The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Today, we're excited to share with you a talk that Bishop Barron recently gave at the University of Notre Dame titled "What Makes a University Catholic?" The talk was cosponsored by the Notre Dame Student Government, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, the McGrath Institute for Church Life, and Campus Ministry. Enjoy! NOTE:  Do you like this podcast?  Become a patron  and get some great p...

Friends, an exciting group of psychologists, scientists, and thought leaders are rediscovering the beauty and brilliance of the Bible. What's causing so many of them to look at the Bible with fresh eyes? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's "Word on Fire Show" episode, with the help of a new book by Justin Brierley, titled  The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew...

Today, we're excited to share Fr. Robert Spitzer's keynote talk from the  2022 Good News Conference  on  "The Evidence for God from Science."  Fr. Spitzer introduces a growing amount of evidence for God found in contemporary science, along with data suggesting a rising number of young scientists who are open to God. Fr. Spitzer is the President of the  Magis Center of Reason and Faith  and the  Sp...

Today, we're excited to share with you the newest episode in our "Bishop Barron Presents" series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with writer, filmmaker, and activist Chris Rufo . Chris is the author of a new book titled  America's Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything . He has directed four documentaries for PBS and is a senior fellow of the Manhattan Institute an...

Today, we share a discussion between  Brandon Vogt  and  Fr. Steve Grunow , Word on Fire's CEO and resident Halloween expert. Several years back, Fr. Steve wrote an article for Word on Fire's website titled 

Friends, the New Atheism movement rose quickly in the early 2000s, led by vicious critics of religion such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. What made their polemics so popular and effective? And how did the New Atheist movement decline and fade almost as quickly over the past few years? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's "Word on Fire Show" episode, with the help of an e...

Today, we share a fun discussion between  Brandon Vogt  and  Haley Stewart , Editor of Word on Fire Spark , our new imprint of books for young readers. Topics include: Were you a reader growing up? What were some of your favorite books? How would you assess the current landscape of childrens' books? What's good? What's missing? What is Word on Fire Spark and how did it come to be? What is the miss...

Friends, five years ago, we started what has become the largest online community of Catholic evangelists: the  Word on Fire Institute . Where did this come from, what's the purpose of the Institute, and what's coming next? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show." A listener asks, will God still create humans in heaven? 00:00 | Intro 01:17 | Bishop Barro...

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

Friends, why do we love being distracted from the important things of life? The great French philosopher Blaise Pascal observed, "The sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room." On today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss why it is so hard to be still and contemplate reality, and how we can get better at it. A listener as...

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

Friends, why are we so tempted to scapegoat people, especially online? And how do we escape that trap? On today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss the great Catholic philosopher René Girard and his theory of scapegoating. A listener asks, what does Bishop Barron think of classical education? Links Bishop Barron Presents: Luke Burgis All Desire is a Desire for Being  ...

J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece,  The Lord of the Rings , is one of the best-selling books ever, selling over 150 million copies. In a 1999 poll of Amazon.com customers,  The Lord of the Rings  was judged to be their favorite "book of the millennium". However, few people know that Tolkien was an ardent Catholic. Holly Ordway has written a fascinating new volume titled  Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Bi...

Friends, is work something good or bad? Is it central to being human, or a punishment resulting from sin? And how do we understand our work theologically, tying it to God? On today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss the Catholic Church's view toward the dignity of work and the rights of workers, learning from Dorothy Day, St. Josemaría Escrivá, and several recent pope...

Today we share with you Bishop Barron's keynote talk from the 2023 Wonder Conference, hosted by Word on Fire. His keynote addressed scientism, the view that authentic truth claims can be made only in regard to those matters treatable through the scientific method, and offered three paths of scape: the intelligibility of the world, the immateriality of the mind, and the inescapability of metaphysic...

Friends, death is a topic most of us try to avoid. So, why does Catholicism teach we should meditate regularly on our death? On today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss the ancient Christian practice of  memento mori  (remember your death), and how Christ solves the four problems that death poses to each of us: identity, futility, loss, and the end of earthly joys. A...

Today we share Bishop Barron's 2023 Commencement Address at Hillsdale College, delivered on May 13, 2023. In his address, Bishop Barron examined not the question of what we are to do in life—important as that is—but rather what kind of person we ought to be? Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness or do we seek our own advantage? In a way, he says, there is no question in the moral and spiritual...

Friends, what makes great leaders great? Why do certain men and women seem to lead with such effectiveness? On today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss several great leaders including Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Pope St. John Paul II, and Queen Elizabeth II. A listener asks, how can I be sure if I'm acting out a theo-drama or an...

We know Church leaders need to be trained well in theology, morality, scripture, liturgy, and pastoral ministry. But if we want them to be able to wield those skills as effective leaders, they must also be great  communicators . After all, sharing the Good News is, at its heart, the task of communicating. Communication is a linchpin skill that unlocks the full potential of all other skills, and ch...

Friends, Christians often speak of "having a personal relationship with Christ" or "knowing Jesus personally," but what does this actually mean? Is it possible? How do we go beyond  knowing   about  Christ to truly  knowing him ? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today's "Word on Fire Show." A listener considering conversion to Catholicism asks, how do I go about looking for a parish? Link...

In this talk from the 2022 Good News Conference, Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla shares the story of her mother, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children. She also discusses her parents' love through their many letters and their devotion to Our Lord, which solidified their union.  St. Gianna's holiness had everything to do with her beloved husband, Pietro. They...

Friends, my favorite current TV show, "Mrs. Davis," features an adventurous nun, a search for the Holy Grail, and an all-powerful algorithm. It also raises many interesting questions about artificial intelligence, God, free will, and our mystical union with Christ. In today's "Word on Fire Show," Brandon Vogt and I discuss these themes and more. (NOTE: This episode does not contain any major spoil...

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

Friends, an interesting article was published at The Gospel Coalition titled  "Savior or Stoics? Why Modern Men Look for Spiritual Wisdom Outside the Church" . The author observed how a growing number of young men are filling a moral and spiritual void in their lives by turning to modern self-help books based on ancient Stoic thinkers. Authors such as Jordan Peterson, Ryan Holiday, and Navy SEAL J...

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