The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Recently, Dr. Tod Worner of The Evangelization & Culture Podcast sat down with Bishop Barron to discuss modern Christian persecution with Bishop Barron's new book, What Do Their Deaths Demand? Now, it's a topic we've explored here on this show, once before. In this new conversation, we'll take a deeper dive into that subject, exploring the specific witness of some of these martyrs, and examining this modern era which has seen more Christian persecution than any other in history. Here to discuss that with Dr. Tod Worner, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 02:18 | The most persecuted religion 15:08 | Why the persecution of Christians? 25:44 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The evolutionary behavioral scientist and public intellectual Gad Saad recently published an influential book entitled Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind. In it, Saad argues that much of the West has, unfortunately, come to embrace a perversely deficient understanding of empathy, twisting the natural and otherwise noble human capacity to feel and respond to other peoples' sufferings into a moral license to upend the moral, economic, and political order. According to the dictates of suicidal empathy, for example, society should prioritize criminals over victims, illegal immigrants over citizens, lawbreakers over law abiders, racial identity over competence, adult sexual expression over childhood innocence, and trans women––that is, men pretending to be women––over real women. Suicidal empathy's endgame, Saad warns, is nothing less than societal ruin and the eventual totalitarian eclipse of the individual. How, from a Catholic perspective, should we assess these claims? Is Saad's characterization of suicidal empathy and its dangers accurate? If so, how should we, as Christians, constructively respond? What role, in particular, should the biblical conception of love play in defining what it means to show true compassion and care for those in need? Here to discuss Saad's book and to explain how authentic Christian charity is—and is not—related to empathy, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:40 | Bishop Barron interviews JD Vance 02:45 | How Saad defines "empathy" 04:45 | Saad's argument on the exaggeration of empathy 06:31 | Exploring the concept of "forbidden knowledge" 09:30 | "It will destroy the West"? 11:05 | Connecting wokeism and self-destructive empathy 12:33 | Can we square wokeism's moralizing mandates with its amoral claims? 13:40 | Tracing the movement's origins 16:27 | Mistaking empathy for love 22:01 | Recognizing the fallenness of our emotional lives 27:39 | Does love equate to niceness and kindness? 28:50 | What about "love thy neighbor"? 30:42 | Distinguishing a proper preference for the poor from its unhealthy overemphasis 32:46 | Addressing the Christian impulse beneath the wokeist trappings 34:42 | Listener question: Where was God before time? 36:33 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The Liturgy of the Hours, or the "Divine Office," is often associated exclusively with the spiritual practices of priests, monks, and nuns. To be sure, praying the Hours is an essential part of the lives of those who have formally taken religious vows. However, the prayer of the Church, as the Liturgy of the Hours is also called, is precisely that: a way of sanctifying the day for the whole Church, both laity and clergy alike. With so many forms of prayer already available, however, why should lay Catholics also consider praying the Hours? What, substantively, is distinctive about it? What are its origins? Moreover, given the size and complexity of the Hours—the full liturgy occupies four thick volumes of text with multiple ribbons to mark different sections—how, practically, can we get started? Here to explain the enduring theological and spiritual richness of the Liturgy of the Hours and how it deepens and enriches all Catholics' lives, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:11 | Bishop Barron's diocesan travels 02:35 | Why the Liturgy of the Hours matters to Word on Fire 03:57 | Leading with beauty 04:57 | Prayer and the importance of embodiment 08:06 | The origins and practice of praying the Divine Office 12:13 | How the Liturgy of the Hours shapes priests 13:26 | Understanding the Liturgy of the Hours as the Divine Office 14:22 | Relating the Liturgy of the Hours to the liturgy of the Mass 15:11 | What makes a prayer liturgical? 15:52 | Why the Psalms feature so prominently in the Divine Office 20:06 | How the laity benefits from praying the Divine Office 21:46 | "Pray without ceasing" 23:17 | Getting started with the Liturgy of the Hours 27:32 | Persevering through fatigue in prayer 30:51 | The Divine Office and evangelization 31:44 | Listener question: What effect does our prayer have on others? 34:18 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. We're delighted to announce that a new feature film by Bishop Robert Barron will be hitting theaters—yes, theaters—soon. The full-length documentary, entitled Heaven in Stone and Glass, draws on the collective shock and sadness the world experienced watching Paris's Cathedral of Notre-Dame burn in 2019 to explore the enduring philosophical, theological, aesthetic, moral, and evangelical significance of the great Gothic cathedrals of France. Recognizing the potential destruction of Notre-Dame—happily, it has since been restored—as much more than the loss of a historic building, Bishop Barron personally walks us through Gothicism's soaring architecture and richly detailed symbolism to explain everything from the unity and diversity of creation, the nature of the human person, the objectivity of beauty, the meaning of the incarnation, the living communion of saints, and the hope of the beatific vision, and how all of this matters more than ever for a rapidly secularizing West at risk of losing its Christian civilizational identity. Here to share the story behind the making of the film, and what he hopes audiences will take away from it, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:24 | Bishop Barron ordains new priests 02:57 | The role of film in the early days of Word on Fire 06:04 | Connecting Heaven in Stone and Glass to Word on Fire's other films 07:26 | Why a new film on cathedrals? 09:00 | Personal origins of the new film 11:23 | Unpacking the film's title 15:18 | Explaining the full meaning of a church and cathedral 19:20 | Theological reflections within a cathedral 24:11 | Medieval times and the so-called Dark Ages 25:51 | The objective reality of beauty 28:44 | The role of the profane in the Gothic cathedrals 32:33 | Overcoming blindness through appreciation and emulation 33:36 | Evangelical opportunities for Heaven in Stone and Glass 34:56 | Listener question: How can the laity advance beauty today? 36:53 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. From Bishop Barron's very first social media post close to 20 years ago, he and Word on Fire as a whole have recognized that the online world is a rough-and-tumble place. While most, over the years, have interacted with our content with charity and respect, even if they disagree, there's always been a gallery of trolls who traffic in insults and profanity and are only interested in taking potshots at the ministry rather than engaging in conversation. So it goes—that's just part of the price of entry into the digital world, especially when evangelization is your goal.

