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

Links

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

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

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

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

Links

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

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

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

Links

• Support the Word on Fire Bible series!
• FOCUS

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

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

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

Links

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LINKS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LINKS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Links

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

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

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

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A hit Netflix documentary, “The Social Dilemma,” is a film about the dark side of social media explained by the Silicon Valley innovators behind it. Bishop Barron discusses some of the film's insights and offers a Catholic perspective on social media, technology, and their addictive qualities.

A listener asks, if Joseph descended from David, but is not Jesus' biological father, how is Jesus considered to be related to David?

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

Today, we share the second half of Bishop Barron's recent discussion with Dave Rubin on the topic "Has Liberalism Failed?" (Click here to listen to the first half.) It's part of the "Bishop Barron Presents" series of conversations with various thinkers and cultural influencers.

In this discussion, Bishop Barron and Dave uncover the underlying issues fueling today’s partisan politics and the culture of contempt. Further, they discuss how to engage in constructive dialogue for the sake of the common good.

To listen to the full conversation, and gain access to dozens of courses, films, and other resources, become part of the Word on Fire Institute.

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

There seems to be a growing sentiment, both within the Church and the wider culture, that if you share a public conversation with someone, or say something nice about one particular aspect of their work, you’re necessarily endorsing everything they’ve ever said or done and can therefore be easily dismissed, a fallacy known as "guilt by association."

Bishop Barron discusses this problem, how it undermines evangelization, and why he chooses to engage people from across the religious and cultural spectrum.

A listener asks, how do you respond to people who discredit Catholicism based on the sex abuse scandals?

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

Today, we share the first half of Bishop Barron's recent discussion with Dave Rubin on the topic "Has Liberalism Failed?" It's part of the "Bishop Barron Presents" series of conversations with various thinkers and cultural influencers.

In this discussion, Bishop Barron and Dave uncover the underlying issues fueling today’s partisan politics and the culture of contempt. Further, they discuss how to engage in constructive dialogue for the sake of the common good.

To listen to the full conversation, and gain access to dozens of courses, films, and other resources, become part of the Word on Fire Institute.

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

Today, we look at Bishop Barron's favorite books of all time, from theology to poetry, fiction to stage plays. Download a full PDF guide to his favorite books at wordonfireshow.com/books.

A listener asks about Thomas Aquinas' views on women.

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

Today we hear the second half of Bishop Barron's recent talk to the Knights of Malta, in which he explains that behind much of the rioting and deep unrest in our country stand ideas stemming from four influential thinkers: Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Michel Foucault. Once we understand some of their most basic ideas, we will recognize their influence everywhere today.

(If you missed the first half of the talk, click here to listen.)

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In this bonus “Word on Fire Show” episode, Bishop Barron discusses the long-awaited “McCarrick Report” (PDF), which the Holy See just released on Tuesday, November 10. This long and exhaustive report, spanning over 450 pages, shares the results of a two-year investigation into former-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, exploring how he rose through the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy despite years of sexual abuse and cover up. Bishop Barron shares his thoughts, impressions, and offers a way forward through this awful crisis.

Links

• Bishop Barron resources on sexual abuse crisis: https://www.wordonfire.org/sexual-abuse

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

A new survey from Ligonier Ministries titled “The State of Theology” revealed lots of interesting things. But one finding that stood out, and generated lots of headlines, was that most Christians believe about Jesus. Nearly 70% of Catholics believe “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God,” while 57% of Catholics believe “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.” Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss this survey and the ancient heresy these statements reflect.

A listener asks if confirmation is supposed to make us fiery defenders of the faith, then why do some Protestants seem to have more fire for the faith, even without this sacrament?

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

In a recent talk given to the Knights of Malta, Bishop Barron addressed this convulsive time in our national history, demonstrated by the global pandemic, unstable politics, and outbursts of violence. What he shows is that behind much of the rioting and deep unrest stand ideas stemming from four influential thinkers: Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Michel Foucault. Once we understand some of their most basic ideas, we will recognize their influence everywhere today.

In today's episode, we share the first half of the talk (the second half will be coming soon).

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

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

• If God is the most powerful being, how isn’t he corrupt?
• How can God answer all our prayers at once?
• Did God like us better when we were cavemen?
• If Jesus walks on earth why can’t we see him?
• Can Jesus come to us in dreams and bring messages to us?
• Does God love the Devil?
• Why did God make wasps and bees?
• Does God like sports?

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

In this special episode, Word on Fire's John Barron interviews the design team responsible for the mesmerizing Word on Fire Bible, including Rozann Lee, Michael Stevens, and Nic Fredrickson. Listen as they share the story behind its creation and the workings of Providence that made it happen.

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

With the presidential election around the corner, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt consider principles that should inform our voting decisions. They also discuss a recent Pew Research Center report titled “8 facts about Catholics and politics in the U.S” and explore the voting guidance provided by the U.S. bishops through their document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.

A listener asks, what can a person of faith do that an atheist can’t do?

Listen to this sample lesson from Dr. Anthony Pagliarini's course for the Word on Fire Institute titled “How Nones Can Misread the Bible.” To access the other six lessons in this course, join the Word on Fire Institute today. You'll also receive a copy of Bishop Barron's new book, the latest issue of the Evangelization & Culture Journal, and immediate access to all of Bishop Barron's films and study programs!

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

What is postmodernism? What gave rise to it, what are its main characteristics, and how should Catholics assess it? In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss the postmodern turn and its results.

A listener asks, is it impossible for some people to believe in God?

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

Listen to the second part of this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's study program, "Untold Blessing," which explores the three paths of holiness. This is from the third path, knowing that your life is not about you. Enjoy! (Want access to the rest of the talks in this study program? Join the Word on Fire Institute today and get immediate access to all of Bishop Barron's films and study programs!)

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

In his wildly popular book, A Manual for Creating Atheists, Peter Boghossian, a philosophy professor at Portland State University, outlines his process of “street epistemology,” which is intended to be a process of anti-evangelization, or talking people out of their religious faith. Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss this method of “street epistemology” and whether it's a good approach for religious dialogue. 

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

Listen to this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's classic study program, "Untold Blessing," which explores the three paths of holiness. Today, we'll hear the first half of Bishop Barron's reflections on the third path, knowing that your life is not about you. Enjoy!

(Want access to the rest of the talks in this study program? Join the Word on Fire Institute today and get immediate access to all of Bishop Barron's films and study programs!)

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

Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from several non-Catholics, including:

• How to foster unity between Protestants and Catholics?
• Why focus on Mary and the saints instead of the Trinity?
• I'm converting to Catholicism, but how will that affect my wife?
• Why doesn't the Church canonize non-Catholics?
• How to recognize genuine spiritual movements of the soul?
• What is apostolic succession?
• Why must bread and wine be used in the Eucharist?

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

Listen to this sample lesson from Bishop Barron’s course inside the Word on Fire Institute on “The Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar.” Then join the Word on Fire Institute to get access to all twelves lessons in the course (along with all of Bishop Barron’s films and study programs!)

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

Our culture holds many different concepts of morality. In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss three major theories–consequentialism, deontology/legalism, and virtue ethics–and how compatible each is with Catholicism.

A listener asks about the Word on Fire strategy for discipleship after we evangelize someone.

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

Listen to this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's film and study program "Eucharist," and then get access to the full study program by joining the Word on Fire Institute.

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

It's an exciting day as we celebrate the launch of Bishop Barron's newest book, Renewing Our Hope: Essays for the New Evangelization (CUA Press). The book pulls together 17 academic essays, talks, and papers that Bishop has composed over the past few years, and covers everything from evangelization, to theology, philosophy, the sex abuse crisis, the priesthood, relativism, liberalism, and even contemporary movies. Brandon and Bishop discuss the book in today's episode.

A listener asks how to dialogue with those who believe that Jesus is just one of many incarnations of God.

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

How do we share the Faith in a culture where many people don’t understand what we mean by words like "sin" or "salvation"—and where the media constantly bombards us with the idea that the teachings of the Church are irrelevant, outdated, or bigoted?

All too often, people aren’t even interested in hearing about the Faith! Especially when we seek to reach young people or bring back those who have left the Church, we must find ways to communicate more effectively—in short, to make our arguments meaningful. Here, the imagination is essential, but often neglected.

In this sample lesson from her Word on Fire Institute course, Dr. Holly Ordway focuses on the role of the imagination in apologetics, showing how attention to language and meaning can make the work of catechesis and evangelization much more effective.

Want access to the rest of the course? Join the Word on Fire Institute today!

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

Last month, Jon Steingard, frontman of the Christian rock group Hawk Nelson, revealed that “he no longer believes in God” after spending his life as a devout Christian. His prominent de-conversion was profiled by The TODAY Show, People Magazine, NPR, and numerous other outlets. In today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt explore the reasons Jon Steingard gave to explain why he lost his faith.

A listener asks how to explain to a “none” the role of the Church’s magisterium.

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

The narrative that science and Christianity are enemies is false. Not only are they not enemies but Christianity helped science develop beyond the limits imposed on it by ancient cosmologies. In this sample lesson from her Word on Fire Institute course titled "Science for Evangelists," Dr. Trasancos introduces us to the basics of science and why there is no real conflict between science and Christianity.

Want access to the rest of the course? Join the Word on Fire Institute today!

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

In today’s episode, Bishop Barron fields questions from people all over the world, including:

• How do we reconcile love as willing the good of the other with more exclusive love, such as the love between a husband and wife?
• Some Protestant theologians say that John 6 is not talking about transubstantiation because this dialogue took place before the institution of the Eucharist. What do you think?
• What does the Catholic Church say about predestination and free will?
• Why does God need to be worshipped and glorified, and need sacrifices? On human terms, this sounds like his love is conditional and he is insecure.
• Can dogma be changed or overthrown?
• Was Jesus a socialist?
• What are the essential qualities/qualifications needed for evangelism? Degrees or degree program recommendations?

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

Today we share a sample lesson from Fr. Stephen Gadberry’s course inside the Word on Fire Institute titled “The People You Will Meet.” Knowing your audience is very important in effective evangelization. In this course, Fr. Gadberry distinguishes the different types of people you will likely meet. His advice is based on years of experience as a Catholic priest engaging people about the faith. 

If you enjoyed this sample lesson from his course, you can enjoy the rest of them by signing up for the Word on Fire Institute!

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

We’re all hyper-distracted, pulled in so many directions from our phones, to TV, to social media. We’re plagued by notifications, texts, pings, and alerts. Why do we put up with all these distractions? How can we avoid them? Bishop Barron shares how to fight back and find pleasure in “useless things.”

A listener asks how to prove there’s a transcendent dimension if it’s not mathematically or scientifically provable.

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

NOTE: Due to enormous demand, the leather edition of The Word on Fire Bible: The Gospels ($59) and the Evangelization Pack (1 Leather + 4 Paperbacks for $99) are both out of stock. Both should be available to order again in September when the second printing is complete.

Today marks the launch of the long-anticipated Word on Fire Bible! Learn more about this project, which has been four years in the making. Discover what makes The Word on Fire Bible unique, how we chose the translation, and why its captivating beauty and insights can lure even nonbelievers to pick up the Scriptures.

A listener asks why Jesus waited until age thirty to begin his public ministry.

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

If you aren't familiar with the sweeping story of salvation, the "theo-drama," you won't fully grasp any particular part of the story. Today, Bishop Barron unveils the five acts of the biblical drama: Creation, the Fall, the formation of Israel, Jesus Christ, and the Church.

A listener asks for some recommended biographies on the life of St. Thomas Aquinas.

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

Kids ask the best questions, and today Bishop Barron responds to many from around the world:

• Why did Jesus die on the cross rather than some other death?
• Why did God make other planets that people can’t live on?
• Where does God sleep?
• Will you have friendships in Heaven and will they be the same as friendships on Earth
• If God can do anything, can he make a mistake?
• Is an angel a spirit or soul? Also, could there be two Supreme Beings?
• Why did God allow the Devil to exist?
• What is the point of people? Why did God decide to create us?

Links

• The Sacraments film series

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

An article by the Protestant pastor Timothy Keller offers “6 Principles for How to Argue When You Disagree.” Bishop Barron and Brandon walk through the article and discuss how we can have better conversations with people who hold very different views than us.

A listener asks if, as a priest, Bishop Barron ever gets bored at prayer.

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

One day in 1961, the famous physicist Richard Feynman stepped in front of a Caltech lecture hall and posed this question to a group of undergraduate students: “If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence was passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?”

In today’s episode we apply that same thought experiment to some of the greatest thinkers and saints from our tradition. What one sentence would encapsulate their thought? We look at Moses, Jesus, Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, Merton, and even Bishop Barron’s own “cataclysm sentence”!

A listener asks whether God made a mistake in creating humans.

