The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

The recent confrontation between a grinning young high school student and a Native American elder has led to much anger and vitriol, especially on social media. But as Bishop Barron suggests, it also exemplified the "scapegoating mechanism" described by philosopher René Girard. How do we avoid this scapegoating? How can we bring more light to the online world? Bishop Barron has some advice. A list...

In this episode, Bishop Barron discusses a recent  New York Times  article by David Brooks titled  "The Morality of Selfism: The Gospel of Saint You."  It's a tongue-in-cheek affirmation of a culture that puts tremendous emphasis on self, self-care, and self-display. Bishop Barron explores some of the dangerous outcomes of such a culture. A listener asks whether it's helpful or troubling that the...

Ross Douthat recently published an op-ed in the  New York Times  titled  "The Return of Paganism."  He argues that maybe there actually is a genuinely post-Christian future for America, one that mixes pantheism with civic religion. Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the article. A listener asks why God needed a second coming of Christ and couldn't have accomplished everything during his first...

Bishop Barron takes listener questions from all over the world, including: What are examples of popular films that convey the Gospel without being preachy or poorly produced? Which beings have souls, and where do we draw the line? If prayer doesn't change God's mind, then when we get what we pray for, would we have gotten it anyways? How can laypeople encourage priests to do more evangelization? S...

According to data from BibleGateway.com and YouVersion, the popular Bible app,  the most popular Bible verse of 2018  was Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear." Bishop Barron looks at several other verses that cracked the list and reveals the right (and wrong) ways to understand them. A listener asks for clarification on Bishop Barron's comments about the salvation of Jews on Ben Shapiro's interview show.

A recent  Christianity Today  article titled, " Christian, What Do You Believe? Probably a Heresy About Jesus, Says Survey " explores a State of Theology survey conducted in the United States by LifeWay Research, based on interviews with 3,000 Americans. Bishop Barron discusses the alarming results. A listener asks what it feels like for Bishop Barron to act  in persona Christi capitis.

How should Christians use social media? How can we escape its dangers (venomous rhetoric, echo chambers, etc.) and instead use these tools well? Bishop Barron offers his advice and shares how he personally uses these tools. A listener asks whether Bishop Barron is now part of the Intellectual Dark Web after speaking with Ben Shapiro and Dave Rubin.

On Christmas Eve, the night before the great Solemnity of the Nativity of Jesus, Bishop Barron talks about the Incarnation. What do we mean by this? What do people often get wrong about the Incarnation? And how is the Incarnation extended throughout space and time? A listener asks about Buddha's famous maxim, "Life is suffering." NOTE:  Click here to support Bishop Barron's Word on Fire ministry a...

According to Bishop Barron, we need  more  religious argument, not less. But how do we talk about religion productively? In today's episode he offers several practical tips along with the fallacies you'll want to avoid. A listener asks how to engage relativistic friends. NOTE:  Click here to get Bishop Barron's newest book, Arguing Religion >>  wordonfireshow.com/religion

William Wordsworth called Mary, the mother of Jesus, "our tainted nature's solitary boast." Who was this extraordinary woman, and how should we understand the key dogmas about her life and nature? Bishop Barron offers a crash course on Mary in today's episode. A listener asks why God created us as humans instead of as angels.   NOTE:  Do you like this podcast, and Bishop Barron's other great work?...

Is the season of Advent just a cozy, sentimental period before Christmas? Or is it a time of spiritual revolution? Bishop Barron discusses this important period and shares some of his Advent recommendations. A listener asks how to make sense of slavery in the Bible.   NOTE:  Do you like this podcast, and Bishop Barron's other great work? Help support us by donating at  http://wordonfireshow.com/gi...

John Henry Newman's spiritual autobiography,  Apologia Pro Vita Sua , is widely recognized as a classic of religious literature. Chronicling his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism, it explores the arguments and discoveries that convinced the Anglican churchman to cross the Tiber. In today's episode, we share the second half of talk Bishop Barron gave on the book and its influence. ( Click...

John Henry Newman's spiritual autobiography,  Apologia Pro Vita Sua , is widely recognized as a classic of religious literature. Chronicling his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism, it explores the arguments and discoveries that convinced the Anglican churchman to cross the Tiber. In today's episode, we share the first half of talk Bishop Barron gave on the book and its influence. NOTE:  Do...

This week, Bishop Barron answers questions from all over the world. If you have a question, be sure to visit  AskBishopBarron.com .

In Stephen Hawking's new book,  Brief Answers to the Big Questions , published just a few months after his death, the famed scientists suggests that God does not exist and the universe does not require an explanation. Is he right? Bishop Barron discusses those claims in today's episode.

As the Synod on Youth wraps up at the Vatican, Bishop Barron shares his final thoughts on the meeting.

Today we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron's flagship course inside our new Word on Fire Institute. His 12-part course is on Hans Urs von Balthasar, and it explores Balthasar's impact, his major works, and his key ideas. This first lesson covers Balthasar's life and times. Enjoy! NOTE: To get the other 11 lessons from the course, sign up today for the Word on Fire Institute >>  https://word...

A few days before leaving for the 2018 Synod on Youth in Rome, Bishop Barron hosted a listening session with a group of young people at Villanova Preparatory School in his region. The goal was to invite the kids to share their ideas, desires, and concerns, so that Bishop Barron could bring those insights with him to the Synod discussions. Today we share the audio of that discussion. Enjoy! NOTE: B...

Today marks the grand opening of the  Word on Fire Institute ! It's one of the pillars of our Word on Fire Movement, and it's a place where you'll find online training in evangelization, theology, and the spiritual life. You'll get courses taught by Bishop Barron, his Word on Fire team, and world-class professors. In today's episode, we get more details from Bishop Barron and learn how to sign up....

This week, we're sharing the second half of Bishop Barron's keynote talk at the recent 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland. His talk was titled "Pope Francis on the Gospel of the Family." Enjoy!

This week, we're sharing the first half of Bishop Barron's keynote talk at the recent 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland. His talk was titled "Pope Francis on the Gospel of the Family." We'll share the second half in next week's episode. Enjoy!

Bishop Barron was recently appointed as a representative of the U.S. Bishops for the upcoming Synod in Rome on "Youth, Faith, and Vocational Discernment." In this episode, he shares why he thinks this Synod is more important that other recent gatherings, and some of the main reasons why people become "nones" and leave the Church. He also explains why accompaniment involves apologetics and how the...

Friends, in light of the recent scandals, I know many people are wondering whether they should remain in the Catholic Church. And I totally get that; the outrage is warranted. But in this time of crisis, I beg you not to flee, but to fight--not violently, with the weapons of the world, but with the weapons of the Spirit. We need you.

Many of you have asked for Bishop Barron's thoughts on the McCarrick abuse crisis, the Pennsylvania grand jury report, and the recent report from Archbishop Viganò. We're all devastated by the horrific suffering of these many victims, and we're all wondering what to do next. Bishop Barron shared some thoughts a couple weeks ago, in an article, but we thought it might be helpful to have a more cand...

The first annual Word on Fire Conference for Priests brought 300 Catholic priests to Huntington Beach, CA, for a three day reflection on the art of preaching. Bishop Barron delivered four talks, in addition to a talk by Dana Gioia, California's state Poet Laureate, and the conference closed with a lively Q&A where priests asked Bishop Barron whatever questions they had about preaching. Today, we s...