The internet culture, however, seems to have taken a dark turn recently. Whatever limited restraint people used to show in their online interactions seems to have evaporated in a toxic cloud of mob-fueling—and mob-fueled—rage, replete with distortions, deceptions, and sometimes even explicit calls for violence. Exacerbated by the rise of the use of AI, bots, and anonymous accounts often based in foreign countries, it is increasingly difficult to know with whom you are engaging online or what their motives are. And sadly, physical threats from online sources are now also something we must take very seriously. So how should we move forward from here? Is it still possible to make evangelical headway in this increasingly noxious online environment? If so, what principles should guide the way? Here to discuss the challenges and possible solutions to the current state of the online world is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:46 | Bishop Barron celebrates 40 years 02:50 | Bishop Barron's early days online 06:58 | Online changes in recent years 12:16 | Anonymity online 17:42 | Applying the cardinal virtues: 1) Temperance 22:23 | 2) Fortitude 24:05 | 3) Justice 26:15 | Recognizing sins of speech 29:23 | 4) Prudence 31:23 | How we move forward 34:23 | Listener question: How would you define respect? 36:23 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The United States is celebrating its 250th birthday, marking two and a half centuries since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That a country as expansive and diverse as ours has remained united under a single Constitution for two and a half centuries—passing through multiple existential wars, including a civil war, and numerous periods of traumatic political and economic upheaval—is a monumental achievement by any historical standard. How might we assess this moment from a Catholic perspective? What is it about the United States of America that is politically and morally distinctive? What binds us together as a people? Is it accurate to say that we are a Christian nation? If not, what conception of "God" is operative in the founders' references to the divine? If so, what should we make of the future of America given the dramatic decline of Church attendance among both Catholics and Protestants in recent decades? Perhaps most importantly for this moment, what can we learn from our collective past as Americans to guide us into the future? Here to address these questions, and to share his experience participating in the recent Rededicate 250 event on the National Mall in Washington, DC, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:28 | Bishop Barron visits Orlando (The US bishops consecrate the nation to the sacred heart of Jesus 02:50 | Rededicate 250 in Washington DC 04:01 | Is this a Christian nation? 07:10 | How did the Founding Fathers view God? 08:51 | Mere Christianity or Protestant theology? 12:30 | The founding documents and God 14:38 | The Declaration of Independence: a declaration of dependence on God 16:07 | Connecting freedom with human dignity 22:33 | Relating equality with freedom 24:21 | Can patriotism and piety agree? 27:04 | Responding to the post-liberal critique of the American experiment 34:01 | Evangelism and the American Republic 35:28 | Listener question: Is praying for politicians effective? 37:49 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Bishop Robert Barron has long defended religious freedom as a universal human right. As part of his ongoing advocacy—which includes a new book on how to confront persecution against Christians—he has recently completed serving on a presidential religious liberty commission charged with ensuring that people of all faiths can participate fully in society without fear of violence or unjust discrimination. One of the few Catholic ecclesial voices on the commission, his work addressed multiple abiding and practical questions. For example, at the conceptual level, what is religious freedom, and what role should the government play in protecting it? How can we define religious freedom in a way that prevents one religion's exercise of their freedom from infringing upon the freedom of other religions, or on those who claim no religion at all? And at the more concrete level, where, right now, are the greatest threats to religious freedom and what can we do both legislatively and individually to combat them? Here to address these and related questions, and to discuss his experience serving on the presidential commission, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:16 | Bishop Barron visits diocesan schools 02:26 | How Bishop Barron came to join the Religious Liberty Commission 04:03 | The makeup of the Religious Liberty Commission 05:00 | Basic structure of the meetings 07:38 | Being a Catholic bishop on the commission 09:51 | The privatization of religion 10:36 | Where does religious liberty originate? 12:36 | The public nature of religious liberty 13:51 | Why religious liberty is the first freedom 15:11 | Is religious liberty just religious license? 16:36 | The role of government in religious liberty 18:00 | Separation of church and state? 22:33 | Principal threats to religious liberty 26:26 | Testimonies shared with the Commission 27:30 | How we move forward 28:18 | The question of religious exemptions 30:53 | Religious liberty and evangelization 32:17 | Listener question: To what extent do denominations matter? 35:07 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. A wave of fresh converts has entered the Catholic Church in the United States, Australia, and parts of Europe. The evidence for this surge is far from anecdotal; even secular media outlets that are historically inclined to downplay positive stories about Catholicism widely reported packed sanctuaries this past Easter, the day those who have been preparing to enter the Catholic Church typically receive their first sacraments. This is welcome news for a Church that has grown accustomed to a half-century narrative of religious disaffiliation and cultural decline. So what's behind this uptick in conversions? What factors are leading young people—and young men in particular—to buck the trend of secularization and become Catholic? What is happening both in the world and within the Church that is making the faith become so attractive? Perhaps most importantly, what can and should Catholics, clergy and laity alike, do to both continue the momentum and help new converts to stick with faith? Here to offer his insights on what's driving this new growth and why, now more than ever, we should double our efforts to proclaim Christ in the culture is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:34 | Bishop Barron's recent confirmation season 04:34 | Recent growth in Catholicism 06:13 | What cultural factors are contributing to these numbers? 19:11 | How the liturgy and a renewed interest in the Mass attract members 23:08 | Mysticism and attraction to the Church 24:27 | Is "modernizing" the Church necessary for growth? 26:08 | Evangelical efforts to support 30:20 | How we maintain momentum without perpetuating a trend 31:09 | Advice for new converts 32:48 | Listener question: Should I baptize my kids before myself? 34:24 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Although not widely reported in legacy media outlets, Christianity is, by far, the most persecuted religion in the world. From the Middle East and Africa to India, China, North Korea, and elsewhere, Christian communities regularly experience widespread humiliation, imprisonment, kidnappings, expulsions, and even murderous mob violence. While not as severe, Christians in parts of Europe and even right here at home, in the US, also often endure discrimination, exclusion, and ridicule. There is no ambiguity about who is carrying out these attacks or what motivates them. Like the martyrs of past centuries, millions of our Christian brothers and sisters are currently suffering because they profess faith in Jesus Christ. In response to this ongoing outrage, Bishop Robert Barron has released a new book called What Do Their Deaths Demand? Christian Persecution Today. Intended for widespread distribution, the book spotlights heartbreaking stories of the continued targeting of Christian communities throughout the world, offers a theological explanation for why Christianity has been under assault since its inception, and, most importantly, provides actionable ideas for what all of us can do to respond. Here to discuss the book—and why its message is more urgent than ever—is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:38 | The final meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission 02:51 | Why this book, and why now? 05:16 | Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa's foreword 06:46 | Aid to the Church in Need 07:47 | Why Christian persecution is largely ignored 09:00 | Part 1: The Most Persecuted Religion 15:36 | Part 2: Why the Persecution of Christians? 22:41 | The fundamental quandary 25:09 | Part 3: So What Can We Do? 32:09 | Listener question: Should we present the crucifixion more positively? 34:38 | Join 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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The faithful recently rejoiced at the news that Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the great American evangelist who lived from 1895 to 1979, has moved forward in the canonization process. The Vatican recently announced that he will soon be beatified, which is one step away from being declared a saint. This is an especially happy development for Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, which, as an apostolate dedicated to evangelization, has a special devotion to Archbishop Sheen; in fact, his portrait hangs just beyond the studio doors where we are recording this show, next to our other patrons, St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Pope St. John Paul II. Looking back, what kind of enduring impact has Fulton Sheen had on evangelization and the Church? Looking forward, what can we continue to learn from him today, especially given the fact that the evangelical landscape has so drastically changed, both culturally and technologically, since Sheen's time? Here to celebrate Sheen's legacy, and how the great communicator continues to shape Word on Fire's own evangelical mission, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:22 | Winona-Rochester's confirmation season 02:19 | What is beatification? 04:44 | Who was Fulton Sheen? 07:15 | Sheen's theology of the Church as mystical body of Christ 11:38 | Sheen's theology of grace 15:10 | The quiet influence of Fulton Sheen in Bishop Barron's life 20:44 | The Pivotal Players: Fulton Sheen 21:59 | Examining Sheen's universal appeal 26:22 | Fulton Sheen and social media 29:49 | Word on Fire and Fulton Sheen 30:20 | Listener question: How do I best use social media to evangelize? 32:23 | Join 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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The Old Testament is about three-quarters of the Bible. It is theologically and morally impossible for Christians to understand God's relationship with the world, the nature and purpose of human beings, original sin, salvation history, the person of Jesus Christ, and the foundation of the Church without it. Indeed, as far back as the second century AD, the Church condemned the heresy of Marcionism, which sought to distinguish the God of the Old Testament from the God of the New Testament and to lop off the Old Testament from the biblical canon. There is and never has been, in short, Christianity without the Old Testament. Nevertheless, much of the text remains difficult for the faithful to understand and, even more so, to explain to others, especially to those who know nothing about it. To make matters more complicated, secular critics of the faith often try to use the Old Testament against it, arguing—like the Marcionites of the past—that belief in the Old Testament is both irrational and immoral. So how should Catholics respond? What are some strategies we can employ not only to make the Old Testament accessible but also evangelically compelling? Here to help us understand the Old Testament and its enduring evangelical power, especially in a highly secularized culture, is Bishop Robert Barron.

