those are the pressing questions Brandon Vogt and I discuss today on “The Word on Fire Show.” We also recap my conversation with Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, and John Vervaeke, and highlight two recent surveys dealing with the question of meaning.

A listener asks whether it's really true that nobody pursues evil for its own sake.

• Evangelization and Culture Journal - new issue on “Freedom”
• “The 4 Horsemen of Meaning” (YouTube) - Bishop Barron, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, and John Vervaeke
• Lifeway Research Poll - “Americans’ Views of Life’s Meaning and Purpose Are Changing”
• Pew Research Center Poll - “What Makes Life Meaningful? Views From 17 Advanced Economies”

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share a sample from our new Word on Fire Institute course titled "Faith, Science, and Sin" taught by Dr. Christopher Baglow.

Dr. Baglow considers the mysteries of the Catholic faith in dialogue with scientific discoveries, allowing us to avoid the shallowness that John Paul II says debases the Gospel and leaves us ashamed before history.

This course introduces us to some of the richest insights of the Catholic intellectual tradition. We confront the problem of evil amidst God’s good creation and consider these fundamental questions: What makes being human so special? How might modern science become a stepping-stone rather than a stumbling block to understanding what we believe?

• Join the Word on Fire Institute!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we continue our "Word on Fire Show" series on how to understand Genesis by focusing on Jacob, the son of Isaac and a patriarch of the ancient Jews.

How should we understand his early struggle with Esau, the famous "Jacob's ladder," and his mysterious wrestling match and name change? That's what we discuss today.

A listener asks, why is it that we just got this information from God, from the Bible, only 2,000 years ago? What happened to all those people who lived before the Bible?

• Word on Fire Institute

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During the past five decades, the Second Vatican Council has been alternately celebrated or maligned for its supposed break with tradition and embrace of the modern world.

But what if we’ve gotten it all wrong?

Have Catholics—both those who embrace the spirit of Vatican II and those who regard it with suspicion—misunderstood what the council was really about?

Fr. Blake Britton discovered the truth and beauty of the council while he was in seminary and he has witnessed firsthand the power of its teachings in the life of his own parish.

In  his new book, Reclaiming Vatican II: What It (Really) Said, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church, Britton presses beyond the political narrative foisted upon the post-conciliar Church and contends that Vatican II was neither conservative nor liberal, but something much more beautiful and challenging.

Today, Word on Fire Institute Fellow Robert Mixa sits down with Fr. Britton to discuss how Catholics can reclaim the teaching of Vatican II and embrace it as one of our greatest resources for being in the Church in a way that is faithful, engaged, and effective if we answer its radical call to worship and renewal.

• Reclaiming Vatican II book - https://wordonfire.org/reclaim

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Bishop Barron takes several questions from non-Catholics, including:

• How does the Catholic Church think about sola Scriptura and Bible interpretation?
• Since we can’t know beyond a reasonable doubt that Christianity is true, why should I become a Christian?
• Any tips for a Protestant transitioning to Catholicism?
• Why are some sins considered mortal?
• Is there a realistic possibility of reuniting the Christian churches, and if not, what are the major stumbling blocks?
• What is the role of saints? Why aren't they considered to be idols?
• What is the Catholic view of the apocrypha (deuterocanonical books)?
• What about apparent contradictions in the Bible? Does this undermine the Bible’s inerrancy?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

In a recent talk, Bishop Barron presented on the importance of not dumbing down the faith as we engage in religious education. Young people enjoy asking about and discussing the big questions, from God’s existence, to how to be a good and moral person, to the problem of suffering. A disconnect takes place when we meet these intellectual questions with watered-down catechesis. Instead, we must remember the central teachings of Christianity. We must present the fullness of truth, the reality of the Incarnation, and the good news of grace.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, today we continue our “Word on Fire Show” series on how to understand Genesis by discussing Abraham and Isaac. Watch and learn about these two pivotal figures in salvation history.

A listener asks, where can I learn more about God’s non-competitive transcendence?

• Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard
• Against Heresies by St. Irenaeus
• The God of Faith and Reason: Foundations of Christian Theology by Robert Sokolowski

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Friends, at the recent FOCUS SEEK, seminarians and young people discerning their vocation asked me range of questions about calling and vocations, including:

• Did Bishop Barron ever consider religious life?
• How should we use philosophy to approach and interact with theology?
• What should we do about a “dark night of the soul” when it comes to discernment?
• How should one discern between dating versus pursuing a religious vocation?
• What should women in particular look for when discerning a religious order?
• How should one sift through fears and anxieties during discernment?
• What is something that Bishop Barron learned as a priest, that he wish he had known as a seminarian?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Modern psychiatry tends to downplay spirituality, but in today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss a new Scientific American article suggesting that "Psychiatry Needs to Get Right with God."

