The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

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

Continuing the journey in the fourth lecture of Bishop Barron's course, " Dante's Catholic Imagination ," we see notion that "we're damned alone, but we're only saved together" on full display as Dante climbs Mount Purgatory. While hell was a place of violence and self absorption, purgatory is a place of charity, hope, and faith. This timeless and ever-relevant course is available in its entirety...

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

We continue with the third lecture of Bishop Barron's course, " Dante's Catholic Imagination ." We uncover the horrors of hell as Virgil takes Dante on a journey to see the three levels of sin and their corresponding punishments. This ever-relevant course is available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute. NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member ! Word on Fi...

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

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

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

Today we are excited to bring you the first lecture from Bishop Barron's popular course, "Dante's Catholic Imagination," which is available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute. We hope you enjoy this deep dive into Dante's evergreen, always-relevant poetic, moral, and theological genius.  NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member ! Word on Fire is a non-prof...

Pope St. John Paul II used the term "culture of death'' in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae to capture the secular world's dark confluence of poisonous ideas and practices that lead—directly and indirectly—to spiritual and physical ruin. Sadly, we've seen the the culture of death advance on many fronts. Today, we focus on the increasing legalization of suicide in the United States and abroad....

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

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

Today, we are bringing you a recent conversation from the " Bishop Barron Presents " series between Bishop Barron and Congressman Ro Khanna. Congressman Khanna represents California's 17th Congressional District, best known as the home of Silicon Valley. Over the course of the conversation, the Bishop and he discussed his background, Catholic social teaching, various policy matters, finding common...

Friends, the Book of Jonah  is one of the shortest books of the Bible, yet it's packed with profound truths about hearing and obeying the voice of God. On today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss this powerful little book. A listener asks, why did Jesus show up when he did and not at a different point in time? What would the world look like had he showed up later, or...

Friends, what's the proper relationship between liberal democracy and the Catholic Church? Many smart and reflective people, on either side of the Catholic/American divide, have felt that the two systems, democracy and Catholicism, were incompatible. But why? Using the thought of the 19th century French diplomat and political philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, Bishop Barron explores this question...

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

Today, we're excited to share with you Bishop Barron's recent talk at the  2023 Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) Conference  held in London, England. His talk was titled  "What is the True Nature of Freedom?" As Bishop Barron explains, freedom for excellence is not self-determination. It is the disciplining of desire so as to make the achievement of the good first possible and then effor...

Friends, the Catholic Church seems locked in constant disagreements, often between so-called liberal and conservative Catholics. But is there a third way to lead us out of this quagmire? Cardinal Francis George offers a compelling answer, which Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's episode of the "Word on Fire Show." A listener asks, did Jesus ever get sick? 00:00 | Intro 01:13 | New episodes of "...

Friends, today we're excited to share with you the newest episode in our  "Bishop Barron Presents"  series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with  Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ . Fr. Fessio was formed by some of the greatest figures of twentieth-century Catholicism, including Henri de Lubac, Joseph Ratzinger, and Hans Urs von Balthasar. This fascinating conversation covers his life story, his educa...

Friends, we all strive to be spiritually great. We want to be magnanimous, great-souled men and women. But how do we get there? The Church offers a concrete seven-fold path, and that's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's "Word on Fire Show" episode. A listener asks, I'm coming back into the Church after a 15 year absence, and all the words [of Mass] have changed. What happened? 00:00 | Intr...

Today, we're excited to share with you Bishop Barron's recent talk at Harvard University titled  "The Catholic Intellectual Tradition,"  sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Forum. Bishop Barron explores some foundational themes in the Catholic intellectual tradition, including God, the human person, sin and grace, society, and freedom. All flow from Christology, our understanding of Jesus, so that,...

Friends, each of us wants to be a good person. But how do we actually do that? How do we truly become a person of love? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's "Word on Fire Show" episode. A listener asks, if I did not inherit the sins of my parents, why did I inherit the sins of Adam and Eve? 00:00 | Intro 00:46 | Update on Winona-Rochester Diocesan Pastoral Center 02:38 | Dorothy Day a...

Friends, the prologue of the Gospel of St. John is one of the richest and most densely textured writings in the scriptures as John expresses the very nature of God and the profundity of the Incarnation that we celebrate every Christmas. Merry Christmas to you on behalf of my whole Word on Fire team! NOTE:  Do you like this podcast?  Become a patron  and get some great perks for helping, like free...

Friends, is the Christmas story little more than a sweet, saccharine tale about a cute baby being born? Or do the Gospels present something more subversive and revolutionary, a battle between two great kings? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's "Word on Fire Show" episode. A listener asks, whose body is the Body of Christ in the Eucharist? Infant, crucified, or resurrected Jesus? 00:...

Today, we're excited to share with you Bishop Barron's keynote talk from the  2023 Acton University  conference, hosted by  The Acton Institute . "Wokeism" is arguably the most influential public philosophy in our country today. It has worked its way into the minds and hearts of our young people, into the world of entertainment, and into the boardrooms of powerful corporations. But what is it prec...

Friends, can everything in the world be reduced to atoms bumping against each other, and chemical reactions in our brains? Or is there something more to reality than its material elements? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's "Word on Fire Show" episode, with the help of a new book by Justin Brierley, titled  The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secula...