00:00 | Introduction 01:33 | Bishop Barron visits Washington 03:38 | How many Catholics read the Bible 09:37 | Understanding the Bible through the interpretive tradition of the Church 11:13 | The historical critical method of the Old Testament 13:10 | The influence of Joseph Ratzinger on Bishop Barron's biblical approach 16:00 | The otherness of God 20:28 | Why God's self-sufficiency matters for reading the Old Testament 22:57 | God as radically transcendent and personally involved 25:25 | God, creator of all people and the father of Israel 26:43 | Critique #1: The Old Testament God is violent 30:09 | Critique #2: The Old Testament God is a moody, jealous diva 32:52 | Critique #3: The Old Testament God is not the New Testament God 34:53 | Critique #4: The Old Testament is just a collection of myths 37:23 | Advice for evangelists regarding the Old Testament 39:34 | Listener Question: What is the Bible's role for Catholics 40:45 | Join 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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Hollywood is not known for being friendly to Christianity in general or Catholicism in particular, especially nowadays; unfortunately, there is no shortage of storylines and characters that mock and even demonize believers. At the same time, however, whenever the film industry wishes to depict a "religious looking" scene or add a transcendent element to the plot, it frequently employs Catholic architecture, Catholic sacramentals, and even Catholic priests to do so. What should we make of this ambivalence to the faith? What does Hollywood get wrong, and what, perhaps to our surprise, does Hollywood get right about Catholicism and the priesthood? What do these portrayals tell us more broadly about potential openness within the entertainment industry to God's existence, the divinity of Christ, good and evil, and life after death? Here to take a look at some pivotal classic and contemporary films that prominently feature Catholicism and Catholic priests, with an eye to unpacking their significance for the wider entertainment culture, is Bishop Robert Barron.

WOF 533

00:00 | Introduction

01:19 | Bishop Barron's recent watchlist

02:44 | What movies have meant to Word on Fire

04:06 | Artificial intelligence and cinema

05:10 | Hollywood and the Catholic priesthood

07:06 | Examining the evangelical strategies of Christian studios

08:43 | Boys Town (1938)

12:10 | The Exorcist (1973)

21:13 | True Confessions (1981)

24:42 | The Mission (1986)

29:07 | Calvary (2014)

32:51 | How best to portray Catholicism and the priesthood in movies

34:17 | How best to watch movies depicting the priesthood

36:04 | Listener question: How did St. Thérèse help on CATHOLICISM?

38:26 | Join 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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, Senior Director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Marxism, unfortunately, seems to be making a comeback. Despite its economically disastrous, politically oppressive, and horrifically inhumane track record, the atheistic philosophy that produced the Communist revolution and eventually led to the deaths of tens of millions of people has wheedled its way back to the center of our political culture. On the surface, this may sound surprising: Since the fall of the Berlin Wall over three decades ago, few public figures have openly identified as Marxist, and Communist political parties have typically occupied the outermost fringes of political influence. However, Marxist ideas–especially in the form of contemporary identity politics–have not only continued gathering momentum beneath the surface in universities, NGOs, the media, corporate HR departments, and government bureaucracies; high profile politicians, including the mayor of New York, Zohran Mandami, and Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, now seem to be openly advocating for Marxist policies. So how did this morally and historically discredited ideology remerge in mainstream politics? Equally important, how should Christians and all people concerned with basic human rights and the common good respond? Here to discuss the dark history of Marxism, its contemporary forms, and how the Catholic Church has, and always will, stand against it, is Bishop Robert Barron.

00:00 | Introduction 01:48 | Winona-Rochester's record catechumen year 02:53 | A brief overview of Karl Marx 04:55 | What is dialectical materialism? 06:40 | Class conflicts in Marx's day 08:01 | Marx's early critique of capitalism 10:55 | Marx's critique of religion 17:12 | Marxism's pursuit of Utopia 20:06 | Rerum Novarum: Pope Leo XIII responds 23:08 | Reducing history to an economic substructure 24:20 | The legacy of Marxism 26:16 | Shared views between Marxism and contemporary identity politics 28:52 | Why harmful ideas take fair guises 31:23 | Critiquing collectivism 33:08 | US politicians and Marxist ideas 36:03 | Weren't early Christians fundamentally communist? 38:08 | Shouldn't we just try Marxism? 39:26 | Thomas Merton responds to Marxism 41:07 | Is it partisan to critique Marxism? 42:51 | Listener question: How do we respond to "my truth"? 45:12 | Join 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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. For the last two episodes, Evangelization & Culture Podcast host Tod Worner has been having a conversation with Word on Fire's founders about social media—a phenomenon that has certainly played a prominent role in the life of our own ministry. But what about its shadow side? How might faithful Catholics engage in social media? How might the Church? How do we cultivate a rich spiritual life in this ever-unfolding age of social media? Here to discuss this with Tod Worner and Fr. Steve Grunow is Bishop Robert Barron.

00:00 | Introduction 00:49 | Examining social media's shadow side 14:32 | Can teachers of the faith use social media without oversight 22:18 | How we prepare for online ministry 27:58 | Join 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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. In our last episode, Evangelization & Culture Podcast host Tod Worner began a conversation with Word on Fire's founders about social media, in which they explored the art and means of communication. In this next segment, we'll continue that conversation, now examining Catholic ministry and social media. What, if anything, does social media have to do with Pope St. John Paul II? How does it fit into Word on Fire's own principles? How would one even define social media? Here to discuss these things with Tod Worner and Fr. Steve Grunow is Bishop Robert Barron.

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Today, we're bringing you a special episode—a conversation from our very own Evangelization & Culture Podcast, hosted by Dr. Tod Worner. Recently, Dr. Tod, as we like to call him, sat down with Word on Fire CEO Fr. Steve Grunow and Bishop Barron to talk about social media. But rather than retread the usual tropes of social media conversations, Dr. Tod hosts a richer and more intimate conversation on the topic through the lenses of evangelization, art, communication, and more. Please enjoy this first segment, in which we'll look specifically at the art and means of communication.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 00:55 | The importance—and challenge—of communication 05:00 | How the gospel spread before the use of mass media 10:51 | Art as evangelization 17:54 | Papal communication and early media 22:05 | Mass media figures and their influence on Word on Fire 27:51 | Join 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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. As we continue this second half of a conversation from last year's Good News Conference in Orlando with Bishop Barron and Word on Fire CEO Fr. Steve Grunow, we'll discover the ministry's patron saints, as well as some of the lessons that Word on Fire has learned through its years of evangelization. We'll also take a look at Word on Fire's plans for the future. Here to discuss these with Fr. Steve Grunow, in this second half of an hour-long conversation, is Bishop Robert Barron.

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The Enlightenment believed reason was its own authority. Heteronomous authority was anathema. Autonomy was the ideal. Thus, the Church's hierarchical structure was viewed as enslaving. In light of this critique, Newman offered an insightful defense of freedom and truth in the Catholic Church.

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Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. In 2025, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary. And in October of that same year, Bishop Barron and Word on Fire CEO Fr. Steve Grunow gave a presentation at the Good News Conference in Orlando in which the two men took a deep dive into Word on Fire's origins. How did it begin? What were its animating principles? What were some of its earliest strategies? Where did the name "Word on Fire" even come from? Why, in short, did Word on Fire develop the way that it did? Here to discuss these roots with Fr. Steve Grunow, in this first half of an hour-long conversation, is Bishop Robert Barron.

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Since the mind can infer truths of which it does not have certainty, what judges the validity of an inference in concrete matters? The Illative Sense. It is the power of judging and concluding when not having apodictic certainty. Bishop Barron explores Newman's analysis of the Illative Sense, explaining why it is an essential element in religious conversion.

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In a recent episode of the Joe Rogan show, evolutionary biologist and public intellectual Bret Weinstein observed that two emerging features of contemporary societies, especially, though not exclusively in the West, are challenging the very meaning and purpose of human life: 1) the decoupling of human sexuality from human reproduction—defining sex primarily as recreational and 2) with the rise of AI and robotics, the real possibility that having a job will become entirely optional in the future. By secular standards, pursuing both of these goals seems entirely rational, if not laudable: raising children and going to work are, indeed, challenging, so why shouldn't we live in a world in which both become increasingly rare? Weinstein, however—who doesn't profess adherence to any religious tradition—suggests that humanity may lose something important, if not essential, if we continue down this path. Is he right to be concerned? Is it, in fact, wise to relegate having children and going to work—which defined how most people spent most of their adult lives throughout history—entirely to the realm of subjective preference? Or, in seeking ever greater freedom from these responsibilities, are we undermining what it means to live a fully human life?