The author explains how belief in God is associated with significantly better treatment outcomes for many patients, and therefore patients should have the option to include spirituality in their treatment. 

A listener asks, where does one go to get the Catholic Church’s official interpretation of Scripture?

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Earlier this year, Bishop Barron joined Sal Di Stefano from Mind Pump Media for a great conversation. They discussed the great social upheaval and political division in our culture—including its intellectual, moral, and spiritual dimensions—and why a purely secular framework is not enough to solve it.

• Dei Verbum Reading Challenge

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Today we continue our series on “Understanding Genesis.” Last time we focused on Creation and today we’re discussing Adam, Eve, and the Fall. How should we understand the creation of Adam and Eve? What actually happened at the Fall? Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss.

A listener asks, why would Mark end his Gospel with the women not telling the Apostles about the resurrection?

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Today we share a Q&A session between Bishop Barron and Maronite clergy following a talk he shared on the priesthood. In the Q&A, he answered several questions, including:

• Did Adam love Eve for the sake of God?
• What is Mary’s role in Jacob’s ladder?
• Do you have practical advice for people feeling confined by their vocation?
• How should we pick our battles as we wrestle with the world?
• How do you approach the concept of free will and reconcile it with our slavery to God?
• What practical steps can we take in our parishes to keep people from disaffiliating from the Church?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Pope Francis just announced he’s planning to declare a new Doctor of the Church, St. Irenaeus of Lyon. Who was he? What were his key ideas? Why does he still matter? That's what Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss in today's episode. Topics include:

• What’s a Doctor of the Church, and why should Irenaeus be declared one?
• How did Bishop first become acquainted with Irenaeus?
• What was Irenaeus’ approach to battling Gnosticism?
• Irenaeus taught that God has no need of anything outside of himself. What does this mean, and why is it good news?
• How to understand Irenaeus’s pithy line, “The glory of God is man fully alive”?
• Irenaeus’ theology of recapitulation
• How Irenaeus remains a great spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christians
• Why Irenaeus is still relevant today

A listener asks, how should I respond to the idea that nothing really exists because we can’t prove that it exists?

• New editions of Bishop Barron's books: https://bookstore.wordonfire.org

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In today's episode, we share a talk Bishop Barron offered earlier this year to the Catholic educators of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. He exhorted teachers to boldly proclaim the resurrection and lordship of Jesus, affirming that all Catholic teachers are, fundamentally, evangelizers.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we begin a five-part series of discussions on the book of Genesis. In this first episode, we focus on the Creation story.

Genesis is of course the first book in the Bible and perhaps the most foundational, but it’s also the source of so much confusion. Bishop Barron clarifies what the author is intending to convey and the theological and spiritual truths we can pull from the narrative.

A listener asks, how do I start mental prayer, especially if I’m always distracted?

• Get your copy of the new Evangelization & Culture issue on poetry!

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C.S. Lewis wrote more than 30 books which have collectively sold over 100 million copies, including the Chronicles of Narnia series, Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters. But of those thirty books, there was only one which Lewis described himself as “almost my favorite among my books,” yet he was disappointed that “in general [the book] has been almost totally ignored by the public.”

The book was his prophetic text titled The Abolition of Man. It’s an important book but one that many readers find dense and challenging.

Thankfully, Michael Ward, one of the world’s leading C.S. Lewis scholars, has stepped in to help. His groundbreaking new book titled After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's ‘The Abolition of Man was just published by Word on Fire Academic.

Today, Brandon Vogt sits down with Michael to discuss Lewis' original text and how Michael's new guide and commentary help readers make sense of Lewis’s argument.

Learn more: https://www.wordonfire.org/humanity

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Dr. Christian Smith has written a new book titled Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation. It's based on new research about how parents successfully raise children to become religiously-practicing adults.

In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt walk through his findings and discuss what actually helps our kids to retain their faith into young adulthood.

A listener asks, how do we know which religion is right, Catholicism or Protestantism?

• Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation by Christian Smith
• "Keeping the Faith" by Christian Smith (First Things)
• Return: How to Draw Your Child Back to the Church by Brandon Vogt

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

In this Q&A session with students at Yale University from February 2021, Bishop Barron answered a variety of questions from students, including:

• Do you think that the culture’s view of sex has kept people outside of the Church? How do we charitably share our view?
• What did you decide to give up for Lent?
• How do we discern if bad things are tests from God, Satan, or just the way of the world?
• What are some opportunities for evangelization that COVID has produced?
• Why is confession necessary for the forgiveness of mortal sins?
• If you could have dinner with one saint, who would it be and why?

• A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment by Fr. Paul Murray, OP

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

A recent poll from the Survey Center on American Life revealed that people are rapidly losing their close friends, especially men. The number of American men who view themselves as having "no close friends" quintupled over the last 30 years, increasing from 3 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2021. 

Why is this happening, and how can we reverse it? How can we develop closer friendships? Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss those questions today.

A listener asks, why does God love us?

• “The Creed” film series and Light from Light book

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring theologian and educator Dr. Larry Chapp. 

Larry and Bishop Barron discuss topics such as:

• Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement
• Traditionalism and liberalism in the Catholic Church
• The Second Vatican Council
• And several other topics

Stay tuned for future “Bishop Barron Presents” conversations. These intellectually invigorating discussions feature varying religious and political perspectives to encourage greater understanding and civility.

• Gaudium et Spes 22 - Larry Chapp's blog
• The Creed film series and Light from Light book by Bishop Barron

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we continue our discussion of a recent article by Tim Keller, the popular Protestant pastor, titled “The Fading of Forgiveness: Tracing the Disappearance of the Thing We Need Most.”

We previously explored why forgiveness has faded in our culture. Today, we focus on the path forward, how we can practice and encourage more forgiveness.

A listener asks, what is, for Bishop Barron, the most annoying passage in the Bible?

• “The Creed” film and Light from Light book >> https://wordonfire.org/creed

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, this one featuring American legal scholar, political philosopher, and public intellectual Robert George.

Robert and Bishop Barron discuss virtue, focusing on topics such as Natural law, the “woke” phenomena, how we can engrain virtue in our society today, and more.

Stay tuned for future “Bishop Barron Presents” conversations. These intellectually invigorating discussions feature varying religious and political perspectives to encourage greater understanding and civility.

• The Creed film series and Light from Light book by Bishop Barron

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we discuss a recent article by Tim Keller, the popular Protestant pastor, titled “The Fading of Forgiveness: Tracing the Disappearance of the Thing We Need Most”. Why are people increasingly skeptical about forgiveness? Keller proposes two reasons: a therapeutic culture, and religion without grace. 

A listener asks, how did God create the universe if not from potentiality?

• WOFI Faith & Science Summit >> https://wordonfire.institute/science

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Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, this one with author Dr. Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen.

Jennifer and Bishop Barron discuss the history of ideas that shaped American culture, and her two books, American Nietzsche: A History of an Icon and His Ideas and The Ideas That Made America: A Brief History.

Stay tuned for future “Bishop Barron Presents” conversations. These intellectually invigorating discussions feature varying religious and political perspectives to encourage greater understanding and civility.

• Jordan Peterson, God, and Christianity: The Search for a Meaningful Life by Christopher Kaczor and Matthew R. Petrusek

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Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring author and political science professor Dr. Jason Blakely. In Jason's conversation with Bishop Barron and Jared Zimmerer, he discussed topics found in his new book, We Built Reality: How Social Science Infiltrated Culture, Politics, and Power, including hermeneutics, economics, and more.

Stay tuned for future “Bishop Barron Presents” conversations. These intellectually invigorating discussions feature varying religious and political perspectives to encourage greater understanding and civility.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share in interview about Brandon Vogt’s new book Return: How to Draw Your Child Back to the Church, recently published by Word on Fire. The book is full of concrete advice and practical strategies to help draw any loved one back to the Church.

Return includes one of the best summations of why people dismiss the Church’s faith. He doesn’t cast aspersions or blame, and he avoids the scapegoating that marks some approaches to this problem.

Instead, he focuses on the solution, using a positive emphasis on what parents can say and do to respond to their child’s objections, rebuild relationships, and ultimately draw them back to the Church.