Links

• Watch “Sacraments” film
• Radio Lab episode – “The Cataclysm Sentence”

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

A recent New York Times story claimed to reveal “Why the Big Bang Produced Something Rather Than Nothing.” Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the article and whether science is capable of answering this classic philosophical question.

A listener asks about the fear of God, and whether it’s appropriate since God is all loving.

Links

• “Why the Big Bang Produced Something Rather Than Nothing” (New York Times)
• Word on Fire Bible

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

What are the basics we should know about the Holy Spirit? Who is he? And why is the Holy Spirit even necessary? Why not just God the Father and God the Son? In today's episode Bishop Barron reflects on the Holy Spirit and explains how to grow closer to him and receive all his gifts.

A listener asks, what type of items would belong in a home devotional corner?

Links

• Saint Catherine of Siena by Fr. Paul Murray, OP

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

In a recent article for The Atlantic, David Brooks claims “The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake.” He contends that the model of a married couple with 2.5 kids was an anomaly in the 1950s and 1960s, and that this nuclear family model is no longer working for many Americans, especially those who are less privileged. To address this family crisis, Brooks argues we need to break out of the nuclear-family-is-best mindset and “thicken and broaden” family relationships by incorporating extended families and “families of choice” (e.g., friends, co-religionists, and other voluntary groups living together) as better ways to raise children.

Bishop Barron offers his thoughts on the article and how they compare with Catholic social teaching on the family.

A listener asks how to define beauty prove that it’s objective?

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

Jesus has naturally been a key person of interest for Western thought, but over the last few hundred years, there have been some major shifts in what scholars describe as the “quest for the historical Jesus.”

Bishop Barron provides an overview of these developments and the problematic attempt to separate the “Jesus of history” from the “Christ of Faith.”

A listener asks what Bishop Barron would say about Jesus walking on water.

Links

• The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians by N.T. Wright
• Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration by Pope Benedict XVI
• Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week by Pope Benedict XVI
• Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives by Pope Benedict XVI

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

Alleluia! We've just entered into the joyous season of Easter, where we celebrate the Lord's Resurrection, but what does it mean to say that Jesus is risen from the dead? That's what Bishop Barron answers in today's episode.

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

On this Good Friday, we share Bishop Barron's “Tre Ore” reflections, which Cardinal Dolan invited him to deliver in 2012 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (New York, NY).

The “Tre Ore,” or Three Hours’ Agony, is a liturgical service held on Good Friday from noon until three o'clock to commemorate the Passion of Christ, and includes a series of homilies on the seven last words spoken by Christ. Bishop's seven reflections last around 90 minutes, so we encourage you to listen to them sometime today.

• 1:24 - Introduction
• 5:31 - First Word ("Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.")
• 18:11 - Second Word ("Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.")
• 34:08 - Third Word ("Woman, behold your son... Behold your mother.")
• 46:36 - Fourth Word ("My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?")
• 1:02:49 - Fifth Word ("I thirst.")
• 1:12:43 - Sixth Word ("Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.")
• 1:20:44 - Seventh Word ("It is finished.")
• 1:28:10 - Conclusion

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As Holy Week begins, listen to Bishop Barron’s reflections on the 14 Stations of the Cross. Stream it all at once, or throughout the week, as we approach the memorial of Christ’s Passion.

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

Bishop Barron answers questions from non-Catholics around the world, including:

• If we are beloved children of God, how could he banish anyone to an eternity of Hell?
• Why do priests have to be celibate?
• What's the difference between the Jewish Bible, Catholic Bible, and the Koran?
• How do we read similarities between the Virgin birth and similar stories found in other myths/religions?
• Why do Catholics need to confess their sins to a priest, and not directly to God?
• Why is the Church so obsessed with sexual issues but not other sins, such as gluttony?

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

Friends, the coronavirus outbreak has left countless people all over the world asking themselves: Why is God allowing this to happen? How do we respond? And where can we find hope? In this bonus episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” we discuss these and other questions, exploring the ancient problem of evil, the impact of the virus on Catholic sacramental life, and other spiritual dimensions and effects of this crisis. Please listen and share!

In last week's episode, we shared the first half of Bishop Barron's talk on “The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.” It focused on the Biblical and patristic basis for the doctrine. This week, we hear the second half of his talk which looks at the Eucharistic theology of Thomas Aquinas, the Council of Trent, and a letter on the Eucharist from Pope Paul VI. Enjoy!

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

As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, Catholic dioceses throughout the United States have now suspended public Masses.

We know this is heartbreaking. The Catechism affirms that "the Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life"—making this a particularly difficult day in an already difficult time.

For this reason, we would like to invite you to join Bishop Barron online for Mass each day at 8:15am ET from his chapel in Santa Barbara:

https://wordonfireshow.com/mass

Whether you live alone or with family, you will still be gathering with Catholics around the world to worship God, keep his day holy, and receive the grace of an act of spiritual communion (a prayer for this will be provided on screen).

We will continue to offer these daily online Masses for the foreseeable future, so please join us each day, or as often as you can.

And please continue to pray for all those impacted by the coronavirus.

God bless you all!

The fathers of the Second Vatican Council referred to the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life, that from which authentic Christianity flows and that toward which it tends. Yet a recent Pew Forum study found that only 30% of church-going Catholics believe what the Church teaches about the Eucharist, that under the forms of bread and wine, Christ is really present in the sacrament.

That alarming statistic is why Bishop Barron devoted an hour-long keynote address to the topic at the 2020 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. Today we share the first half of his talk, which looks at the Biblical and patristic basis for the doctrine of the Real Presence, and next week we'll share the second half. Enjoy!

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

Gnosticism was one of the earliest heresies of the Church, and it remains among the most enduring. With an emphasis on special knowledge acquired only by a small group of enlightened elites, as well as a sharp division between spirit and matter, with spiritual things being good and material things being evil, Gnosticism still thrives today everywhere from crack conspiracy theories to Hollywood movies to our culture of self-invention. Bishop Barron discusses Gnosticism and why it ultimately fails to satisfy.

A listener asks Bishop to help her understand the resurrection of the body.

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

Just recently, Catholics were devastated to learn of another case of sexual abuse, this time involving Jean Vanier, the esteemed founder of L’Arche and a man once considered to be a living saint. Vanier, who passed away last year, was accused of sexually assaulting six women in France, using his religious position to abuse and manipulate them. How do we make sense of all this? How can a man who produced enormous good fruit fail so abysmally? And how should Catholics respond to this sort of abuse, and prevent it from happening again? Bishop Barron offers advice on all these questions and more.

A listener asks how energetic young people, passionate about apologetics and evangelization, can take their study to the next level.

Links

• Word on Fire Institute
• Centered: The Spirituality of Word on Fire

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

With the beginning of Lent right around the corner, Bishop Barron talks about this ancient period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter, and offer several recommendations on how to have a more spiritually powerful Lent.

A listener asks: If God made us in his image, and the family is composed of a husband, wife and children, then is there a motherly dimension in God?

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

Links

• Free Daily Lent Reflections from Bishop Barron
• ENGAGE program, free for Lent

Stoicism is experiencing a cultural moment, especially among Millennial techies. What is this ancient school of philosophy? Why is it experiencing a revival? And how does it compare to Christianity? Bishop Barron discusses all that and more in today's episode of the "Word on Fire Show."

A listener asks if the word “holy” means set apart for a particular purpose, what exactly does it mean when we say God himself is holy?

Links/Books

• The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
• Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
• The Porch and the Cross by Dr. Kevin Vost

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

How did Bishop Barron get drawn into the life of the mind? What are his reading and writing habits like? In this episode, he discusses the intellectual life and gives advice to aspiring intellectuals.

A listener asks which literature books Bishop would recommend for a Catholic high school English class.

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

In today’s episode, Bishop Barron fields questions from people all over the world, including:

• How do I evangelize in remote areas where people are simple, and can’t even read the Bible, without dumbing down the message?
• What’s the Catholic response to worry and anxiety?
• Was Purgatory divinely revealed or just a human invention?
• How to evangelize young people about hot-button issues without sounding preachy and condemnatory?
• When praying, should we always go to God with requests or can we sometimes just praise him?
• How can God be outside the universe but still have an effect on it?
• Can you talk about Rabbi Wolpe’s argument against the Trinity, that if God is perfect, how could there be three persons in the Trinity?

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

The hit movie 1917 vividly depicts the horrors of World War I, including its great spiritual peril. In this episode, Bishop Barron reflects on the Great War, discussing its impact on twentieth-century theology and philosophy, the Pope, and the Catholic Church’s relationship to the world.

A listener asks why Jesus chose to live a quiet, mostly obscure life.

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

Today, we share a sample lesson from a course inside our Word on Fire Institute on “Reaching the Different.” The course is taught by Dr. Matt Nelson and teaches how to evangelize friends and family who are apathetic about God and don't care about religion. To get the rest of the course, along with 10 other full courses and all sorts of bonuses, join the Institute at https://wordonfire.institute.

In this third and final part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to Part 1 and Part 2), Bishop Barron examines four influential Fathers from the post-Nicene period:

• John Chrysostom (349 – 407)
• Jerome (347 – 420)
• Augustine (354 – 430)
• Gregory the Great (540 – 604)

A listener asks whether to pray for people who are sick or simply accept pain and suffering as part of God’s plan.

Links + Book Recommendations

• Websites
  • ChurchFathers.org
  • Church Father writings online (New Advent)
• Church Father books mentioned
  • Clement (35 – 99)
    • Letter to the Corinthians
  • Ignatius (35 – 108)
    • Epistles of Ignatius
  • Polycarp (69 – 155)
    • The Martyrdom of Polycarp
  • Justin Martyr (100 – 165)
    • First and Second Apologies
  • Irenaeus (130 – 202)
    • Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies)
  • Origen (184 – 253)
    • De Principiis (On First Principles)
    • Biblical Commentaries
  • Athanasius (292 – 373)
    • On the Incarnation of the Word
  • Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395)
    • Life of Moses
  • John Chrysostom (349 – 407)
    • On Wealth and Poverty
    • On Marriage and Family Life
  • Jerome (347 – 420)
    • Letters
  • Augustine (354 – 430)
    • Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition)
    • De Civitate Dei (The City of God)
    • De Trinitate (On the Trinity)
  • Gregory the Great (540 – 604)
    • Pastoral Rule
• Church Father collections
  • Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers
  • Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series
  • Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens
• Church Father commentaries/introductions
  • The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina
  • The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI
  • The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI
  • The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin
  • Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett
  • When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D’Ambrosio

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

In this second part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to Part 1), Bishop Barron takes a look at some important Church Fathers from the pre-Nicene and Nicene periods, including:

• Justin Martyr (100 – 165)
• Irenaeus (130 – 202)
• Origen (184 – 253)
• Athanasius (292 – 373)
• Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395)

A listener asks how we can understand Purgatory and Heaven in relation to time.

Links + Book Recommendations

• Websites
  • ChurchFathers.org
  • Church Father writings online (New Advent)
• Church Father books mentioned
  • Clement (35 – 99)
    • Letter to the Corinthians
  • Ignatius (35 – 108)
    • Epistles of Ignatius
  • Polycarp (69 – 155)
    • The Martyrdom of Polycarp
  • Justin Martyr (100 – 165)
    • First and Second Apologies
  • Irenaeus (130 – 202)
    • Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies)
  • Origen (184 – 253)
    • De Principiis (On First Principles)
    • Biblical Commentaries
  • Athanasius (292 – 373)
    • On the Incarnation of the Word
  • Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395)
    • Life of Moses
  • John Chrysostom (349 – 407)
    • On Wealth and Poverty
    • On Marriage and Family Life
  • Jerome (347 – 420)
    • Letters
  • Augustine (354 – 430)
    • Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition)
    • De Civitate Dei (The City of God)
    • De Trinitate (On the Trinity)
  • Gregory the Great (540 – 604)
    • Pastoral Rule
• Church Father collections
  • Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers
  • Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series
  • Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens
• Church Father commentaries/introductions
  • The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina
  • The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI
  • The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI
  • The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin
  • Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett
  • When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D’Ambrosio

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

With the new year coming up, many of us will make resolutions. Some of us will pledge to exercise more, lose weight, or pick up new habits. But what spiritual resolutions should we make for 2020? In this short episode, Bishop Barron offers three suggestions.

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

How many Christmas cards and nativity scenes have you seen presenting the baby Jesus as soft and saccharine? Well, that’s not how the Bible describes him. There, Jesus is presented as a warrior king, who came with a heavenly army to battle against the dark powers of the world.

In this episode, excerpted from Bishop Barron’s CATHOLICISM film series, discover the real meaning of Christmas, and the extraordinary infant king at its center.

Click here to watch the video version of this episode!

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

Who were the Church Fathers, and why do they still matter today? Bishop Barron introduces these spiritual masters and shares their key contributions. In the first episode of our three-part series, he also discusses the three main Apostolic Fathers:

• Clement (35 – 99)
• Ignatius (35 – 108)
• Polycarp (69 – 155)

A listener asks about the difference between faith and hope.