A listener asks: How can I respond to "God loves me the way I am"?

00:00 | Introduction 01:39 | Bishop Barron's Christmas season 02:48 | Examining Bret Weinstein's grim assessment 06:36 | Procreation as a sign of the covenant 09:34 | Why not frame children through the lens of lifestyle choice? 13:23 | The valorization of personal choice 16:31 | What about celibate priests? 17:52 | Work and technology 23:42 | Can AI or robotics truly replace the human genius? 25:48 | Limitations for using AI 28:06 | The necessity of work in giving a gift 30:02 | Why can't technology help us create heaven on earth now? 33:01 | The active dimension of rest 37:03 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent was Newman's most difficult work. While not a formal epistemology (theory of knowledge), Newman prompted a movement away from modern epistemology, stressing certainty that is best found in logic and mathematics, to common sense epistemology, affirming truth that is not absolutely certain. Bishop Barron explains why this epistemology is proper to religious knowledge, which includes notional and real assent.

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St. Pope John Paul the II memorably observed that the Catholic Church comes from the eucharist and that the eucharist, in turn, comes from priests. As Bishop Barron noted in a recent letter to his diocese, "by an inescapable logic [therefore] no priests, no Church." We should add, however, that priests come from bishops, which expands the ecclesial logic to this: no bishops, no priests; no priests, no eucharist; no eucharist, no church. In other words, bishops not only hold an important administrative position within the Church; tracing their authority back to the apostles and, ultimately, to Jesus Christ himself, they constitute the very sacramental and liturgical foundation of Catholicism itself. That, to say the least, is a weighty responsibility. So what is it like to be a bishop? How does one come to hold this office? What, specifically, do bishops have authority over–and what don't they have authority over? What kind of relationship do they have with each other and with the Holy Father, the pope? What are their day-to-day obligations and activities? And what are some challenges they face that both clergy and laity may not be aware of?

A listener asks what made Bishop Barron want to be a priest.

01:38 | Bishop Barron's Thanksgiving in Chicago 02:45 | The origins of the office of bishop 04:51 | The theological dimension of the bishop's role 06:41 | The liturgical symbols of the office 10:45 | Bishop Barron's coat of arms 12:12 | How does one become a bishop? 16:10 | How are dioceses formed? 17:20 | Relating bishop to archbishop 18:51 | Understanding the bishop's authority 20:03 | What is a chancery? 21:03 | Essential tasks of the bishop 29:38 | Bishop Barron's approach to his official duties 33:01 | The meaning and authority of a conference of bishops 37:19 | Myths about Catholic bishops 40:06 | Listener question: What made you become a priest? 41:41 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Newman believed that a liberal arts education would instill a philosophical habit of mind in students, helping students reason to the foundational principles of every discipline and see how everything fits together. The philosophical habit of mind distinguishes between significance and triviality, helping society and individuals order everything to the Good.

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Religious freedom, especially for Christians, is under attack across the globe, including in the West–including right here in the United States. Whether insidiously in the form of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that block Christians from employment and advancement opportunities, or, overtly, like vandalism against churches, or, in some parts of the world, murderous violence against Christians themselves, in terms of sheer numbers–and this fact is often ignored–Christians are, by far, the most persecuted religious group in the world. While defending religious freedom is important for people of all faiths, or no faith at all, it is thus especially urgent for believers in Christ. How, then, can we work together as a church and as a society to make progress on this front? Taking a step back, what, specifically, is religious freedom and why is it a universal human right? What is the relationship between the free exercise of religion and freedom of speech? And how can we respond to the secular charge that religious freedom is merely a backdoor means for the faithful to impose their beliefs on others?

A listener asks how we can grow in confidence that Catholicism is the one true religion.

00:00 | Introduction 01:36 | Concluding Winona-Rochester's diocesan synod 03:24 | The work of the Religious Liberty Commission 07:33 | Responding to Religious Liberty Commission criticism 09:11 | The inherent priority of religious liberty 12:32 | Distinguishing the freedoms of religion, conscience, and speech 14:26 | Is religious liberty necessary for worship? 16:33 | Understanding "due limits" to religious liberty 19:33 | Proposition or imposition? 20:24 | Civil authority and religious authority 22:40 | Truth and relativism 27:25 | How poor conceptions of religion undermine religious liberty 28:27 | Advocating for religious liberty 30:06 | Religious freedom in society 31:36 | Why religious liberty matters for evangelization 32:48 | Listener question: How can we know Catholicism is true? 36:01 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Theology is the queen of the sciences. It is not just one science among many but the principal organizing science. If it is taken out of this central organizing place, something else will take its place. In this lesson, Bishop Barron helps us understand why Newman thought theology was of crucial importance in education.

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A listener asks advice on how God being in a non-competitive relationship with human beings applies to his mission as an evangelist.

00:00 | Introduction 01:53 | Bishop Barron at the annual meeting of US bishops 03:39 | The three essential tasks of the Church 07:48 | The necessity of charity in true worship 09:04 | Understanding and identifying poverty 10:58 | The margins, the marginalized, and Catholic social teaching 16:08 | Understanding institutional sin 18:40 | The salvific dimension of poverty 21:17 | The voluntary poverty of the Church 22:57 | What about spending money on cathedrals? 26:03 | Beauty as service to the poor 27:11 | Defining "preferential option for the poor" 31:16 | The Church, policy, and the poor 35:18 | Right to private property or universal distribution of goods? 37:42 | The evangelical dimension of caring for the poor| 40:06 | Listener question: If God exists noncompetitively, does my mission matter? 41:45 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Newman's articulation of the nature of university education in his ​The Idea of a University ​is crucial today in that a polytechnic model has replaced classical liberal education and theology has been exiled from most institutions.

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Charlie Kirk's assassination revealed a disturbing new cultural and political reality for those who share any of Kirk's views: it is possible, in our day and age, to be shot for speaking your mind. How can we recover from this dark event, whose effects have reverberated across the globe? How can we reclaim the possibility of disagreement with each other without resorting to violence? What conditions must be in place to make civil debate both possible and productive again, especially as our society appears to be growing more polarized?

A listener asks for advice on a healthy way to end an argument when it's clear you're at an impasse.

00:00 | Introduction 02:19 | Praying at Planned Parenthood 03:17 | Bishop Barron and Charlie Kirk 08:58 | Athens, Jerusalem, and the West 14:49 | Two necessary conditions for meaningful dialogue 22:08 | Belief in God—the fundamental condition 24:50 | God and the priority of logos over will 26:34 | Do we really need God for human rights? 28:44 | The Catholic case for freedom of speech 29:54 | Public celebration of evil 33:05 | Violence as a response to speech 34:18 | How can we debate those who reject necessary conditions for dialogue? 35:27 | How forgiveness is possible when justice is wanted 36:42 | Evangelical lessons from Charlie Kirk 37:40 | Listener question: How do you walk away from an impasse? 39:57 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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In this lesson, Bishop Barron explains how Newman distinguishes between doctrinal development and corruption. A thorough explanation of this crucial issue requires a robust presentation of Newman's seven notes. Bishop Barron does just that!

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Pope Leo XIV has recently formally declared St. John Henry Newman—who was canonized only in 2019 by Pope Francis—a doctor of the Catholic Church, a recognition given only to 37 other saints in Catholicism's over 2000 year history. This places Newman among great figures like St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Theresa de Avila, St. Catherine of Sienna, and the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux. What is the significance of giving St. John Henry Newman—an Englishman and Anglican convert to Catholicism who was born over 200 years ago—this title? What is it about Newman's approach to communicating the faith that earned him this great honor—and why now? Equally important, how can contemporary evangelists draw inspiration from his work to proclaim the Gospel in a drastically different world, religiously and morally, from Newman's 19th century Victorian England?