Return offers no magic-bullet guarantee that your loved one will come back. But you will find a complete game plan to create the best possible environment to reintroduce them to Christ and his Church. Learn more at https://wordonfire.org/return.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring literary and theological scholar Jessica Hooten Wilson. Jessica recently sat down with Bishop Barron and Jared Zimmerer to discuss caring for the soul through human formation, focusing on topics such as:

- The humanities within education - Flannery O’Connor - Dostoevsky - Walker Percy

Stay tuned for future “Bishop Barron Presents” conversations. These intellectually invigorating discussions feature varying religious and political perspectives to encourage greater understanding and civility.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Is parenthood suffocating or liberating? Do children keep you from self-discovery, or can they facilitate you finding your identity? Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss those questions in light of two controversial articles about parenting, one in Time Magazine and another in the New York Times.

A listener asks, what does a priest go through that validates his authority for the sacraments?

• Catholicism After Coronavirus: A Post-COVID Guide for Catholics and Parishes (free eBook)
• Time Magazine - “The Childfree Life” (Bishop Barron's commentary)
• New York Times - “I Became a Mother at 25, and I’m Not Sorry I Didn’t Wait”

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the latest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series, featuring editor and author Sohrab Ahmari. Bishop Barron sits down to discuss Sohrab's new book, The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos. Sohrab named his son after St. Maximillian Kolbe, and the book originated in his hope to inculcate in his son the virtues and values that shaped this great saint. We also examine:

• The problem of “scientism”
• How Catholic morality can serve as a referee for society
• The paradox of freedom from restraint
• St. Thomas’ teaching on how our longings are satisfied in God
• The loss of Sabbath, leisure, and spiritual rituals
• How to avoid egocentric self-invention and instead accept an invitation to spiritual adventure

Stay tuned for future “Bishop Barron Presents” conversations. These intellectually invigorating discussions feature varying religious and political perspectives to encourage greater understanding and civility.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Bishop Barron recently joined Jordan Peterson for a second long discussion titled “Christianity and the Modern World,” which has been viewed over 780,000 times. On today's episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” we revisit and reflect on some of the key moments in the dialogue.

A listener asks, how can I answer my Protestant friend who claims that Catholics focus too much on Jesus' suffering and death, and not enough on his Resurrection?

More Jordan Peterson Resources >> https://wordonfire.org/peterson

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Bishop Barron recently delivered the commencement address to the graduating class at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. The entire point of a Catholic intellectual formation is to produce great souls. A great soul doesn’t invent her own values; rather, she intuits the marvelous intellectual, moral, and aesthetic values that are found in the objective order—and then she responds to them with her whole heart.

New book >> The Wisdom of the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Pressing Questions About Catholicism

According to a recent Wall Street Journal headline, “Catholic Schools Are Losing Students at Record Rates, and Hundreds Are Closing.” Catholic schools peaked in the 1960s with about 5.5 million students in 11,000 schools. Today, Catholic schools boast only 1.6 million students in 5,900 schools. What explains this decline? And what can we do about it?

Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the situation of Catholic schools, the purpose of Catholic education, and where Catholic schools should move in the future. 

A listener asks, how can we be better friends with our friends who are not Christian?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Bishop Barron recently visited the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he had the great privilege of preaching at their baccalaureate Mass. In his homily, shared today on the podcast, he said we must remember that the primary purpose of a Catholic university is evangelization, the proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore, education must equip and form graduates to sanctify the world, so that the light of Christ can be brought into workplaces, classrooms, and trades.

On today's episode, Brandon Vogt and I discuss my recent conversation with Alex O'Connor (aka @CosmicSkeptic), one of the most popular atheists in the world. We replay and unpack some of the most important clips from the dialogue. (Watch the full dialogue here.)

A listener who was raised Christian, but became atheist for many years, asks advice on re-engaging with Christianity.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the second half of Bishop Barron's 2020 address at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, titled “Called Into the Depths.” He discussed three sailors from the Bible: the patriarch Noah, the prophet Jonah, and our Savior Jesus Christ.

The sea can be thought of as something frightening and terrifying, standing athwart the purposes of God with its unforgiving power and discouraging darkness. However, when we allow ourselves to be swallowed up by the Lord’s will, we will find a peace that is sure and unshakable, even in the midst of the worst storms.

• Support the Word on Fire Bible project, and get a sneak peek at Volume II!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

A new Gallup survey found that the proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue, or mosque has dropped below 50% for the first time in American history. In 1999, around 70% of Americans attended a church, synagogue, or mosque--today it's just 47%. Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss these results, what they mean, and why it matters whether someone belongs to a church. They also respond to commenters on Reddit who reveal why they stopped going to church and will never go back.