Links + Book Recommendations

• Websites
  • ChurchFathers.org
  • Church Father writings online (New Advent)
• Church Father books mentioned
  • Clement (35 – 99)
    • Letter to the Corinthians
  • Ignatius (35 – 108)
    • Epistles of Ignatius
  • Polycarp (69 – 155)
    • The Martyrdom of Polycarp
  • Justin Martyr (100 – 165)
    • First and Second Apologies
  • Irenaeus (130 – 202)
    • Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies)
  • Origen (184 – 253)
    • De Principiis (On First Principles)
    • Biblical Commentaries
  • Athanasius (292 – 373)
    • On the Incarnation of the Word
  • Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395)
    • Life of Moses
  • John Chrysostom (349 – 407)
    • On Wealth and Poverty
    • On Marriage and Family Life
  • Jerome (347 – 420)
    • Letters
  • Augustine (354 – 430)
    • Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition)
    • De Civitate Dei (The City of God)
    • De Trinitate (On the Trinity)
  • Gregory the Great (540 – 604)
    • Pastoral Rule
• Church Father collections
  • Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers
  • Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series
  • Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens
• Church Father commentaries/introductions
  • The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina
  • The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI
  • The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI
  • The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin
  • Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett
  • When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D’Ambrosio

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

At the recent USCCB meeting, Bishop Barron gave a presentation to all the American bishops in which he offered five ways to draw young people back to God. Today, we discuss each way.

A listener asks which books Bishop Barron would recommend to counter his biology teacher who tells him to read Bertrand Russell and Christopher Hitchens.

Links + Book Recommendations

• Bishop Barron’s USCCB presentation on “Reaching Out to the Religiously Unaffiliated” (YouTube)
• William Lane Craig vs. Christopher Hitchens debate (YouTube)
• StrangeNotions.com
• “20 Arguments for God’s Existence” by Peter Kreeft
• The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism by Edward Feser
• Aquinas: A Beginner’s Guide by Edward Feser
• On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig
• Answering Atheism: How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity by Trent Horn

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

Should theology be a core subject studied in universities? John Henry Newman certainly thought so. Today, we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire Institute course on Newman, titled “The Queen of the Sciences.” It focuses on Newman’s book, Idea of a University, and his comments on the role of religion in the circle of university disciplines.

Join the Word on Fire Institute today and get access to all 12 lessons in Bishop Barron’s course on Newman.

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

The first words out of Jesus’ mouth—and the central theme of his preaching—concerned the Kingdom of God. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, Bishop Barron explores three dimensions of his unique kingship.

A listener asks if God is love, and love is an act of the will, is God reducible to will?

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

This week, Bishop Barron answers questions from listeners all over the world. These include:

• If animals have distinct personalities, then why does the Church teach they don’t have souls?
• What is being conveyed by identifying Jesus as the New Adam and Mary as the New Eve?
• Do you believe we have a predestined “purpose”?
• What can we say about the love of God to someone who has lost an infant to disease, or a parent to suicide?
• If evil is a privation of good (non-being), how can demons be pure non-being?
• Why do some people say, after they die, they wish to see God “face to face”? What does this mean?
• Does the Incarnation bring about the fulfillment of nature, or is Jesus’ divinity something supernaturally added to an already-complete human nature?

If you have a question, be sure to send it in via AskBishopBarron.com.

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What did St. Ignatius mean when he counseled followers to “discern the spirits”? How do we do this? Bishop Barron unpacks the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and offers practical tips on how to discern God’s will in your life.

A listener asks how to discern whether God is calling him to marriage or the priesthood.

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oday we discuss the second half of Joe Rogan’s interview with atheist Richard Dawkins about Dawkins’ new book, Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide. (If you missed the first half, check out last week’s episode!)

A listener asks whether Bishop Barron has considered making Word on Fire into a religious order.

Links

• Joe Rogan interviews Richard Dawkins (full video)
• Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide by Richard Dawkins
• Five Proofs for the Existence of God by Edward Feser
• Word on Fire Institute

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

Joe Rogan, host of the one of the world’s most popular podcasts, recently interviewed Richard Dawkins about Dawkins’ new book, Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide. It’s a follow-up book to Dawkins’ bestselling The God Delusion, although this one is aimed at younger readers. The Rogan/Dawkins interview went immediately viral, drawing over a million views within 48 hours.

Today, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt talk through the first half of the interview, responding to arguments raised against God and religion.
(Check back next week for our discussion of the second half!)

A listener asks whether Bishop Barron has considered making Word on Fire into a religious order.

Links

• Joe Rogan interviews Richard Dawkins (full video)
• Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide by Richard Dawkins
• “Debunking the One God Further Objection” (Strange Notions)
• Word on Fire Institute

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

Surveys show 61% of people sleep with their phones and 75% grab their phones as soon as they wake up. We’re addicted to our smartphones. In this episode, Bishop Barron reflects on this problem (including his own smartphone use), offering guidance from some of the greatest saints and spiritual masters in the Catholic tradition.

A listener asks whether saints feel emotions in heaven, such as feeling sad when friends or family on earth struggle with sin.

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Last month, Bishop Barron visited Reddit for another #AMA (ask me anything). Over 15,000 comments poured in from young skeptics around the world, making it the third most-commented on #AMA of the year, and the ninth most popular in Reddit history. Today, Bishop Barron reflects on the experience and four main patterns of questions he noticed.

A listener asks for a concrete example of mercy mocking justice.

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How do we make sense of all the names, groups, and movements surrounding the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)? What are the key things to know, and how have they shaped today’s Catholic Church? Bishop Barron explains.

A listener asks why secular philosophy departments tend to discount Scholasticism in favor of modern philosophy.

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A recent article in The Atlantic claimed “A Famous Argument Against Free Will Has Been Debunked". It focused on a famous experiment during the 1980s that seems to show our brain "decides" on our behavior before we actually make particular choices. Many believed this confirmed we don't have free will, that all our thoughts and behaviors are determined.

But is this the case? Is free will just an illusion? Bishop Barron explains some of the classic arguments for free will and its relationship to God and Christianity.

A listener asks why in Catholicism pride is a deadly sin, but Aristotle describes it as a virtue.

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This week, we share the second half of a talk from Bishop Barron on John Henry Newman’s book, The Grammar of Assent. We shared the first half last week, so be sure to listen to that first.

The Grammar of Assent concerns question about how we come to believe in God, and is widely considered Newman’s most important text.

Also, it’s a timely topic, since John Henry Newman will be canonized in just a couple weeks, on October 13. Bishop Barron will be attending the canonization, then a few days later will deliver a talk at Oxford University on “John Henry Newman and the New Evangelization.” That talk, which we’re planning to livestream, will focus primarily on The Grammar of Assent.

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

This week, we share the first half of a talk from Bishop Barron on John Henry Newman’s book, The Grammar of Assent. The book concerns the question of belief–how we come to believe in God–and is widely considered his most important text.

Also, it’s a timely topic, since John Henry Newman will be canonized in just a couple weeks, on October 13. Bishop Barron will be attending the canonization, then a few days later will deliver a talk at Oxford University on “John Henry Newman and the New Evangelization.” That talk, which we’re planning to livestream, will focus primarily on The Grammar of Assent.

So enjoy the first half of this talk, and we’ll share the second half next week.

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

Bishop Barron takes questions from kids, including:

• Why did Jesus pick Judas to be one of his disciples when he knew Judas would betray him?
• Does Heaven have night time?
• How is St. Michael an angel and a saint?
• How does a family with young kids perform the corporal/spiritual works of mercy?

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The annual United Nations World Happiness Report, which measures the happiness of different countries, is always dominated by Scandinavian nations. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland have always been in the top ten. But what’s striking is that these happiest countries are also those which rank among the least religious. On the flip side, most African countries, which tend to be the very religious, consistently land near the bottom of the U.N. Happiness Report.

What does Bishop Barron make of this? How should we actually define happiness, and what have the great thinkers and saints throughout time said about finding happiness? That’s what we discuss in today’s episode.

A listener asks how we reconcile all the violence/competition seen in nature with the Creator God of peace.

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Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from all over the world about God, the Church, and the culture. Will it be possible to upload one’s consciousness to a computer and attain immortality? Why was Christianity started in the West? If humans are born with original sin, then why does the Bible encourage us to have children and increase the amount of sin in the world? Listen for Bishop Barron’s answers!

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A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that “just one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ.” What’s the cause of this? And moving forward, how do we fix the problem? Bishop Barron discusses in today’s episode.

(Explore a collection of my resources on the Eucharist here: https://www.wordonfire.org/presence)

A listener asks if the Eucharist gives us life, why do we reserve it only for Catholics?

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Today, we discuss a recent article in Teen Vogue titled "Who is Karl Marx?" which shows how many teens and teachers have begun dabbling in Marxism. There have been a slew of other articles noting the rise of Millennials supporting socialism. Having done his masters work in philosophy on Karl Marx, Bishop Barron introduces us to this influential thinker and his main ideas, noting the problems the Catholic Church has with them.

A listener asks why the Apostle's Creed says Jesus "descended into Hell."

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Today, we use Google's autocomplete feature to have Bishop Barron respond to some of the top questions people search for beginning with the phrase "Does God...". Does God love everyone? Does God change his mind? Does God have a name? Listen and find out!

A listener asks what evidence we have for the existence of Jesus.

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Bishop Barron is wrapping up the final two episodes of his Pivotal Players film series. Today, Joseph Gloor interviews Bishop Barron in the car as they recount significant sites they've visited associated with the last pivotal player, Bartolomé de las Casas.

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Bishop Barron is traveling around the world right now, filming the final two episodes of his Pivotal Players film series. Today, Joseph Gloor interviews Bishop Barron in the car as they recount significant sites they've visited so far.

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

Bishop Barron is traveling overseas to film the last two episodes of his Pivotal Players series. So in this episode, we share a clip from one of his classic study programs, “Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues”.

The clip focuses on the sin of pride and the corresponding virtue of humility. Get access to the full study program (and all of Bishop Barron’s films) when you join the Word on Fire Institute at wordonfire.institute.

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

Why does Bishop Barron focus heavily on ad extra evangelization, the type of ministry aimed at the peripheries of the culture? That’s the focus of this episode. Bishop also responds to some of the criticisms he’s received for his appearances at Facebook, Google, and Amazon, along with his interviews with Dave Rubin, Ben Shapiro, and Jordan Peterson.

A listener asks how why Jesus often tells people not to tell anyone about his healing miracles.

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

Bishop Barron spoke to all the U.S. bishops about the “nones” during their recent USCCB gathering. In this episode, we walk through Bishop Barron’s talk and discuss some of the criticism he’s received about his presentation, particularly his reference to the Jordan Peterson phenomenon.

A listener asks how we can stay optimistic as Catholics in light of all the challenges the Church faces.

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As the Word on Fire Institute launches a new course by Dr. Christopher Kaczor on “Myths of the Catholic Church,” Bishop Barron and host Jared Zimmerer talk about seven of the most common misunderstandings people have about Catholicism.

A listener asks how Catholics should view the advancement of AI technology.

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In his recent interview with Ben Shapiro, Bishop Barron said that he wants to “re-Judaize Catholicism,” to read Christ, the Bible, and the Christian Faith through the lens of Israel. How do we do this? That’s what he and host Jared Zimmerer discuss in today’s episode.

A listener asks why the East and West churches split, and why they haven’t been reunited.

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Non-Catholic listeners send in their questions for Bishop Barron. Questions include:

• As a Christian, do you ever think, "What if God doesn't exist"?
• How are Adam and Eve guilty of disobedience if they had no knowledge of good/evil until after they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
• Why did the disciples betray Jesus despite seeing miracles?
• Why is God almost exclusively referred to as a masculine entity in the Catholic Church?
• How do I understand Mary's important in the Catholic Faith? Is it essential?
• How can we trust the Bible, when evidence shows the Old Testament isn't true?
• Did John Henry Newman have any disagreements with the Catholic Church before his conversion?

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

Several recent bestselling books have focused on the Enlightenment, including Stephen Pinker's Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. But what was the Enlightenment, and how should we view its effects? Bishop Barron offers his take today.

A listener asks how Christians determine which parts of the Mosaic law in the Old Testament are still in effect today.

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The great novelist, J.R.R. Tolkien, has enchanted generations of readers with his Hobbitand Lord of the Rings, and is the subject of a new feature film, titled Tolkien. But in today’s episode, Bishop Barron talks about Tolkien’s Catholic faith, which was mostly absent in the new film, but critical to his upbringing and his stories of Middle-earth.

A listener asks what he should if he’s unable to find a spiritual director.