A listener asks for advice on how to give better homilies at Mass.

00:00 | Introduction 01:26 | Bishop Barron's recent domestic travels 03:20 | Defining "Doctor of the Church" 04:55 | Distinguishing doctors from saints 05:50 | John Henry Newman's brief biography 12:18 | Understanding the development of doctrine 17:41 | Safeguards against corruption 22:33 | The wholeness of the truth 25:34 | Newman: "To live is to change" 29:28 | The "illative sense" of the mind's assent to propositions 34:10 | Difficulties vs. doubt 35:54 | How Newman speaks to England now 37:55 | Listener question: How can priests improve preparation for homilies? 39:58 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Newman thinks that the fullness of an idea can best be manifested when it enters the play of lively minds. It grows and develops through the Church. Newman's organic imagery opens up an interesting way of thinking about the difference between development and corruption in matters of doctrine.

The unveiling of ideas through the lively play of minds

Difference between development and corruption

The Prophetic Office

The Kingly Office

Article: A Theory on the Development of Dogma?

Video: Bishop Barron on the Development of Christian Doctrine

Read: Newman's Challenge by Stanley L. Jaki

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Newman's ​Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine​ is perhaps his greatest contribution to theology. In this essay, Newman considers why "development" is an important lens through which to understand the Church and her teachings.

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In this lesson, Bishop Barron explains what led Newman to enter the Roman Catholic Church. Newman's study of Church history was part of it, giving a personal tinge to his famous quote: "To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant."

Newman's study of the Fourth Century theological controversies Newman's suspicion of the Via Media Newman's conversion to Catholicism Attempts at reviving Catholic intellectual life

Article: Newman on Conversion Video: Newman, Vatican II, and the Hermeneutic of Continuity Read: Arians of the Fourth CenturyNOTE:Do you like this podcast?Become aWord on Fire IGNITEmember! 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 this lesson, Bishop Barron presents Newman's autobiographical ​Apologia Pro Vita Sua​, focusing on Newman's years as an Anglican prior to his conversion to the Catholic Church. ​​

The Oxford Movement Newman's study of the Arian Controversy The Via Media Tract 90

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In this lesson, Bishop Barron introduces St. John Henry Newman and explains his theological significance in his own day and ours. He is a pivotal player in Church history, being compared to St. Thomas Aquinas for his brilliance.

Topics Covered: Major themes in Newman's writings Biography of St. John Henry Newman Influence on Vatican II Apologia Pro Vita Sua

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We recently looked at some of the reasons that may be contributing to the resurgence or interest in Catholicism out in the culture. Today, we look at five suggestions on how we can preserve that momentum and hopefully increase it.

00:00 | Introduction 00:40 | Bishop Barron's European trip to film new documentary 02:45 | The importance of a thinking Catholicism 06:18 | Recovering Catholic beauty 09:40 | Increasing online Catholic presence 12:51 | Continuing to engage the culture 14:54 | Examining evangelical courage 16:32 | Listener question 18:43 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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For 1,700 years, the universal church has confessed the Nicene Creed. This anniversary year, Bishop Barron spoke at a Greek Orthodox church in Rochester, Minnesota, to reflect upon the creed's origins. Enjoy.

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Both interest and conversions to the Catholic Church have been surging both here and in parts of Europe, especially among young adults. To be sure, secularism still dominates the culture, but the once common wisdom that an increasingly secular society would eventually lead to the death of Christianity and its evacuation from the public square doesn't seem so common anymore. What are the causes of this apparent religious revival among young people? What can we do as evangelists to maintain and build on the momentum?

A listener asks about the most effective way to make an initial evangelical impact on young people.

00:00 | Introduction 01:20 | Concluding Bishop Barron's first diocesan synod 03:18 | Growing interest in Catholicism 08:45 | Men and Catholic interest 11:50 | Considering our recent isolations 14:08 | The rise and decline of wokeism 17:10 | Attraction to tradition 18:48 | Attraction to the liturgy 25:50 | The attraction of moral teachings 28:53 | Evangelical challenges 31:46 | Religious liberty 35:45 | Listener question: How do you best engage the young? 38:40 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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This week, we bring you the rich question and answer session from Bishop Barron's recent Jubilee address to Irish pilgrims in Rome. He takes on a variety of questions about faith, doubt, mission, happiness, and more. Enjoy.

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This week we bring you the second half of a recent discussion about the meaning, purpose, and objectivity of the transcendental of beauty between the Editor-in-Chief of Evangelization & Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, Dr. Tod Worner, and Bishop Barron.

00:00 | Introduction 00:38 | The deformation of beauty 08:23 | Does beauty civilize? 10:49 | Beauty and the Catholic faith 17:43 | The awesome nature of beauty 22:30 | Can you get stuck on beauty? 24:16 | Beauty within a challenging world 30:32 | Word on Fire and beauty 32:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Bishop Barron gave a Jubilee address in Rome recently to Irish pilgrims in which he looked at the great Old Testament figures and examined what it looks like to be called out of one's self into radical self gift. Enjoy.

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This week we bring you the first half of a recent discussion between Managing Editor of the Word on Fire Evangelization & Culture Journal, Dr. Tod Worner, and Bishop Barron. The two discuss the meaning, purpose, and objectivity of beauty.

00:00 | Introduction 00:56 | What is beauty? 09:24 | What is a transcendental, and why does beauty qualify? 13:08 | What is it about beauty that quickens the heart? 16:54 | Is beauty a means to an end or an end in itself? 23:58 | Does beauty lie in the eye of the beholder and is it ephemeral or eternal? 36:05 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today, we're listening to a talk Bishop Barron gave within one of his classic study programs, the Eucharist series. He addresses Christ's Real Presence in the Eucharist. Enjoy.

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In taking the name Pope Leo XIV, the new pope has signaled that the Church finds itself in an era marked by tumultuous social change. The question remains whether the Catholic social thought of his predecessor Leo XIII's time is still applicable today given the radically different world we now live in—a world increasingly defined by the rise and possible dominance of artificial intelligence, robotics entering into mainstream life, the breakdown of regular physical contact among people, and the rise of transhumanism. Can Catholic social thought help us to navigate these uncharted waters?

A listener asks: How does one respond to "Science doesn't care what you believe"?

00:00 | Introduction 01:45 | Episode 500! 02:51 | What is Catholic social thought? 03:59 | Pope Leo XIII and Catholic social thought 06:05 | The Catholic conception of human dignity 08:00 | How Catholics understand the common good 09:36 | Defining solidarity 11:39 | Understanding subsidiarity 13:45 | Factoring in the question of sin 17:19 | The significance of the name Leo XIV 18:08 | Examining the nature of artificial intelligence 23:23 | Humanity and the machine 29:09 | Limiting principles 31:35 | Virtual reality, avatars, and companions 35:38 | AI and the workforce 40:43 | AI and art 43:14 | Listener question: How does one respond to "science doesn't care what you believe"? 45:16 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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We bring you the second half of Bishop Barron's keynote address at this year's inaugural international Evangelisation & Culture conference in London. In the first half, Bishop Barron focused on the first two of four themes of the Bible, namely, creation and the God of Israel. Today, we conclude his address with the final two themes, right praise and kingship, and we learn how these patterns are gathered together in Christ Jesus.

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If Catholic schools are already Catholic, why would they need to become more so? The unfortunate reality, however, is that some Catholic educational institutions are not living up to their name. As some frustrated parents, priests, and even teachers who are afraid of losing their jobs for being "too Catholic" around their colleagues know well, some schools actively promote values that contradict Church teachings. What has led to Catholic education in some instances to deviate from its mission? And what, more importantly, can we do about it?

A listener asks how to love God if God is love.