A listener asks, why doesn't the spiritual life get easier?

• Support the Word on Fire Bible project

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the first half of Bishop Barron's 2020 address at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, titled “Called Into the Depths.” He discussed three sailors from the Bible: the patriarch Noah, the prophet Jonah, and our Savior Jesus Christ.

The sea can be thought of as something frightening and terrifying, standing athwart the purposes of God with its unforgiving power and discouraging darkness. However, when we allow ourselves to be swallowed up by the Lord’s will, we will find a peace that is sure and unshakable, even in the midst of the worst storms.

• Support the Word on Fire Bible project, and get a sneak peek at Volume II!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

The Word on Fire Bible series is one of the most ambitious and significant projects we’ve ever taken on. Listen as Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss where the idea came from and the future of the project. They also give you a sneak peek at Volume II of the series, which will cover Acts, Letters, and Revelation.

Support the Word on Fire Bible project and claim your copy of Volume II!

A listener asks, why doesn’t the spiritual life get easier?

• The Pope Benedict XVI Reader
• Support the Word on Fire Bible project

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share Bishop Barron's talk at the 2021 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress titled “Catholics, Media Mobs, and the Culture of Contempt.” The talk focuses on how to address the swell of negative and nasty behavior we're seeing online, not just in general but especially among Catholics. 

• The Pope Benedict XVI Reader from Word on Fire
• Support the Word on Fire Bible project, and get a sneak peek at Volume II!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

From politics to COVID, this past year has been filled with disagreement. That led Christian apologist Natasha Crain to write an article titled “Disagreement Fatigue and 2020: How the Events of the Year Will Shape Christian Interactions in 2021 and Beyond.”

Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss the article, focusing on three of Crain's predictions for 2021: more Christians will be hesitant to speak publicly about their faith, Christians will increasingly see apologetics as a contributor to (unhealthy) disagreement, and belief in a generic God will continue to be acceptable in culture, but belief in Jesus as God will become increasingly gauche.

A listener asks, what form was Jesus in before the incarnation?

• The Rosary w/ Bishop Barron
• Word on Fire Vatican II Collection

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share Bishop Barron's talk from the FOCUS SEEK 2021 conference. The talk is titled “The Identity of Jesus” and explores how Christ had the authority to fulfill the Law of the Old Testament and bring about the will of God through the Church.

• Support the Word on Fire Bible series!
• FOCUS

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

What is the “dark night of the soul”? How does it differ from general depression, sadness, or confusion? Bishop Barron and Brandon explore this spiritual concept from St. John of the Cross, and discuss a famous saint from recent times who experienced this “dark night” in a profound way.

A listener asks, does God have a sense of humor? If so, is it objective so that everyone should find it funny?

• The Rosary w/ Bishop Barron
• Word on Fire Vatican II Collection

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the second half of Bishop Baron's talk titled "Knocking Holes in the Buffered Self: Approaches to the Question of God." (Click here to listen to the first half.) He gave the talk at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary as part of their Kenrick Lecture series.

Many—especially the young—in today’s time have absented themselves from the practice of faith. Our culture and time is anomalous in the extreme, in that it’s the first ever to widely entertain God’s nonexistence. Christians, at least in the West, are facing a practically unprecedented crisis of disaffiliation. But there are paths out of the cave, and that's what Bishop Barron reveals.

Word on Fire Vatican II Collection: https://wordonfire.org/vatican2

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Parts of the Old Testament depict God commanding the Israelites to massacre entire populations—every man, woman, child, and animal. How should Christians make sense of these passages? They seem to present God as angry, vindictive, and genocidal, contradicting the New Testament presentation of God as loving and merciful. That’s what Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss in today’s episode.

A listener asks, what are your thoughts on Carl Jung? What do you agree with and disagree with?

• Word on Fire Vatican II Collection
• The Rosary with Bishop Robert Barron

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today we share the first half of Bishop Baron's talk titled "Knocking Holes in the Buffered Self: Approaches to the Question of God." He gave the talk at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary as part of their Kenrick Lecture series.

Many—especially the young—in today’s time have absented themselves from the practice of faith. Our culture and time is anomalous in the extreme, in that it’s the first ever to widely entertain God’s nonexistence. Christians, at least in the West, are facing a practically unprecedented crisis of disaffiliation. But there are paths out of the cave, and that's what Bishop Barron reveals.