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

Articles Mentioned

• I was an Atheist Until I Read “The Lord of the Rings”
• Gimli, Galadriel, and Guadalupe: An image of Our Lady in the Lady of Lothlorien
• Where the Rosary Appears in “The Lord of the Rings”
• Tolkien’s Catholic Genius

Books Mentioned

• The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien’s Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings by Fleming Rutledge
• Tolkien: Man and Myth by Joseph Pearce
• Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit by Joseph Pearce
• Frodo’s Journey: Discover the Hidden Meaning of The Lord of the Rings by Joseph Pearce

A recent bill proposed in the California Senate will force priests to report any crimes of sexual abuse they hear about in the confessional, breaking the seal of Confession. Bishop Barron speaks about the sacredness of this sacrament and what the Church should do if, suddenly, the sacrament of Confession becomes functionally illegal.

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

Today we discuss Bishop Barron's new book, titled Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis.

In light of this current crisis, many Catholics are understandably asking, “Why should I stay? Why not abandon this sinking ship before it drags me or my children under?"

This book explains why this is not the time to leave, but the time to stay and fight. Reading the current crisis through the lenses of Scripture and Church history, Bishop Barron shows that we have faced such egregious scandals before; that the spiritual treasures of the Church were preserved by holy men and women who recommitted themselves to fighting evil; and that there is a clear path forward for us today.

Thanks to generous donors, you can claim a free copy of the print book (you just cover shipping handling) and place bulk orders of 20+ copies for just $1 per copy (with free shipping.)

Get your copies here >> https://wordonfireshow.com/letter

And encourage your pastor and staff to order copies for your whole parish!

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

In today's episode, we share the second half of a talk Bishop Barron gave on John Henry Newman's famous book, An Essay on the Development of Doctrine.

If you missed the first, click here to listen to Part 1.

Also, be sure to pick up your Word on Fire Classics edition of Newman's Development of Doctrine, which includes a Foreword by Bishop Barron!

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

In March 2019, Bishop Barron was interviewed by Dr. Jordan Peterson for the Jordan B. Peterson Podcast. To say the discussion was highly anticipated is an understatement. Fans of both Dr. Peterson and Bishop Barron have asked for these two great minds to meet, and their wide-ranging, nearly two-hour discussion is worth the wait.

Although the interview hasn't been made public yet on Jordan Peterson's channels, in this episode we discuss some of the most interesting parts of the interview.

(Sign up here to be notified when the interview goes live >> https://wordonfire.org/peterson)

A listener asks about the term logos and what it means.

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

Recently, The New York Times featured an op-ed by philosophy professor Peter Atteton, who tried to show that the idea of God is incoherent. Bishop Barron responds to Atteton's points and shows how there are no logical problems with believing in God.

A listener asks whether Catholic universities should begin offering an evangelization major or concentration.

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

We record this episode the day after a tragic fire at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris has destroyed the spire, roof, and interior of one of the most important and magnificent religious sites in the world. Bishop Barron shares his close ties to Notre Dame, including his time as tour guide, and explains why these Gothic churches are so significant.

A listener asks about Robert Sokolowski and which of his books to read.

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As Holy Week begins, listen to Bishop Barron's reflections on the 14 stations of the Cross. Stream it all at once, or throughout the week, as we approach the memorial of Christ's Passion.

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

Bishop Barron and Joe Gloor record live from the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, discussing what's new and exciting at Word on Fire.

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

Kids from around the world ask Bishop Barron their burning questions about God's favorite food, whether heaven has an edge, and why the ground shook when Jesus died on the Cross.

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

Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt record live from Rome, where they visited for Bishop's reception of an honorary doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (aka The Angelicum.)

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

We started the Word on Fire Show back in 2015, right after Bishop Barron was consecrated bishop. Now, three years later, after 170 episodes and 6 million downloads, we're ready for the next phase. But to get there, we need your help! Learn about the future of the show and why your support will be critical to making it happen.

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

John Henry Newman's classic book, An Essay on the Development of Doctrine, shows how doctrine isn't stagnant but in fact develops over time, much like an acorn grows into a sprouting oak tree. In today's episode, we share the first half of a talk Bishop Barron gave on the book and its influence. (Pick up your Word on Fire Classics edition of Newman's Development of Doctrine, which includes an Introduction by Bishop Barron!)

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping at http://wordonfireshow.com/patron. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners...like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today.

What's actually happening when we pray? In this episode, Bishop Barron answers the deepest questions about prayer, not necessarily how to pray but what is prayer? A listener asks about the Rosary prayer and how it operates.

NOTE: As we move into Lent, sign up for Bishop Barron's free daily Lent reflections at LentReflections.com

Bishop Barron recently visited the headquarters of Amazon, in Seattle, WA, to take part in a "Fishbowl" discussion about his new book, Arguing Religion. Around 200 Amazon employees were in attendance. Listen to the whole conversation in today's episode.

Pick up your copy of Arguing Religion >> http://wordonfireshow.com/religion

Recently, Bishop Barron watched several YouTube conversation between Sam Harris, a well-known atheist, and Dr. Jordan Peterson, one of the most prominent and beguiling intellectuals today. We've talked in past episodes about Dr. Peterson's reliance on Carl Jung, and his archetypal reading of the Bible, but today we explore Dr. Peterson's similarities to Immanuel Kant, especially when it comes to the question of God. A listener asks why a Hindu should become Christian if Hinduism seems to have a more peaceful history.

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 listener asks whether our memories will transfer to Heaven.

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 Catholic tradition includes so many definitions of God.

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 coming.

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?
• Since there's no time in heaven, when I die, will the rest of my family already be there even if they’re not dead yet?
• How do you defend the faith through social media when so few people are willing to engage serious arguments?
• How can Catholic laypeople determine which Church leaders to follow and imitate?
• Are we at a spiritual disadvantage without deep friendships in our lives? Are there any virtues of loneliness?

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 as we move into 2019 >> wordonfireshow.com/religion

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? Help support us by donating at http://wordonfireshow.com/giving. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners...like you! So be part of this mission, and donate today.

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/giving. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners...like you! So be part of this mission, and donate today.

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 here to listen to the first half.)

NOTE: Do you like this podcast, and Bishop Barron’s other great work? Help support us by donating at http://wordonfireshow.com/giving. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and donate today.

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 you like this podcast, and Bishop Barron’s other great work? Help support us by donating at http://wordonfireshow.com/giving. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and donate today.

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.

Bishop Barron joins Word on Fire Producer, Joseph Gloor, at the North American College in Rome to discuss the Word on Fire Institute, the Word From Rome project, and the Canonization Mass of October 14, 2018.

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://wordonfire.institute

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: Be sure to visit WordFromRome.com to see all of Bishop Barron's daily video updates from the Synod!

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.

Click here to learn more >> https://wordonfire.institute

Bonus Link >> Bishop Barron's Reddit Q&A

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 has set out on a missionary journey to the UK! In this episode of the Word on Fire Show, Bishop discusses this great adventure while on the road with Word on Fire Producer, Joseph Gloor.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction
• 3:30 - What were the grave sites like in Scotland?
• 10:00 - What is the Catholic take on Adam Smith's market economy? 
• 15:00 - Where is Arthur's Seat?
• 20:00 - What does Haggis taste like?
• 23:00 - What did Bishop Barron discuss in his talk at The Usher Hall?
• 27:00 - Listener Question: What will Bishop Barron talk about in Liverpool?

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 two are mutually implicative. A listener asks when Bishop Barron says "love the other, as other," what does he mean by "as other"?

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction
• 3:30 - Why is the upcoming synod so important?
• 5:00 - Why are young people becoming "nones"?
• 9:45 - What is the number one reason people leave the Church and why?
• 12:00 - Why do accompaniment and apologetics go hand and hand?
• 19:30 - What questions does the New Apologetics need to respond to?
• 24:30 - Listener Question: When you say "love the other, as other," what do you mean by "as other"?

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 candid conversation today, building on the USCCB's recent statement.

Listen to the discussion here, and together let's pray for the victims and the entire Body of Christ.

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 share the Q&A with you. Enjoy!

In this episode you'll hear the full Episode 1 from Bishop Barron's new film series, The Mass. Listen as Bishop Barron explains why the Mass is so important, and why it's not just a lecture or performance but a continual response between Christ and his people.

Be sure to visit Mass.WordOnFire.org, where you can pick up the new special edition set of the series, which includes immediate streaming access to the videos and free USA shipping for the box set.

Ten years ago, Bishop Barron and his Word on Fire team set out to create something the world had never seen: a large-scale film series about the Catholic faith that put the intelligence and beauty of Catholicism on full display. The resulting CATHOLICISM series has touched millions of people, becoming one of the most effective evangelistic resources of the twenty-first century.

As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the CATHOLICISM series this week, we share a special Live Q&A with Bishop Barron about the series, and offer a special way to watch all ten episodes free online. Learn more at https://CatholicismSeries.com!

Pope Francis has encouraged priests to "get out of the sacristy into the streets," to find the Church's lost sheep and evangelize them. Bishop Barron agrees with this advice, and in this episode, he offers his take on the best ways to do that. A listener asks why we need to repent if God's love is unconditional.

Topics Discussed

• 04:00 - Bishop Barron's favorite memories from the Pivotal Players film trip
• 4:00 - What is Bishop Barron's article about?
• 8:15 - How does a parish shift gears to evangelization?
• 14:00 - What has been the common perspective on evangelization?
• 17:30 - How will the Word on Fire Movement serve this mission?
• 22:00 - What advice does Bishop Barron have for evangelizers, both lay and clergy?
• 26:15 - Listener Question: Is the love of God really unconditional?

What do we mean by religious liberty? Why should all people, including non-religious people, care about protecting religious liberty? Bishop Barron recently joined the U.S. Bishop's Committee for Religious Liberty, and has been thinking about these questions more deeply. Today, he gives an overview of the topic, including a look at John Courtney Murray, Vatican II, and what ordinary Catholics in the pew can do to promote religious liberty. A listener asks about the divide which has arisen between academic theology and spirituality.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, USCCB meeting in Florida
• 2:00 - What is religious liberty?
• 5:50 - Why should atheists care about religious liberty?
• 9:00 - What is the history of religious liberty in the USA?
• 16:00 - Is religious liberty under attack in America now?
• 19:50 - What are the best ways to propose religious liberty, and how can we defend religious liberty in our own way?
• 25:45 - Listener Question: How to we heal the gap between theology and spirituality?

Listen to tales from the road as Bishop Barron discusses his recent film trip with Word on Fire Producer, Joseph Gloor. The team just wrapped production on the next two episodes of CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, which feature Ven. Fulton Sheen and Flannery O'Connor. In today's episode you'll hear some anecdotes and insights Bishop Barron gathered over the course of this great American adventure. Word on Fire CEO, Father Steve Grunow, asks Bishop to explain the last two pivotal players on the list.

Go to http://PivotalPlayersFilming.com for exclusive behind-the-scenes commentaries!

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction
• 1:45 - What did Bishop Barron think of Yaddo and his reaction to all the laypeople thanking him throughout the trip?
• 6:30 - Who is the Pivotal Players film crew?
• 11:15 - Hilary Clinton and the D.C. travel debacle
• 13:30 - Savannah, Church politics, and another Bishop Barron meme
• 19:45 - How are we celebrating 10 years of the CATHOLICISM series?
• 20:30 - Flannery O'Connor's countryside living, suffering, and sanctity
• 25:20 - Where was the last shot in the film project?
• 26:30 - Listener Question: Who are the remaining pivotal players and when will they be filmed?

To ask Bishop Barron a question on the show go to www.AskBishopBarron.com 

Join Bishop Barron in the production van as he travels from New York City to Yaddo, an artist community in Saratoga Springs. Bishop is currently filming the next two episodes of his epic film series, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, which feature Ven. Fulton Sheen and Flannery O'Connor. Today's episode gives you behind-the-scenes access as Bishop offers his take on these major Catholic figures. A listener asks about the sanctity of Flannery O'Connor.

Go to http://PivotalPlayersFilming.com for exclusive behind-the-scenes commentaries!

Topics Discussed

• 04:00 - Introduction
• 1:45 - What is The Pivotal Players film series?
• 3:30 - Where are the film locations for these next two episodes?
• 10:15 - Where is Bishop Barron most excited to visit?
• 11:20 - Who is Fulton Sheen to Bishop Barron?
• 14:20 -Who is Flannery O'Connor to Bishop Barron?
• 21:00 - What does Bishop Barron think these two figures would want us to emphasize while telling their story?
• 23:30 - Listener Question: Should Flannery O'Connor be considered for sainthood?

In this episode Bishop Barron answers Questions about the Mass.

Go to ReasonScienceFaith.com to get your free Catholic scientist posters!