00:00 | Introduction 01:47 | Alma mater, Tucker Carlson, and diocesan work 03:29 | Changes in Catholic schools over time 05:27 | What makes a Catholic school Catholic? 07:35 | A Catholic approach to teaching math 09:37 | Teaching science 12:08 | Teaching the humanities 13:54 | Encountering ideas in school 15:16 | Teaching religion 16:52 | A unifying principle for Catholic education 17:54 | Where we've missed the mark 24:35 | Being distinctly Catholic 26:05 | Gender ideology, anthropology, and Catholic identity 27:57 | Mass attendance in school 31:12 | Adoration during school hours 31:49 | Can a non-Catholic teach Catholic theology? 32:35 | Signing statements of faith in Catholic schools 33:02 | Catholic homeschoolers and local parish schools 34:42 | When do you reform and when do you close? 36:15 | Listener question: How can I love God if God is love? 38:27 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Earlier this year, we hosted Word on Fire's first international Evangelisation & Culture conference in London, at which Bishop Barron gave the keynote address. He focused on four themes of the Bible, examined the themes of creation, the God of Israel, right praise, and kingship. Today, we'll hear the first of those themes as we prepare for how those culminate in the person of Jesus Christ. Enjoy.

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The Nicene Creed was written 1,700 years ago and is one of the earliest summations of the core doctrinal beliefs of the Christian faith. We continue to recite it to this day at almost every Sunday Mass. Yet despite its foundational importance to Catholic belief and practice, the Creed remains an underutilized resource not only for catechesis but also evangelization. Today we discuss the enduring importance of the Creed and how we can employ its truths about the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Virgin Mary, the dark reality of sin, the hope of salvation, and much more to evangelize the culture.

A listener asks how he can love his neighbor as himself if he doesn't love himself.

00:00 | Introduction 01:21 | An Introduction to Prayer is now available in Chinese 03:30 | Do creeds matter? 08:55 | Relating the Apostle's Creed to the Nicene Creed 11:02 | Christianity centers around a man and an event 12:14 | Why the book What Christians Believe matters now 15:36 | The Christian creeds as defensible 19:19 | "I believe" or "we believe"? 22:48 | Faith, reason, and adventure 27:54 | God and creation 31:53 | The hardest but most important doctrine 34:33 | The Nicene Creed and the story of salvation 35:48 | Practical tips for using the Nicene Creed in evangelical work 36:58 | Listener question: How can I love my neighbor as myself, if I don't love myself? 39:20 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we bring you the second half of a conversation between Bishop Barron and biblical scholar, N.T. Wright, at Word on Fire's recent Evangelisation & Culture Conference in London. We hear the conclusion of the conversation and dive into some of the listeners' questions, ranging from questions on artificial intelligence and motivations for reading the Bible, to the varying opinions of the show The Chosen. Enjoy!

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On May 8, 2025, the college of cardinals stunned the world by electing Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of the South Side of Chicago, as our new pope. What kind of papacy should we expect from this American pope? How should we interpret his papal name, Leo XIV, and his background as the former head of the Augustinian religious order? Are there any early signs of what his priorities will be? And how should we think about him in relation to his predecessors, including Pope Francis?

A listener asks about contemporary misunderstandings of Catholic theology.

00:00 | Introduction 01:45 | The Religious Liberty Commission 06:03 | What Rome was like during the conclave 10:27 | Before the conclave 13:06 | Defining "liberal" and "conservative" in ecclesial circles 13:53 | Why Catholic conclaves attract so much interest 16:14 | Addressing Bishop Barron's hat 17:10 | Pope Leo XIV as first American pope 18:50 | Pope Leo XIV as first English-speaking pope 20:07 | Pope Leo XIV as first Augustinian pope 24:00 | Pope Leo XIV's motto 25:07 | A return to the supernatural aspects of the Gospel 26:52 | The significance of Pope Leo XIV's name 30:55 | Pope Leo XIV as a bridge 33:10 | The pressing issues before Pope Leo XIV 34:42 | Listener question: What is the most misunderstood Catholic teaching? 37:04 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we bring you the first half of a conversation from earlier this year between Bishop Barron and biblical scholar, N.T. Wright, at Word on Fire's Evangelisation & Culture Conference in London. The two discussed approaching the Bible as a bigger story—one that's holistic, hopeful, and invitational. Enjoy.

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The meaning and socio-political implementation of the term "multiculturalism" has become a flashpoint throughout the West. Supporters of multiculturalism argue that societies that embrace diverse norms and values are not only more dynamic and vibrant, they are also more just and represent the ideal form of the modern democratic state. On the other hand, critics of multiculturalism argue that permitting or deliberately engineering a society that embraces different and even contradictory norms and values is not only incoherent, it undermines the very foundation of a stable civic order. What can Catholicism contribute to this often rancorous debate? Amidst all the diversity within the Church, it remains theologically, morally, and institutionally unified. What makes this possible, and what lessons does it have for the wider world?

A listener asks for tips on how to evangelize young people.

00:00 | Introduction 01:43 | Bishop Barron's confirmation season 02:57 | Defining culture 03:43 | Does "cultural appropriation" contain an accurate understanding of culture? 08:25 | Defining multiculturalism 09:28 |Are all cultures equally valid? 12:58 | Evaluating majority rule 14:44 | Evaluating minority rule 17:51 | Understanding a multiplicity of cultures as good 22:25 | Insights from natural law for addressing multiculturalism 24:19 | Unity as a prerequisite for diversity 28:29 | Unpacking the Catholic conception of inculturation 30:16 | Practical advice for applying these principles 31:40 | How does one evangelize an unlovable culture? 33:55 | Listener question: How does one catechize the young? 36:23 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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In February 2025, Bishop Barron returned to the Palace of Westminster in London, UK, to address religious leaders and members of Parliament. The focus of his talk was the rhythm of divine mercy—the abounding love that arises within us when we accept the grace of Christ. Today we bring you the second half of that talk. Enjoy!

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We continue celebrating twenty-five years of proclaiming the Gospel; evangelizing the culture; supporting the faithful; and inviting the disaffiliated, the forsaken, and those who have fallen away back to Christ and his church. However, over the years, attacks against Bishop Barron and Word on Fire have come from many sources, including online anti-evangelists who hate religion in general and Christianity in particular and from those who posture themselves as the Church's greatest defenders. What is the substance of these detractions? What motivates them? Do they pose an actual threat to the ministry? What can they teach us as evangelists about how to respond constructively to public criticism, especially when it's vicious?

A listener asks how we should understand the meaning and implications of "turning the other cheek."

00:00 | Introduction 01:32 | Standing for life with the DOWR seminarians 02:27 | Do any of your critics surprise you? 03:40 | Early interaction with YouTube comments 05:28 | Criticism #1: You're too conservative—or too liberal 06:38 | Your critique of "beige Catholicism" is unfair and trivializing 09:45 | Criticism #2: Prioritizing beauty is a luxury 14:00 | Criticism #3: The thinkers you reference are only appropriate in academic settings 17:18 | Criticism #4:You've joined Balthasar in promoting universal salvation 20:01 | Criticism #5: You're too political—or not political enough 25:46 | Criticism #6: Your critiques of wokeism are one-sided and unfair to social justice 31:57 | Criticism #7: You're too supportive of Vatican II—or not supportive enough 35:50 | Criticism #8: You don't discern the platforms on which you appear 41:29 | Advice for responding to public criticism 42:33 | Listener question: How do I "turn the other cheek" without enabling the offender? 44:54 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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In February 2025, Bishop Barron returned to the Palace of Westminster in London, UK, to address religious leaders and members of Parliament. The focus of his talk was the rhythm of divine mercy—the abounding love that arises within us when we accept the grace of Christ. Today we bring you the first half of that talk.

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 Francis passed away at the age of eighty-eight on Easter Monday. He was the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit pope, and the first pope to take the name "Francis," after St. Francis of Assisi. What stood out in his twelve-year pontificate? How does his papacy compare with those of his immediate predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II? What should we continue to champion from Francis' legacy as the Church charts her course into the future? Today we discuss Pope Francis' influence on both the Church and the world.

A listener asks how to deal with regret from the past.