Word on Fire Vatican II Collection: https://wordonfire.org/vatican2

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade's spiritual classic, Abandonment to Divine Providence, taught that everything falls under God's will, from our delights to our challenges, and our happiness will only be fully realized in cooperating with that will. But does this include painful and traumatic experiences? What about COVID? Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss these questions as well as a priest, Fr. Walter Ciszek, who heroically embodied this spiritual principle.

A listener asks, if all of us were like Jesus, wouldn't the world be really boring?

• The Rosary with Bishop Robert Barron
• Abandonment to Divine Providence by Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade
• With God in Russia by Fr. Walter Ciszek
• He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Bishop Barron recently joined students from Princeton University in a virtual Q&A about God, faith, reason, and evangelization. The event was led by Leah Libresco Sargeant, a fellow of the Word on Fire Institute, and graciously hosted by The Aquinas Institute at Princeton’s Catholic Campus Ministry. Today on the podcast, we share the second half of the Q&A (click here to listen to the first half.)

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Why do so many young people drift away from God and the Church, and how can we help them return? This is a pressing question for all Catholics, but especially for parents who are brokenhearted about their own sons or daughters who have become unaffiliated.

In today's episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss Brandon's new book, just published by Word on Fire, titled Return: How to Draw Your Child Back to the Church, which provides a game plan for parents hoping to see their loved ones come back to the faith.

A listener asks, what is the promise that God gives us if we keep His commandments? Eternal life, or something else? And what, exactly, is eternal life?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Bishop Barron recently joined students from Princeton University in a virtual Q&A about God, faith, reason, and evangelization. The event was led by Leah Libresco Sargeant, a fellow of the Word on Fire Institute, and graciously hosted by The Aquinas Institute at Princeton’s Catholic Campus Ministry. Today on the podcast, we share the first half of the Q&A.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from children all over the world, including:

• Is God bigger than an elephant?
• Why did God make bad germs?
• How did God come to exist?
• How can God see us from up in heaven if we can't see him?
• Do you think animals go to Heaven?
• Why do bad things happen?
• If God knows everything, did he make my thoughts?
• Why did God not give the 10 commandments to Adam and Eve?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

It's commonly assumed that J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, was an arch-conservative, a backward-looking person, and that he valued nothing that smacked of the modern day. But in a groundbreaking new book titled Tolkien's Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages, the first in our Word on Fire Academic line of titles, Dr. Holly Ordway reveals that Tolkien was a much broader reader than previously believed. He was quite familiar with contemporary writers and books, and those modern sources significantly shaped his Middle-earth stories.

Today, Brandon Vogt interviews Holly about her new book and some of the modern writers Tolkien enjoyed.

Pick up your copy of Tolkien's Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages at wordonfire.org/tolkien.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

According to YouVersion, the popular Bible app, 2020’s most-read Bible verse was Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Bishop Barron discusses this verse, the Bible's repeated encouragement not to be afraid, and how we can overcome our fears of sickness, loss, and death.

A listener asks, was Jesus subject to things like doubt and ignorance?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Listen to this sample lesson from Fr. Paul Murray's new course inside the Word on Fire Institute titled “Prayer, Beauty, Mission: The Hidden Springs of the New Evangelization.” The spiritual life is typically understood to begin in ascent. However, in Christianity it begins with descent, namely the descent of God. As 1 John 4:10 says, God has loved us first. In this lesson, Fr. Paul Murray explores the significance of such a beginning.

Join the Institute and listen to the rest of the course! >> https://wordonfire.institute

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

As 2020 winds to a close, Bishop Barron reflects back on his five most popular YouTube videos of the decade. He and Brandon Vogt discuss why these videos, in particular, resonated with so many people.

A listener asks, if Jesus already did what he came to do, and Satan realized he was beat, why wasn't that the end of the story? What are we still doing here?

• Bishop Barron on The Devil (July 2012)
• Bishop Barron on Gay Marriage & the Breakdown of Moral Argument (April 2013)
• Bishop Barron on The Holy Spirit (May 2012)
• Bishop Barron on Whether Hell is Crowded or Empty (March 2011)
  • "Dare We Hope FAQ" - https://wordonfire.org/hope
• Bishop Barron on the Jordan Peterson Phenomenon (March 2018)

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Listen as Fr. Steve Grunow, CEO of Word on Fire, speaks to a group of young Jesuits about the perils of artificial intelligence and the online world.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!