In this episode, Bishop Barron answers questions from the Word on Fire Community.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction
• 1:45 - Why have my emotions cooled off after my conversion?
• 6:30 - What should we tell people who think religion is superstition?
• 10:36 - How should we respond to people who claim to be "spiritual but not religious"?
• 14:30 - Does religion have a smart people problem?
• 19:30 - Why does Dante's explanation of Heaven have varying levels?
• 23:40 - Are all religions at the core fundamentally the same?
• 27:25 - What are some ideas for evangelizing a college campus?

To join the Word on Fire Community go to www.wordonfire.org/community 

In this episode, Bishop Barron discusses the content of his great book, And Now I See. A listener asks about the role of our conscience in relation to Church teaching.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop Barron's trip to the National Eucharistic Congress in Atlanta.
• 2:15 - What is the central crux of And Now I See?
• 5:30 - Why is the idea of sight used to explain Christian transformation?
• 7:40 - How does Dante reveal the "mind of fear" in all of us?
• 13:45 - How does Thomas Merton reveal the "mind of trust" that comes from Christ?
• 18:30 - How can a aggressive spirituality become a detriment to us? 
• 22:50 - How is the Incarnation the key to changing our vision?
• 25:10 - What should we do if our conscience is at odds with Church teaching?

Visit www.AskBishopBarron.com to submit a listener question.

Nearly every day we hear about natural disasters, school shootings, and profound tragedies. Each of us experiences pain and suffering. So why does God allow it? Why doesn't he just prevent all evil from occurring? That's what Bishop Barron discusses in today's episode. A listener asks

Topics Discussed

• o:04 - Introduction, Bishop Barron talks about his The Mass Study Program
• 3:14 - How did St. Augustine wrestle with the problem of evil?
• 10:00 - How did Thomas Aquinas deal with the problem of evil philosophically and theologically?
• 17:00 - How could God under any circumstances permit the Holocaust?
• 20:00 - How did God deal with the problem of evil on the Cross?
• 23:00 - How would Bishop Barron explain evil to a grieving sufferer?
• 24:50 - Question: Why did God not make us more capable of understanding him?

In this episode, we discuss a recent article in GQ magazine which described the Bible as overrated, along with a new report from Barna titled State of the Bible 2017: Top Findings. We explore whether people are reading the Bible, how much they're doing it, and how we can all read the Bible better.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop's reflections on his Google talk, the Pope Francis movie
• 5:25 - Why does GQ Magazine think the Bible is overrated?
• 11:30 - How does Bishop Barron engage people who want to read the Bible but struggle with the task?
• 17:00 - How can the Bible, itself, be used as an evangelical tool?
• 21:30 - Why is the printed text of the Bible so important to people rather than the ebook version?
• 27:30 - Question: Is the God of the Bible in contrast with the God of natural theology?

Bonus Resources

• Links
  • State of the Bible 2017: Top Findings (Barna)
  • 3 Takeaways from New Research on Americans and the Bible (Trevin Wax)
  • GQ magazine puts Bible on list of 20 classic books not worth reading (USA Today)
• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on How to Read the Bible
  • Bishop Barron on Biblical Religion
• Articles
  • Pope Benedict and How To Read the Bible (Bishop Barron)

Bishop Barron was recently invited to speak at the Google headquarters (aka the Googleplex) in Mountain View, CA. He addressed a room full of Google and YouTube employees on how religion doesn't shut down the questing intellect, but in fact opens up our minds, causing us to seek the fulfillment of our deepest longings.

We shared the first half of his talk in last week's episode. Today we listen to the second half along with the post-talk Q&A with Google/YouTube employees.

Bishop Barron was recently invited to speak at the Google headquarters (aka the Googleplex). in Mountain View, CA. He addressed a room full of Google and YouTube employees on how religion doesn't shut down the questing intellect, but in fact opens up our minds, causing us to seek the fulfillment of our deepest longings.

NOTE: This episode includes the first half of Bishop Barron's talk. We'll play the second half next week, including the post-talk Q&A with Google/YouTube employees.

Bishop Barron answers several questions from young listeners, ranging from three-year-olds to eight-year-olds, about God, Adam and Eve, and robbers. Enjoy this kids Q&A episode!

Be sure to record your questions—or your kids' questions—at AskBishopBarron.com.

Topics Discussed

• 2:20 - Update about Word on Fire Institute video recording
• 4:00 - Did Jesus really see his Father on the Cross?
• 5:15 - Why did Peter deny Jesus three times?
• 8:05 - Why didn't God warn Adam and Eve about the serpent?
• 13:00 - Why didn't God make us perfect in the beginning?
• 18:20 - Why did God make robbers?
• 20:45 - Why did God make tigers?
• 24:20 - How is it that God did not come into existence?

The new film Avengers: Infinity War, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, has already grossed over $1 billion worldwide and had the highest-grossing opening in film history. In this episode, Bishop Barron and Jared Zimmerer explore some of the movie's philosophical and spiritual themes.

*SPOILER ALERT!* This episode contains spoilers so only listen after you've seen the film, or if you don't plan to see it.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, confirmation season
• 4:30 - What does Bishop Barron think of comic book movies and the villain, Thanos?
• 6:17 - How does Thanos mirror Nietzsche and alchemy?
• 9:45 - How does Thanos reflect the totalitarian regimes of the World War II?
• 13:05 - How does the Church stand against the idea that "the end justifies the means"?
• 15:45 - What are the shortcomings of the Marvel heroes, and how do they reflect the Greek gods?
• 21:50 - How did Bishop Barron react to the surprise ending?
• 25:00 - Who is Bishop Barron's favorite super hero?
• 26:00 - Question - By what criteria to you criticize movies?

Part two of Bishop Barron’s talk on Catholicism and beauty from the 2018 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.

Part One of Bishop Barron's talk on Catholicism and beauty.

Bishop Barron answers several listener questions during this episode, ranging from classic education to the Great Story of Israel to living the faith while under persecution. Enjoy this listener Q&A episode!

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Updates about Confirmation season
• 2:00 - Video made by students at Bishop Sullivan High School (Virginia Beach, VA)
• 5:00 - What do you think about the movement promoting Catholic classical education?
• 7:40 - Does Psalm 23 demand some sort of prosperity Gospel (e.g., Joel Osteen)?
• 11:00 - What books do you recommend to understand God's relationship with Israel, and the Great Story?
• 14:30 - What do make of the Scripture that says, "God did not do the evil he had been planning to do." How should we read this?
• 18:00 - What key topics and elements do you think every parish religious education program should have?
• 22:15 - Is it possible to be gluttonous in the pursuit of knowledge about God? How do we address that?
• 25:45 - What did John Paul II do to facilitate the downfall of communism?
• 30:15 - Any advice for people living in places where you can't outwardly practice your faith?

John Krasinski's new film, A Quiet Place, which he both directs and stars in, may at first seem like a typical thriller, with lurking monsters threatening to kill everyone in their path. But it's actually a surprisingly religious movie, as Bishop Barron explains, witnessing to the monastic response to evil, the dignity of life, and the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross. A listener asks about the next steps for someone who has said "yes" to Jesus and the Church.

*SPOILER ALERT!* This episode contains spoilers so only listen after you've seen the film, or if you don't plan to see it.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop Barron's vacation
• 2:25 - What is the plot summary of the movie?
• 4:40 - Did John Krasinski intend on making this a religious movie?
• 6:25 - What are some of the key religious motifs presented in the film?
• 10:20 - How does this movie display the beauty of the pro-life argument?
• 15:25 - How does the Christus Victor theory of atonement become a motif within this film?
• 18:50 - How does the Church draw parallels with the ending of A Quiet Place?
• 21:40 - Question - What are the next steps for someone who has said "Yes" to Jesus/Church?

Have a question for Bishop Barron? Go to AskBishopBarron.com!

In this episode, Bishop Barron recounts his visit to the headquarters of both Google and YouTube. He was there to deliver a talk to Catholic Googlers on "Religion and the Opening of the Mind." He reflects on the hungering intellect and why wealth, power, pleasure, and honor all fail to satisfy its restless longings. A listener asks why Jesus didn't appear to more people after his Resurrection.

NOTE: Join the Word on Fire Community here >> http://wordonfire.org/community

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, Holy Week in Bishop Barron's Santa Barbara pastoral region
• 2:20 - What was Bishop Barron's impression of the Google and YouTube offices?
• 7:00 - Why did Bishop Barron choose the topic "Religion and the Opening Up of the Mind"?
• 10:10 - How does Thomas Aquinas's epistemology explain the "agent intellect"? 
• 13:40 - Why does Bishop Barron bring up Elijah and the priest of Baal while at Google?
• 17:00 - Why can't wealth, power, pleasure or honor be the greatest good?
• 25:00 - What can satisfy the questing mind?
• 32:30 - Question: After his Resurrection, why did Jesus show himself only to a few people and not to the Pharisees, Pontius Pilate, or to a large crowd?

This week we enjoy a live recording of Bishop Barron's inspiring Easter homily.

In this week’s episode Bishop Barron discusses an intrinsic aspect of evangelization; community. Not only is there an intrinsic need of mankind to have a community, which the Church teaches is part of man’s nature, but also the need to have a certain kind of community within the Christian life. A listener asks how we ought to distinguish between authentic conscience and what CS Lewis called "the poison of subjectivism"?

BONUS: Learn more about the first ever Word on Fire National Conference for Priests >> http://wordonfire.org/priest

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop Barron's recent trips
• 3:00 - Why does contemporary culture bring a sense of isolation and loneliness?
• 5:45 - How do we find a balance between the autonomy of the individual and the need for community?
• 8:15 - What are the benefits and drawbacks of social media in community building?
• 11:45 - Why do humans need each other?
• 14:30 - How do we bolster parish community?
• 17:30 - What role will the Word on Fire Movement play in building Catholic community?
• 20:30 - What does Bishop Barron recommend for those looking for community?
• 22:00 - Listener Question: What is the difference between the authentic conscience and individual subjectivism?

In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt record live from the L.A. Congress, discussing Bishop Barron's keynote talk on beauty and interacting with visitors at the booth. Enjoy!

In last week's episode, we discussed the Jordan Peterson phenomenon, wondering how the Canadian clinical psychologist exploded so quickly in popularity. In this week's episode, we continue the discussion as Bishop Barron reflects on Peterson's religious views and Biblical interpretation. A listener wonders why we spend so much money on churches instead of giving it to the poor.

BONUS: Learn more about the first ever Word on Fire National Conference for Priests >> http://wordonfire.org/priest

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction,  Bishop Barron's upcoming travels
• 3:10 - What does Bishop Barron like about Jordan Peterson's religious perspectives?
• 5:00 - What issues does he take with Peterson's work?
• 10:45 - What are Jordan Peterson's religious views?
• 16:00 - What does Jordan Peterson believe about the Resurrection and what is Bishop Barron's reaction?
• 20:00 - What is the connection between C.S. Lewis and Jordan Peterson?
• 25:20 - What can Christian evangelists learn from Jordan Peterson?
• 28:30 - Listener question: How can the Church spend so much money on building fancy churches when there are so many poor people in need?

Bonus Resources

• Articles
  • The Jordan Peterson Phenomenon (Bishop Barron)
  • 12 Rules: The Review (Matthew Hosier)
  • What Pastors Could Learn from Jordan Peterson (Alastair Roberts)
• Videos
  • Jordan Peterson's YouTube Channel
  • Jordan Peterson interview with Patrick Coffin about the Catholic faith
• Books
  • 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (Jordan Peterson)
  • Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief (Jordan Peterson)

Dr. Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist and mythology enthusiast, has exploded onto the scene, becoming the world's most popular intellectual figure in just a few short months. Who is he and what should know about him? And why have his ideas gained so much traction, especially young men? Over the next couple episodes, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the Jordan Peterson phenomenon and reflect on his work from a Catholic perspective. A listener asks whether it's fine to use secular mindfulness meditation to relieve anxiety.

BONUS: Learn more about the first ever Word on Fire National Conference for Priests >> http://wordonfire.org/priest

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop spends time with Jim Caviezel
• 4:45 - How did Bishop Barron first come to know Jordan Peterson?
• 7:20 - Who are some of the philosophical influences of Jordan Peterson?
• 10:40 - Why does Jordan Peterson place such an emphasis on the Bible?
• 14:10 - How does Peterson view Nietzsche and our reaction to life's suffering?
• 24:05 - What is Jordan Peterson's reading of the Garden of Eden in Genesis?
• 28:15 - What is Jordan Peterson's take on Buddhism and Christian redemptive suffering?
• 30:00 - Why does Jordan Peterson believe you should absolutely never tell a lie?
• 33:00 - Why has Jordan Peterson become so popular especially amongst young men?
• 37:30 - Listener question: Is it okay for a Catholic to engage in secular mindfulness meditation in order to relieve anxiety?