00:00 | Introduction 01:21 | Meeting Pope Francis 04:33 | Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI 06:36 | Pope Francis as first Latin-American pope 08:10 | Pope Francis as first Jesuit pope 10:22 | Pope Francis as first to be called "Francis" 11:09 | Master of the beau geste 13:36 | The Church as "field hospital" 15:16 | Resisting a "technocratic mindset" 19:01 | Clarifying the "universal designation of goods" 21:24 | Understanding the "two popes" 26:11 | Concerns about Francis's papacy 29:37 | Pope Francis's perception of the American church 32:25 | Honoring Pope Francis's legacy 33:50 | Listener question: How do I let go of regrets? 35:24 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we conclude Bishop Barron's lecture at Charles University in Prague. During the talk, he focuses on St. Thomas Aquinas' distinctive notion of God as "ipsum esse" and its connection with some of the principal themes of Catholic social teaching. Enjoy!

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Word on Fire is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. That's twenty-five years of proclaiming the Gospel, evangelizing the culture, and working hard to bring people to—or back to—Christ and his Church. It's worth pausing to look back to remember where it all began and how the ministry has grown along the way. What is Word on Fire's origin story? When, where, and why did Bishop Barron—then Fr. Barron—first conceive of the idea to found Word on Fire? What were the early years like? What have been some major developments along the way? What obstacles were encountered, what lessons learned? And what does the future look like for the next five, ten, and even fifty years?

A listener asks how he might be able to become a part of the Word on Fire religious order.

00:00 | Introduction 01:22 | Minnesota bishops visit state capital 02:55 | A brief look at Bishop Barron's early priestly life 06:18 | Bishop Barron's cathedral project 06:58 | Word on Fire's beginning 09:49 | Beginning the Catholicismseries 11:24 | Cardinal Francis George 14:30 | Early days with Fr. Steve Grunow 15:41 | Reddit's "Ask Me Anything" 18:48 | Sunday Sermons 23:22 | Bishop Barron Presents 25:45 | The Word on Fire Show 27:07 | Public speaking events 28:32 | Speaking at Google and Facebook 29:57 | Expanding into the United Kingdom 31:17 | Word on Fire's Institute and Publishing 33:58 | The Word on Fire Bible 37:08 | Looking into the future 38:32 | A message to donors 39:17 | Listener question: How can I join Word on Fire's Third Order? 40:35 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron's lecture at Charles University in Prague. In this talk, Bishop focuses on St. Thomas Aquinas' distinctive notion of God as "ipsum esse" and its connection with some of the principal themes of Catholic social teaching. 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.

Today we're bringing you the second half of a conversation between Bishop Barron and Brenden Thompson during a trip to London. Brenden is Programme Manager of the Word On Fire Institute in the United Kingdom where he works to promote the faith in a deeply secularized culture. In this conversation, they explore Bishop Barron's unique methods for public speaking and preaching, among other related topics. Enjoy!

NOTE:Do you like this podcast?Become aWord on Fire IGNITEmember! 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 conclude Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. Throughout these lectures, we came to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy the final lesson!

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're bringing you the first half of a conversation that Bishop Barron had with Brenden Thompson during a trip to London. Brenden is Programme Manager of the Word On Fire Institute in the United Kingdom where he works to promote the faith in a deeply secularized culture. In this conversation, they explore Bishop Barron's unique methods for public speaking and preaching, among other related topics. Enjoy!

NOTE:Do you like this podcast?Become aWord on Fire IGNITEmember! 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.

Here is the eleventh lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. As we journey through these lectures, we will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

Are Christians required to love everyone equally? This question has recently become a matter of public and even political debate. So how should we answer? It seems necessary to ask what "loving thy neighbor" means in practice; for example is the love between friends, the love between spouses, the love within a family, the love among compatriots, and even the love of an enemy all the same kind of love? Do these relationships all entail the same kinds of moral responsibilities? Might it be reasonable to say, for example, that we have a greater obligation to care for our own children over others' children, our own friends over strangers, and our own country over other countries? If so, however, how can Christians coherently claim that we love all people equally?

A listener asks how to forgive and let go of bitterness. I help my kids return to church?

00:00 | Introduction 01:43 | Bishop Barron's recent trip to London 02:08 | Understanding love in the great commandments 03:50 | Love for specific relationships 06:13 | Properly framing love of self 06:58 | Love your enemies 08:03 | Critiquing love as granting another's desires 09:07 | The distinct love for God 11:17 | Who is my neighbor? 12:55 | Ordo amoris: the order of love 17:52 | Equal regard vs. equal treatment 20:36 | Is it ever okay to circumvent ordo amoris? 22:20 | Does the Good Samaritan counter ordo amoris? 23:40 | Does Luke 9:60 counter ordo amoris? 26:52 | The evangelical impact of understanding love 27:43 | Listener question 29:54 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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We bring you the tenth lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

Today we continue with lesson nine on our walk through Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

Depression and anxiety have exploded in the past decade in the United States, especially, though not exclusively, among young people. Tragically, anxiety and depression frequently contribute to suicide and suicide attempts, with young men in particular taking much of the brunt of this epidemic of self-harm. Many suffer in silence, with neither family members nor friends aware of their mental, spiritual, and sometimes even physical anguish. What can we do to reintroduce hope, purpose, peace, and perhaps even joy into the lives of those who are feeling lost? What can both Catholic belief and practice offer in particular?

A listener asks: How can I help my kids return to church?

00:00 | Introduction 01:51 | Bishop Barron visits Catholic schools 02:56 | Addressing the US depression epidemic 07:57 | The insufficiency of non-spiritual tools for depression 14:02 | Secularism's role in depression 17:32 | 1) Faith frees us from the illusion of control 19:09 | 2) Faith offers us metaphysical hope 20:38 | A Christian response to hopeless feelings 21:46 | 3) Faith moves us to focus on the here and now, not on future worries 25:25 | 4) Faith helps us live for the good of the other 28:07 | 5) Faith liberates us from fear of death and the insignificance of labors 30:18 | Distinguishing dark nights of the soul from depression 32:37 | Practical advice for those in the dark 34:33 | Listener question 37:20 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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We continue our walk through Bishop Barron's lecture series with lesson eight on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

A debate has been raging on social media recently about the role work should play both in our individual and communal lives. One side argues that Americans are not only spending too few hours at work, but at a deeper cultural level, they believe the United States and much of the West has become lazy and prone to immediate gratification that undermines efficiency, personal wealth, and national power and prosperity. The other side maintains that, although work is good and necessary for individual and societal wellbeing, time spent at work also compromises individuals' creativity and ingenuity. This debate is not only rhetorical; how we conceive of the relationship between work and leisure has very real cultural, economic, and even political consequences. What principles should we appeal to to get the balance right?

A listener asks: Does Jesus have a last name?

00:00 | Introduction 01:36 | Word on Fire turns 25! 02:54 | What is work? 04:53 | Understanding work within a fallen world 09:46 | Connecting human dignity and the dignity of work 12:59 | Prosperity vs. the prosperity gospel 15:28 | Is intellectual work better than manual, or vice versa? 17:37 | What if I'm unwilling to work? 20:50 | What if I'm unable to work? 21:35 | Understanding leisure 25:38 | How the Mass relates to play 29:57 | Relating work to leisure 32:24 | Listener question: Does Jesus have a last name? 33:50 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we present the seventh lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

What is the nature and purpose of prayer? The question may sound simple, but it unearths some complex philosophical and theological issues. If God is omniscient, what is the point of speaking with him, either out loud or in our thoughts if he already knows what we have to say? If God is all good and all powerful, why does it sometimes appear that our prayers go unanswered? More practically, what are we to make of the great diversity of prayers—liturgical prayer, petitionary prayer, worship prayer, the Rosary? Are some forms of prayer more efficacious than others? Here are some tips on how we can understand and grow in our prayer life.

A listener asks why Catholics pray for the dead and if we should pray for the souls of non-Catholics too.