Bonus Resources

• Articles
  • The Jordan Peterson Phenomenon (Bishop Barron)
  • 12 Rules: The Review (Matthew Hosier)
  • What Pastors Could Learn from Jordan Peterson (Alastair Roberts)
• Videos
  • Jordan Peterson's YouTube Channel
  • Jordan Peterson interview with Patrick Coffin about the Catholic faith
• Books
  • 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (Jordan Peterson)
  • Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief (Jordan Peterson)

The Academy Awards are just around the corner and nine films have been nominated for Best Picture. Bishop Barron has seen seven of them, and in this episode, he shares his thoughts on each. A listener asks whether free will is essential to Christianity.

BONUS: Sign up for the Word on Fire National Conference for Priests >> WordOnFireShow.com/priest

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Discussing Billy Graham's death and legacy
• 5:00 - Dunkirk
• 8:40 - Darkest Hour
• 13:30 - Get Out
• 16:10 - Lady Bird
• 21:25 - The Post
• 24:10 - The Shape of Water
• 27:00 - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• 30:10 - Listener question: How essential is the concept of free will to Christianity?

Bonus Resources

• Articles
  • Lady Bird and the Breakthrough of Grace by Bishop Barron
• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on Lady Bird

The Eucharist is at the foundation of the Word On Fire Institute. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses what it means to be grounded in the Eucharist and how all Catholics can draw closer to the Blessed Sacrament as meal, sacrifice, and Real Presence of Jesus Christ.

NOTE: Get your free Lent Reflections booklet from Bishop Barron here >> http://wordonfireshow.com/lent

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, recap of the natural disasters in Santa Barbara County
• 2:45 - What does it mean to be grounded in the Eucharist?
• 5:00 - How is the Eucharist religiously themed as "meal"?
• 9:30- How does the Eucharist as "sacrifice" illuminate our understanding of Communion?
• 14:50 - How does the Eucharist as the "real presence" relate the power of this sacrament?
• 18:55 - How can we learn from the Eucharistic miracles?
• 21:40 - How can we better ground ourselves in the Blessed Sacrament?
• 24:00 - Listener Question: How can we explain God's non-competitive transcendence in light of transubstantiation?

To ask Bishop Barron a question for the Word on Fire Show visit AskBishopBarron.com!

At Mundelein Seminary you'll find a statue of St. George slaying a dragon below which reads, "Athleta Christi Nobilis" —The Noble Athlete of Christ. As we head into the spiritual desert of Lent, we benefit by examining the lives of those saints who courageously embraced a life of profound asceticism and self-sacrifice. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses three great spiritual athletes from across the centuries. The listener question asks how to remain charitable when you disagree with your interlocutor.

NOTE: Get your free Lent Reflections booklet from Bishop Barron here >> http://wordonfireshow.com/lent

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, the Churchill movie
• 2:45 - What is a spiritual athlete?
• 6:25 - Why is St. Anthony of the Desert a great spiritual athlete?
• 9:55 - Is there something wrong with living your entire life in the desert?
• 12:25 - What can Thomas Merton teach us about the purpose of asceticism?
• 16:45 -Why is St. John of the Cross a great spiritual athlete?
• 20:00 - What is the Dark Night of the Soul?
• 24:30 - Why is Pier Giorgio Frassati a great spiritual athlete?
• 28:25 - Listener Question: How might we remain charitable with someone we passionately disagree with?

To ask Bishop Barron a question go to www.AskBishopBarron.com

On January 13, 2018, Bishop Barron joined Dr. William Lane Craig, the esteemed Protestant apologist, for an evening of dialogue at Claremont McKenna College. On today's episode, we recap both the afternoon session, which was an academic symposium attended by a couple dozen scholars, and the big evening dialogue in which Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig discussed faith, science, secularism, evangelization and more. A listener asks what Bishop Barron thinks of David Bentley Hart's work.

Click here to watch the full dialogue between Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig, and to listen to the afternoon symposium >> http://wordonfireshow.com/wlc

BONUS: Click here to get your free Lent Reflections booklet from Bishop Barron!

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Intro, Why is Bishop Barron in Philadelphia?
• 1:30 - What was Bishop Barron's overall impression of the event with Dr. William Lane Craig?
• 6:4o - What was discussed during the daytime symposium?
• 16:25 - During the evening event, how did Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig agree about evangelization?
• 19:03 - What are Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig's favorite arguments for the existence of God?
• 21:40 - How did a book change the lives of both Dr. Craig and Bishop Barron?
• 23:25 - Why didn't Dr. Craig agree that beauty can be a source of evangelization?
• 29:00 - What happened when Bishop Barron asked Dr. Craig, "Why aren't you Catholic?"
• 33:00 - Listener Question: What does Bishop Barron think about the writings of David Bentley Hart?

Bonus Resources

• Books
  • Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics (William Lane Craig)
  • The Kalām Cosmological Argument (William Lane Craig)
  • The New Testament: A Translation (David Bentley Hart)
  • The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss (David Bentley Hart)
• Articles
  • An Evening with William Lane Craig (Bishop Barron)
• Videos
  • Dialogue with William Lane Craig (Bishop Barron)

Have a question for Bishop Barron? Go to AskBishopBarron.com!

On January 13, 2018, Bishop Barron joined Dr. William Lane Craig, the esteemed Protestant apologist, for an evening of dialogue at Claremont McKenna College. On today's episode, we recap both the afternoon session, which was an academic symposium attended by a couple dozen scholars, and the big evening dialogue in which Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig discussed faith, science, secularism, evangelization and more. A listener asks what Bishop Barron thinks of David Bentley Hart's work.

Click here to watch the full dialogue between Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig, and to listen to the afternoon symposium >> http://wordonfireshow.com/wlc

BONUS: Click here to get your free Lent Reflections booklet from Bishop Barron!

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Intro, Why is Bishop Barron in Philadelphia?
• 1:30 - What was Bishop Barron's overall impression of the event with Dr. William Lane Craig?
• 6:4o - What was discussed during the daytime symposium?
• 16:25 - During the evening event, how did Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig agree about evangelization?
• 19:03 - What are Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig's favorite arguments for the existence of God?
• 21:40 - How did a book change the lives of both Dr. Craig and Bishop Barron?
• 23:25 - Why didn't Dr. Craig agree that beauty can be a source of evangelization?
• 29:00 - What happened when Bishop Barron asked Dr. Craig, "Why aren't you Catholic?"
• 33:00 - Listener Question: What does Bishop Barron think about the writings of David Bentley Hart?

Bonus Resources

• Books
  • Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics (William Lane Craig)
  • The Kalām Cosmological Argument (William Lane Craig)
  • The New Testament: A Translation (David Bentley Hart)
  • The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss (David Bentley Hart)
• Articles
  • An Evening with William Lane Craig (Bishop Barron)
• Videos
  • Dialogue with William Lane Craig (Bishop Barron)

Have a question for Bishop Barron? Go to AskBishopBarron.com!

The Second Vatican Council called for a more active collaboration between the ordained and lay people. In this episode of The Word on Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses the proper roles of the laity and the clergy in our evangelization efforts and how the collaboration of both vocations, within those proper roles, can lead toward a more effective outreach.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction: Mudslides in Montecito, California
• 3:00 - What does it mean that Word on Fire is a collaborative apostolate?
• 5:30 - What role does the clergy have in evangelization?
• 8:35 - Why is it important that the clergy and the laity assume some different roles?
• 11:00 - Why is it so important for the laity to get involved in evangelization?
• 15:00 - How can we stay inspired to continue to evangelize the culture?
• 21:00 - How has Word On Fire served as an example of an effective collaboration between the laity and clergy?
• 23:15 - Listener Question: How can a teenager discern his vocation?

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae, the controversial encyclical by Pope Paul VI which defended the classic sexual framework and prophesied the devastating consequences that would result upon its rejection. As Bishop Barron reveals, those prophecies have since been strongly vindicated. A listener asks whether God hates anything since he is defined by love.

NOTE: Get your free Lent Reflections booklet from Bishop Barron here >> http://wordonfireshow.com/lent

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Intro, What is Bishop Barron currently reading?
• 2:10 - Who was Pope Paul VI?
• 5:1o - What is the import of Evangelii Nuntiandi?
• 8:45 - What does Pope Paul mean when talks about the unitive and procreative dimensions of the sexual act?
• 11:45 - What are the prophecies Pope Paul makes in Chapter 17 of Humanae Vitae?
• 23:00 - How is Humanae Vitae more powerful now than when it was written in 1968?
• 27:54 - Listener Question: How can God "hate" something if God is love?

Bonus Resources

• Books
  • Humanae Vitae (Pope Paul VI)
  • Evangelii Nuntiandi (Pope Paul VI)
• Articles
  • Paul VI, Prophet (Bishop Robert Barron)
• Videos
  • 5 Bishop Barron Videos on Marriage and the Family (Bishop Robert Barron)

On January 13, 2018, Bishop Barron joined Dr. William Lane Craig, the esteemed Protestant apologist and evangelist, for a dialogue event at Claremont McKenna College. The event was hosted by the Claremont Center for Reason, Religion, and Public Affairs and was moderated by Dr. Edward Feser and Dr. Stephen Davis.

Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig discussed faith, science, secularism, evangelization and more!

Enjoy this special bonus episode of the Word on Fire Show, and look forward to another episode soon where Bishop Barron will offer reflections and recap the dialogue.

NOTE: Watch video of the dialogue here.

What does Bishop Barron have in store for 2018? Find out in this episode where he talks through several exciting new projects, talks, and initiatives. A listen asks how to choose good books, ones that help your faith rather than harm it.

NOTE: Get your free Lent Reflections booklet from Bishop Barron here >> http://wordonfireshow.com/lent

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction, the FOCUS Conference, the Santa Barbara mudslides
• 5:50 - What are the upcoming talks Bishop Barron has scheduled for 2018?
• 8:00 - What is special about the upcoming vocation conference?
• 9:45 - What are the upcoming CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players episodes Word On Fire is filming?
• 13:40 - What are the Word On Fire Classics?
• 16:30 - What is the new Word On Fire Institute?
• 18:20 - What will be the purpose of the Word on Fire Bible
• 20:55 - What will Word On Fire's partnership with Flocknote provide?
• 23:15 - What is the Mystery of the Mass film series?
• 25:22 - What does Bishop Barron's USCCB committee on Evangelization and Catechesis entail?
• 28:15 - How do you judge whether a spiritual book will help or hinder your faith?

Bonus Resources

• Books
  • Bishop Barron's Favorite Books (PDF)
  • Word on Fire Classics
  • To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming Christ in a Secular Age by Bishop Barron

Since Bishop Barron is out of town this week, we decided to share his talk from the FOCUS Student Leadership Summit in Chicago. Over 8,000 young Catholic leaders gathered to hear Bishop Barron speak about the Acts of the Apostles and our summons to mission. Enjoy the talk!

How is beauty a route of access to God? In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron explains how leading with beauty is the best way to evangelize.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, Thomas Fire continues to blaze
• 3:15 - What does it mean to lead with beauty?
• 5:52 - Why has there been a resurgence of the way of beauty?
• 8:15 - What are some forms of beauty outside of high art?
• 10:00 - How have the martyrs become a way of beauty?
• 13:15 - Why is Brideshead Revisited a great example of the way of beauty?
• 17:23 - How is the Christian life a way to evangelize through beauty?
• 19:15 - How can we evangelize through beauty?
• 23:15 - Listener Question: How can we speak with certainty about our faith if we are struggling with our faith?

Merry Christmas! In today's episode, Bishop Barron walks us through the second chapter of Luke's Gospel, which recounts the birth of Jesus. As we see, this story is far from a safe, charming fairy tale. It tells the story of a new king, one who rivals the kingship of Caesar Augustus at every turn. A listener asks what St. John of the Cross meant by "the divine sweetness."

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction: The fires of Southern California
• 2:40 - Why is "subversive" a good word for the Nativity narrative?
• 4:40 - What is the importance of the census in the Christmas story?
• 6:40 - Why does Luke begin the story by mentioning the great figures of the time?
• 8:00 - What is the significance of the "line of David"?
• 9:55 - What is the symbolic nature of there being no room at the inn, Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes, and Jesus being placed in a manger?
• 18:08 - What's the significance of the angels and shepherds?
• 25:50 - How were the Gospel writers spiritual and literary masters?
• 27:35 - Listener question: How do we dialogue with someone who creates their own personal religion?

Word On Fire Catholic Ministries is a non-profit evangelization apostolate with a remarkable global impact. In fact, if the Word On Fire website were a physical building and it's visitors physically present, then WordOnFire.org would be the most trafficked Catholic shrine in the Western Hemisphere. Many of these regular website visitors are people who otherwise would have never darkened the door of a Catholic establishment. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses the testimonies of three people whose lives were changed by Word On Fire. The listener question asks about Biblical criticism.

To watch the Testimony video click HERE 

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction: The fires of Southern California, Jon's baby due
• 2:07 - What is Bishop Barron's reaction to the Testimony video and why are testimonies so beguiling?
• 4:45 - The story of Lt. Colonel Jason Murphy, US Army
• 7:45 - The story of the Spanish-born secularist, Carmen Marti
• 14:10 - The story of Mtv star and fitness magazine cover-model, Joseph Gloor
• 23:24 - Listener question: How should we approach Biblical criticism?

Today we hear from some of our youngest listeners, as kids from all over the world ask Bishop Barron their most pressing theological questions. The kids are cute, but their questions are deep!

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Bishop Barron's birthday party
• 1:05 - Exciting event with William Lane Craig
• 4:00 - Did people live when dinosaurs live, and why did God kill dinosaurs?
• 7:35 - Will it be awkward in Heaven if you've married multiple times?
• 11:40 - Why was there an earthquake when Jesus was crucified, and why was the veil torn?
• 11:40 - If you die and go to Heaven, do you become a saint?
• 16:15 - When you die, if you go to Hell, will you go there forever or could Jesus take you to Heaven?
• 22:40 - How did God start to exist? How God effect the Big Bang?
• 27:45 - Does God love everybody, even the devil?

If you've listened to any number of Bishop Robert Barron's homilies or lectures, you've likely heard him use sports analogies to create a vision of the spiritual life. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses how the world of sports and athleticism can help us grow in faith and understanding. The listener question asks about leisure and the Sabbath.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction
• 1:30 - What is Bishop Barron's background with sports?
• 4:00 - Why does the culture hold sports in such high regard up and down the ages?
• 6:00 - How do the rules in sports relate to religion?
• 10:30 - What do coaches teach us about real love?
• 15:00 - How do the rigors of sports offer insights about the rigors of the spiritual life?
• 20:00 - Does athleticism and fitness ever do harm to the spirit?
• 22:47 - Listener Question: Why is leisure important on the Sabbath?

Have you ever wondered why there is a Christmas Season? Like no other holiday, Christmas carries with it an intense period of anticipation, in which our hearts are readied with hope and love. Christians call this waiting time "Advent", and Bishop Barron explains precisely what this time is all about in today's episode of the Word on Fire Show. The listener question asks how much is enough when it comes to petitionary prayer.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction - The USCCB meeting
• 2:00 - Why is there a Christmas Season?
• 4:20 - Why should a secular person care about the birth of Jesus?
• 6:45 - Why must we understand Israel if we want to understand Christmas?
• 10:50 - Why is Mary so pivotal during Advent? What about the rest of the characters in this story?
• 18:30 - Will Christmas ever become more Christian than it is today in our secular world?
• 26:30 - What are Bishop Barron's favorite things about Christmas?
• 28:15 - Listener Question: How much is enough when it comes to petitionary prayer.

Today we continue our discussion of the eight principles of the Word on Fire Movement by focusing on the fifth principle, "Affirmative Orthodoxy." This term, originating with John Allen, Jr., refers to a positive presentation of what the Church teaches, an emphasis on the Catholic "Yes!" more than a finger-wagging "No!" A listen asks how we concretely love people in difficult situations.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction and the Erasmus lecture
• 3:00 - What is Affirmative Orthodoxy?
• 6:30 - Why is Affirmative Orthodoxy important to evangelization?
• 8:30 - G.K. Chesterton's adventurous orthodoxy
• 11:30 - How do we frame Affirmative Orthodoxy around modern sexual morality?
• 16:30 - How is it possible to maintain Affirmative Orthodoxy during a debate?
• 19:30 - What are some good Affirmative Orthodoxy strategies?
• 20:45 - How can we concretely love people in difficult situations?

We just passed the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a Wittenberg church, and initiated a massive split of the Christian community. What should Catholics make of this event 500 years later? How should we view Protestantism and relate to our Protestant brothers and sisters? That's what Bishop Barron discussed today. A listener asks how Catholics should feel about Protestants.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction
• 2:00 - What are Bishop Barron's initial thoughts on this anniversary?
• 4:00 - Who is Stanley Hauerwas?
• 6:15 - Why is Hauerwas so friendly to the Catholic tradition?
• 8:00 - Is the Reformation effectively over?
• 13:40 - How does the Reformation continue to fracture the Church Universal?
• 17:50 - What was the difference maker for reform movements that did not splinter the Church, such as the Franciscans and Dominicans?
• 21:00 - Is the problem of authority the key to Protestantism?
• 24:00 - How should Catholics feel about Protestant denominations?

Today we celebrate the hundredth episode of “The Word on Fire Show”! It's hard to believe we've reach that mark. But to celebrate, we decided to focus on you, our listeners, and your wonderful questions. Bishop Barron answers several listener questions about a whole range of topics.

SPECIAL: Pick up your FREE copy of Bishop Barron's “Advent Gospel Reflections” booklet and get inspiring reflections throughout this holy season. The book is free, you just cover the shipping. Just click here to order.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction
• 2:30 - What are Bishop Barron's thoughts on Stoicism?
• 5:15 - What if "willing the good" of one person causes problems for another?
• 8:30 - Why are angels commonly depicted as children in artwork?
• 10:45 - What are the first steps for someone who is considering becoming Catholic?
• 13:10 - Was Jesus made in the image of God or is Jesus God?
• 16:50 - Does Jesus want us to follow all of the laws of the Old Testament?
• 21:30 - Why did God create the world?
• 23:30 - Does Bishop Barron plan on starting a Catholic movement? 

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

This week, Bishop Barron is giving the annual “Erasmus Lecture” for First Things, where he'll speak on “Evangelizing the ‘Nones’.” That's the them of this episode, which explores why young people are becoming disconnected to religion, and what we can do to draw them back. A listener asks what makes great music truly great.

SPECIAL: Pick up your FREE copy of Bishop Barron's “Advent Gospel Reflections” booklet and get inspiring reflections throughout this holy season. The book is free, you just cover the shipping. Just click here to order.

Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop Speaks at the Cornerstone Conference and prepares for the Erasmus Lecture
• 06:00 - Brief synopsis of iGen, a book that discusses America's newest and least religious generation
• 08:30 - How does our culture's celebration of individual choice create "nones", and how do we approach this issue as evangelists?
• 12:20 - How has scientism led to the creation of the "nones", and how do we approach this issue as evangelists?
• 16:15 - How has the "LGBTQ movement" contributed to the rise of the "nones", and is Christianity anti-gay?
• 23:00 - What are the 5 pathways to reach the "nones"?
• 26:50 - How do we approach a person who has zero interest in religion?
• 29:00 - Listener Question: What makes great music great?

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

In his new book, To Light a Fire on the Earth, Bishop Barron shares the story of his own spiritual formation as a young man coming of age after Vatican II, who is then called to preach to a secular world. Thankfully, the bishop was guided by great men who, despite the tide of secularism and moral relativism, embodied the steadfast spirituality, integrity, and moral rectitude that informs a heroic priesthood. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses the impact of five key figures in his life, beginning with his father, John Clayton Barron, Sr. and ending with his late, great mentor, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.

SPECIAL: Pre-order Bishop Barron's new hardcover book today for just $19.95 (26% off) and free shipping. You'll also receive three bonus eBooks from Bishop Barron! Just click here to order.

Topics Discussed

• 00:04 - Introduction, first printing and a visit from the Papal Ninja
• 02:40 - The father of Father Barron
• 07:20 - Adolescence and Mr. Tim White's English class
• 11:52 - Seminary years with Msgr. Robert Sokolowski
• 17:42 - Serving as a parish priest with Msgr. Bill Quinn
• 23:00 - The mission and mentorship of Cardinal Francis George
• 28:25 - Listener Question: How do we respond to critics who say that it's worthless to "send our thoughts and prayers" in times of crisis?

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

This is the second part of a series responding to a viral YouTube video titled "Aquinas and the Cosmological Arguments" (750,000+ views), which claims that Thomas Aquinas' arguments for God have been decisively refuted. But have they? Bishop Barron responds to the video and shows that when properly understood, Thomas' arguments are as strong today as ever before. A listener asks how the word "Gospel" would have been understood in the first century.

SPECIAL: Pre-order the hardcover book today for just $19.95 (26% off) and free shipping. You'll also receive three bonus eBooks from Bishop Barron! Just click here to order.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction, background on Crash Course video
• 1:40 - Are Aquinas' first four arguments for God unimpressive because they don't lead to a personal God?
• 8:15 - Does Aquinas' argument for God allow for polytheism?
• 12:2o - Does Aquinas' argument for God allow God to be an egg, a turtle, or a big block of stone?
• 14:35 - Are there major flaws that make Aquinas' argument invalid?
• 16:45 - Is Aquinas' argument self-defeating, because God would require a cause?
• 21:05 - Do you have to believe Aquinas' arguments in order to believe in God?
• 26:30 - Question from listener: Was the word "Gospel" used often in Jesus' time?

Bonus Resources

• Books
  • Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master by Bishop Barron
  • Aquinas: A Beginner's Guide by Edward Feser
  • Five Proofs of the Existence of God by Edward Feser
  • The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism by Edward Feser
  • Aquinas: An Introduction to the Life and Work of the Great Medieval Thinker by F. C. Copleston
  • To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming Christ in a Secular Age by Bishop Barron

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

A viral YouTube video titled "Aquinas and the Cosmological Arguments" (750,000+ views) claims that Thomas Aquinas' arguments for God have been decisively refuted. But have they? Bishop Barron responds to the video and shows that when properly understood, Thomas' arguments are as strong today as ever before. A listener asks whether death is natural.

SPECIAL: Pre-order the hardcover book today for just $19.95 (26% off) and free shipping. You'll also receive three bonus eBooks from Bishop Barron! Just click here to order.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction, Bishop Barron describes the Facebook headquarters
• 5:30 - Why have multiple proofs for God's existence?  If a singular argument is truly a proof, should not one be sufficient?
• 8:44 - Where did Thomas Aquinas come up with these arguments?
• 12:50 - Do Aquinas's observations from nature hurt his argument given the fact that modern science has proven some of his examples to be inaccurate?   
• 15:33 - What's wrong with using dominos to illustrate Aquinas's argument from motion?
• 26:50 - What's the difference between a hierarchal and a temporal causal series? And why is this so important for understanding Aquinas?
• 31:35 - Did the philosopher David Hume defeat Aquinas's arguments?
• 34:24 - Question from listener: Is death natural?

Bonus Resources

• Books
  • Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master by Bishop Barron
  • Aquinas: A Beginner's Guide by Edward Feser
  • Five Proofs of the Existence of God by Edward Feser
  • The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism by Edward Feser
  • Aquinas: An Introduction to the Life and Work of the Great Medieval Thinker by F. C. Copleston
  • To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming Christ in a Secular Age by Bishop Barron

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Listen to Bishop Barron's talk at the Facebook HQ, which has already been heard over 275,000 times. Every day, millions of people argue about religion on social media. The comboxes of religious and atheist sites are among the most visited and the most heated in the virtual space. But few people really know how to have a good religious argument. Lots of energy, lots of sharp words, and lots of strong feelings are expressed. But rarely do we come across productive, rational argument about religion. Bishop Barron paves a way forward, showing how we all, believer and nonbeliever alike, can share better religious discussions.

SPECIAL: Pre-order Bishop Barron's new hardcover book, To Light a Fire on the Earth, for just $19.95 (26% off) and free shipping. You'll also receive three bonus eBooks from Bishop Barron! Just click here to order.

Bonus Resources

• Books
  • To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age by Bishop Barron
  • Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master by Bishop Barron

Bishop Barron has a new book coming out titled To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming Christ in a Secular Age. It's a book-length conversation between Bishop Barron and John Allen, Jr., the award-winning Vatican journalist, and touches on a wide range of subjects including God, atheism, social media, prayer, beauty, and why the Church matters today. In today's episode, John joins Bishop Barron to discuss the new book.

SPECIAL: Pre-order the hardcover book today for just $19.95 (26% off) and free shipping. You'll also receive three bonus eBooks from Bishop Barron! Just click here to order.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction
• 1:40 - What were John Allen's first impressions about creating this book?
• 3:10 - What were Bishop Barron's first thoughts when the book was proposed to him?
• 4:00 - What parallels does John Allen see between Ven. Fulton Sheen and Bishop Barron
• 7:35 - Why did Bishop Barron start the book talking about beauty?
• 9:00 - How is Baseball helpful to understanding Catholicism
• 12:00 - How did one of Bishop Barron's professors in Paris shape his spirituality?
• 14:00 - What is Bishop Barron's three-fold path to holiness?
• 16:00 -  What makes Bishop Barron different from other people John has interviewed for books?
• 19:00 - Will Word On Fire become a permanent movement in the life of the Church?
• 23:30 - How can Catholics proclaim the Gospel in a secular age?