00:00 | Intro 01:34 | Bishop Barron's holiday season recap 02:45 | What prompted the publication of An Introduction to Prayer? 03:37 | What does it mean to pray? 05:31 | If God knows everything, why do we pray? 07:38 | If God is unchanging, how does prayer change things? 15:53 | If God is all-good, why do prayers go unanswered? 18:40 | How is prayer different for the Christian? 21:56 | The importance of liturgical prayer 23:47 | Understanding contemplative prayer 28:24 | Properly understanding the intercession of the saints 31:25 | Practical principles for growing in prayer 33:41 | Forgiveness as a prerequisite for answered prayers 35:07 | Listener question 37:31 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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We bring you the sixth lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

A cultural shift seems to be underway, at least within the United States, that is potentially making society more open—perhaps even more positively disposed—to the wisdom of the Catholic social thought tradition. If there is an opportunity for Catholic teachings to have more cultural and political traction now, how should the Church take advantage of it? What counsel can the Church give on complex policy issues like education, immigration, the economy, and foreign policy? Today we discuss the Catholic understanding of the common good and how it is especially relevant in this moment.

A listener asks, what is the kingdom of God?

00:00 | Intro 01:41 | Bishop Barron visits a mentor 02:52 | Religion: public or private? 06:56 | Assessing recent shifts in culture 08:09 | Common good vs. utilitarianism 10:49 | Dignity vs. autonomy 14:35 | Common good vs. social justice 18:37 | Common good vs. generic conservatism 21:25 | Nonnegotiable moral principles vs. variable prudential judgments 24:27 | Common good and education 28:23 | Common good and the economy 30:30 | Common good and immigration 33:38 | Common good and foreign policy 35:38 | Listener question: What is the kingdom of God? 37:38 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we share the fifth lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

One of the defining features of the Christian moral and spiritual life is the supernatural virtue of hope. What is hope? What makes hope more than a mere superstition? How does hope help us live both individually and in community? Can hope have negative consequences, like motivating people to remain passive in the face of injustice? And what, if any, evangelical significance does hope have? Bishop Barron gives us five reasons why we should be hopeful in the new year.

A listener asks how he can find the strength to pray again.

00:00 | Intro 01:14 | Bishop Barron's 2024 highlights 02:47 | The Christian concept of hope 04:15 | Hope's relationship to reason 05:12 | Hope's practical value in life 06:24 | Distinguishing hope from faith 08:27 | Distinguishing hope from optimism 10:21 | Responding to critiques of hope 15:37 | Reason 1: Bible sales increase while "nones" appear to have peaked 19:53 | Reason 2: Woke ideology is losing its grip on the culture 23:27 | Reason 3: Protestants and Catholics have increased cooperation 25:36 | Reason 4: The public response to the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral 30:01 | Reason 5: The Church continues to grow 31:27 | Listener question 33:53 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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We bring you the fourth lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

Despite the enduring, progressive narrative that society favors and privileges men, the sociological data reveals men have and continue to experience devastating declines in education, earning power, economic mobility, relationship stability, and physical and mental health. Often vilified by secular culture as "toxic" merely for existing, men are often far sicker, poorer, more addicted, more depressed, more incarcerated, and more likely to commit suicide than women.

However, more men than women now regularly go to church; numerous religious movements have been founded with the aim of helping men to overcome their spiritual, mental, and even physical weaknesses; and a new class of Christian men have been emerging on the political and cultural scene unapologetically calling for a return to traditional biblical values. How should we interpret this apparent masculinization of the faith and its effect on revitalizing the role of men in society? What insights does the Church offer, and what can we all learn from this to better evangelize both men and women?

A listener asks why—procreation aside—God created a woman for Adam as opposed to another man.

00:00 | Intro 01:49 | Bishop Barron back from Rome 02:25 | Assessing grim statistics about men 04:27 | Contributing cultural movements to masculine discouragement 11:04 | Channeling masculine aggression 14:47 | A complementary view of male and female 17:52 | The return of men to the Church 22:35 | Resources for recovering masculinity from its shadow side 25:21 | Holy male exemplars 27:15 | What the Church offers for masculine vision 28:49 | Listener question 30:53 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we bring you the third lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. 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.

After spending nearly a month in Rome, Bishop Barron has just returned from the concluding session of the Synod on Synodality. However, numerous basic questions remain among the faithful: What challenges were discussed during this synod and what solutions, if any, did the attendees reach? What impact, if any, does either the structure or content of the synod have on the Church's ability to evangelize effectively both in the US and abroad?

A listener asks how parishes should adapt to today's needs.

00:00 | Intro 01:27 | A visit to the Czech Republic 03:10 | What is synodality? 06:58 | The Instrumentum Laboris and its role in the synod 07:56 | Who attended the synod? 09:14 | Relating 2023's synodal gathering to 2024's 11:09 | Bishop Barron's daily routine in Rome 16:20 | Communio theology as represented at the synod 19:27 | The teaching status of the recent synodal document 21:01 | Assessing the synod's benefit to the Church 22:35 | Limitations of synodality as a ruling principle 25:23 | The question of women's ordination 28:00 | Concerns for the authority of the local bishops' conferences 29:41 | Has this synod perennially changed the Church? 31:15 | The possibility of future synods 32:01 | Listener question 34:04 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we bring you the second lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

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Through a litany of trials and grace, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. We bring you the second half of an hour-long conversation she had recently with Bishop Barron. The two explore transubstantiation, the power of prayer, grace in suffering, and more.

00:00 | Intro 00:28 | Prayer as sustenance and as intercession across space and time 06:00 | What is transubstantiation? 11:50 | Praying Scripture 13:30 | Prayerful examination of a day 18:33 | Examining Dante's Divine Comedy 20:08 | Dark nights of the soul 23:31 | Grace in suffering 31:27 | Remembering the body 32:58 | Singing and prayer 34:16 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we bring you the first lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important, intriguing, strange, and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

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Through a litany of trials and grace, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. Today we bring you the first half of an hour-long conversation she had recently with Bishop Barron. The two explore the call of God, the power of the Rosary, the wisdom of Thomas Merton, and more.

00:00 | Intro 01:24 | Relating to God as a called child 06:25 | Attracting people into community 10:16 | Understanding true love 13:20 | Begin with prayer 14:19 | Prayer: sacred, centering, habitual, and "useless" 20:43 | The beauty of monastic life and practice 22:34 | The wisdom of Thomas Merton 24:18 | Distinguishing a natural spirituality from a properly supernatural one 28:05 | Learning to pray the Rosary 38:18 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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Today we bring you the second half of Bishop Barron's May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He concludes his discussion of Eucharistic Adoration, wisdom from saints and holy people, and the power of "staying close to the fire." Enjoy!

Show Notes:

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Parts of the global Church have a very different kind of challenge on their hands than we do in the West: how to handle explosive growth. In many parts of Africa, the Church is running out of room in their seminaries, convents, and monasteries because of rising vocations, and the laity are collectively practicing their faith in ways that put the Church in the West to shame. In Nigeria, upwards of 94 percent of Catholics go to Mass every week, while the U.S. can't even reach 30 percent in weekly Mass attendance among Catholics.

What explains this wide discrepancy? What are we in the West getting so wrong about evangelization, and what is the Church in Africa getting so right?

A listener asks how she and her family can practice Sabbath rest.

00:00 | Intro 01:50 | DOWR Chancery dedication 03:00 | The African church as a robust exemplar 05:35 | Does Africa's numerical strength translate to ecclesial strength? 07:12 | Lesson 1: Primacy of the supernatural 10:56 | Lesson 2: Hold fast to theological orthodoxy 12:08 | How the Church engages cultures 16:13 | Lesson 3: Commitment to evangelize the culture 17:49 | The rhythm between "hunkering down" and "diving in" 19:50 | Lesson 4: Praise in public, criticize in private 23:13 | Lesson 5: Courage in the face of opposition 25:19 | Counter-claims for Africa's religious success 28:49 | Listener question 31:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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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!

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.

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

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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!

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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

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

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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

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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!

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.

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

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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.

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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/

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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.

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.

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