Bonus Resources

• Books
  • To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming Christ in a Secular Age

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Today (September 18), Bishop Barron will be speaking to Facebook employees at their headquarters in Menlo Park, CA, on "How to Have a Religious Argument." (The talk will be livestreamed on Bishop Barron's Facebook page from 6:00pm-7:00pm ET.)

Every day, millions of people argue about religion on social media. The comboxes of religious and atheist sites are among the most visited and the most heated in the virtual space. But what Bishop Robert Barron finds interesting is how few people really know how to have a good religious argument. There is a lot of energy, lots of sharp words, and lots of strong feelings expressed. But rarely do we come across productive, rational argument about religion. Bishop Barron paves a way forward, showing how we all, believer and nonbeliever alike, can share better religious discussions.

SPECIAL: Pre-order the hardcover book today for just $19.95 (26% off) and free shipping. You'll also receive three bonus eBooks from Bishop Barron! Just click here to order.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Introduction about the talk
• 1:15 - Bill Maher as an example of how NOT to have a religious argument
• 2:40 - How is learning to trust a person an example of coming to faith? 
• 6:30 - What is the number one block to having a good religious argument?
• 9:58 - What is voluntarism, and how does it block good religious argument?
• 16:15 - How does understanding your opponent's position helpful in having a religious argument? How is Thomas Aquinas an expert in this?
• 23:50 - What is the significance of Bishop Barron speaking at Facebook?
• 26:00 - Question from listener: How can the Catholic Church claim the fullness of truth when other religions claim the same?

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

There seems to be a divide in the Catholic Church between so-called “pro-life” Catholic and so-called “social justice” Catholics. Where did this come from? How do we heal this split? That's what Bishop Barron discusses in this episode. A listener asks how to respond when a beggar asks for money on the street.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Intro: Ingrid Goes West and Facebook announcement
• 3:45 - How did the Pro-Life movement and the Social Justice movement become divided?
• 5:55 - How should the "both/and" quality of Catholicism address this great separation?
• 7:00 - What does "social justice" mean in the Catholic tradition?
• 9:15 - Should the Pro-Life and Social Justice movements be equally emphasized in the life of the Church?
• 13:20 - How do we heal the divide between these two groups of Catholics?
• 14:55 - How can the saints help provide a path forward?
• 17:00 - How does Pope Francis balance the priority of these two issues?
• 19:32 - Question from listener: How should Catholics react to beggars on the street?

Bonus Resources 

• Study Program
  • David the King
• Websites
  • Bishop Barron's Facebook page
  • Word On Fire
  • DavidTheKing.com

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Every now and then, articles and surveys pop up suggesting that religious people are, by whatever criteria, dumber than then general population—or at least dumber than atheists. Today Bishop Barron responds to this and the charge that religion has a “smart-people problem.” A listener asks about new ecclesial movements in the Church.

Also, be sure to take advantage of our Word on Fire Show listener sale! ENTER PROMO CODE: DAVID to save $10 on our newest film at DavidTheKing.com

Topics Discussed

• 0:05 - Intro and Catholic podcast recommendations
• 1:30 - Bishop Barron's initial reaction to the articles claiming that religion has a smart-people problem.
• 5:00 - What does it say about religion when studies show that most scientists are atheists?
• 8:30 - Is it worrisome that most professional philosophers are atheists?
• 12:00 - Does it matter that most religious philosophers are theists?
• 13:30 - How does the culture feel about religious people, are they considered childish and simple-minded?
• 17:50 - What does historical evidence tell us about the relationship between science and religion? 
• 19:30 - Question from listener: What's your take on Communion and Liberation and other ecclesial movements in the Church?

Bonus Resources 

• Study Program
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization Leader's Kit
  • David the King
• Articles
  • "Religion’s Smart-People Problem: The Shaky Intellectual Foundations of Absolute Faith" (Salon)
  • "A Scientist Looked Through 63 Studies to Conclude Atheists are More Intelligent than Religious People" (Indy 100)
  • "Atheists More Intelligent Because They Can Override “Instinctive” Religious Beliefs—But It Will Be Their Downfall" (Newsweek)
  • "Religion’s Smart-People Problem: The Shaky Intellectual Foundations of Absolute Faith" (Salon)
• Videos
  • Bill Nye and Philosophy
  • Atheism and Philosophy
  • Scientism and God's Existence
• Websites
  • Word On Fire
  • DavidTheKing.com

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

What is beauty? Is beauty undefinable and entirely relativistic? Or is beauty an objective reality, backed by reason and understanding? How do Catholics define beauty, and how has Catholic Church evangelized through beauty over the centuries? In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron answers these questions and more about the transcendental nature of beauty. The listener question comes from Argentina and wonders how art might be used in evangelization?

Also, be sure to take advantage of our Word on Fire Show listener sale! ENTER PROMO CODE: DAVID to save $10 on our newest film at DavidTheKing.com

Topics Discussed

• 0:05  - Intro, a Cardinal visits and the sun eclipses
• 4:00 - Why has Bishop Barron considered beauty the privileged route of evangelization?
• 8:25 - What is beauty?
• 10:55 - What three things combine to make something beautiful?
• 15:55 - Why do some people disagree about a masterpiece being beautiful?
• 19:20 - How can someone be transformed by beauty?
• 24:14 - What was a profound moment of beauty in Bishop Barron's life?
• 25:43 - Question from listener: How can the arts aid in evangelization?

Bonus Resources 

• Study Program
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization Leader's Kit
  • David the King
• Articles
  • "A Strategy for the New Evangelization" (Bishop Barron)
  • "The New Evangelization and Seminaries" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Effective Evangelization Commences with Joy" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Practical Strategies of the New Evangelization" (Bishop Barron)
• Videos
  • New Media and Evangelization
  • Effective Evangelization
  • Confirmation and Evangelization
  • Evangelizing with the Heart of a Shepherd
  • Theology and the New Media
• Books 
  • The Priority of Christ: Toward a Postliberal Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron
  • Word on Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ by Bishop Robert Barron
  • Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture by Bishop Robert Barron
  • Bridging the Great Divide by Bishop Robert Barron
  • Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

• Websites
  • Word On Fire
  • DavidTheKing.com

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

What really happens when we die? In a recent interview with Larry King, popular astro-physicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, offers a scientifically reduced answer to this philosophically rich question. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron reacts to Tyson's response and offers a more holistic understanding of human identity and death. A listener asks how God can be both a person and the sheer act of "to be" itself.

Love the show?  Want more people to listen? Take two seconds to leave us a review!

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Topics Discussed

• 0:04 - Intro: Bishop Barron speaks at a tech conference
• 1:30 - Explaining the interview and Tyson's explanation of physical death
• 5:20 - Are scientists seen as the new priests?
• 8:10 - What happens when you die besides the obvious scientific realities?
• 10:00 - Why do atheists still cling to moral values?
• 11:09 - Does culminating as meat for maggots offer a sense of eternal fulfillment?
• 12:30 - Tyson's explanation of our annihilation upon death.
• 14:55 - Is it a wish fulfilling fantasy to desire consciousness after death?
• 20:00 - Would anyone really want to live forever?
• 22:30 - What really happens when we die according to Christians?
• 25:25 - Question from listener: How can God be both a person and the sheer act of "to be" itself?

Bonus Resources

• Articles
  • "The Myth of the War Between Science and Religion" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Does Religion Have a 'Smart-People' Problem?" (Bishop Barron)
  • "The Theory of Everything: A God-Haunted Film" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Cosmos and One More Telling of the Tired Myth" (Bishop Barron)
• Videos
  •  Neil deGrasse Tyson's interview with Larry King
  • Hey Bill Nye, 'Does Science Have All the Answers or Should We Do Philosophy Too?'
  • Atheism and Philosophy
  • Bishop Barron on The Theory of Everything
  • Bishop Barron on Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
  • Has Science Refuted Aristotelian Causality?
  • Scientism and God's Existence
  • Stephen Hawking and Atheism
  • Fr. George Coyne and the Fertile Cosmos
• Books
  • The Soul's Upward Yearning by Fr. Robert Spitzer
  • The Priority of Christ by Bishop Robert Barron
• Websites
  • WordOnFire.org
  • StrangeNotions.com

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Normally, in each episode we take one listener question. But we've received such a large number of outstanding questions from around the globe that we’ve decided to devote another episode to answering a range of questions from listeners like you. Bishop Barron answers several questions, rapid fire, on many different topics.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05  - Intro: Bishop Barron returns from his CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players film trip
• 2:00 - Should we feel guilty for not giving away all of our possessions and serving the poorest of the poor?
• 5:10 - If there are aliens, did Jesus appear to them as well?
• 7:45 - What is the difference between the Ascension and the Assumption?
• 9:45 - Why do we take both the Bread and the Wine in Communion?
• 13:20 - When does venting turn into gossip, and how do we avoid gossiping?
• 18:45 - Where is Jesus' body today?
• 24:25 - What might Jesus say about dealing with a bad breakup?
• 26:45 - What resources should Catholics read to understand Martin Luther?

Bonus Resources

• Study Guides
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Leader's Guide (Bishop Barron)
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Study Guide (Bishop Barron)
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Leaders Kit (Bishop Barron)

• DVDs
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players (Bishop Barron)

• Books
  • Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith by Bishop Barron
  • Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture by Bishop Barron
  • Vibrant Paradoxes: The Both/And of Catholicism by Bishop Barron
  • Praying with the Pivotal Players by Bishop Barron
  • Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master by Bishop Barron

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Bishop Barron is flying back from Europe after his Pivotal Players recording trip, so instead of a live show, we’re bringing you a special excerpt from his upcoming “David the King” series. Learn about Hannah and the “law of the gift” in this stirring commentary.

Also, be sure to visit DavidTheKing.com and use the coupon code DAVID to save $10 on the DVD or Blu-ray version of the series!

Bonus Resources

• DVDs + Study Programs
  • David the King (Bishop Barron)
• Websites
  • Word On Fire
  • DavidTheKing.com

Bishop Robert Barron and his Word on Fire production are in Italy, filming the next round of CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players.

Be sure to take advantage of special behind the scenes access from the Pivotal Players film trip! Sign-up for exclusive footage at: WordOnFireShow.com/Videos

Topics Discussed

• 0:05  – Intro, the new Spiderman movie
• 1:28 – Does it ever get old for Bishop Barron to travel?
• 2:41 – The CATHOLICISM series production team
• 4:46 – Surprisingly small film crew for such a grand production
• 5:50 – Interesting stops for a first visit to Rome
• 9:15 – What’s the difference between a vacation and a pilgrimage?
• 11:20 – Bishop Barron’s favorite place during the filming so far
• 12:55 – The St. Francis fresco painted during his own lifetime
• 13:20 – What’s Bishop Barron’s prayer like during a filming trip?
• 15:33 – Why is the Divine Office so important to Bishop Barron?
• 17:51 – Why all baptized people should consider praying the Liturgy of the Hours
• 18:23 – Praying the psalms for the sake of the world
• 19:20 – Who was St. Ambrose and why does he matter?
• 23:28 – What do you miss most about the United States?
• 24:20– Question from listener: Fr. Steve Grunow asks what St.
  Benedict and St. Augustine, both Italians, have to say to Italians today?

Bonus Resources

• Calendar and Prayer Cards
  • Pivotal Players Calendar
  • Pivotal Players Prayer Cards
• Books
  • Praying with the Pivotal Players (Amy Welborn)
  • CATHOLICISM: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Bishop Barron)
• Study Guides
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players – Leader’s Guide (Bishop Barron)
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players – Study Guide (Bishop Barron)
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players – Leaders Kit (Bishop Barron)
• DVDs
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players (Bishop Barron)
• Websites
  • WordOnFireShow.com/videos
  • Word On Fire
  • DavidTheKing.com

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Bishop Robert Barron and his Word on Fire production team have just set off to Europe to film two brand new episodes for the hit television film series: CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players. This second volume of biographical documentaries features some of the greatest figures in all of world history.

Be sure to take advantage of special behind the scenes access from the Pivotal Players film trip! Sign-up for exclusive footage at: WordOnFireShow.com/Videos

Topics Discussed

• 0:05  - Intro, the new Spiderman movie
• 1:40 - What makes St. Benedict a pivotal player?
• 6:10 - Why is St. Augustine a pivotal player?
• 10:00 - What will Bishop Barron be filming in Rome?
• 15:00 - What is Benedictine life like?
• 19:45 - What will Bishop Barron be filming in Milan?
• 23:25 - What will Bishop Barron be filming in Paris?
• 25:00 - Question from listener: How were Adam and Eve able to fall from grace if they were born without original sin?

Bonus Resources

• Calendar and Prayer Cards
  • Pivotal Players Calendar
  • Pivotal Players Prayer Cards
• Books
  • Praying with the Pivotal Players (Amy Welborn)
  • CATHOLICISM: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Bishop Barron)
• Study Guides
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Leader's Guide (Bishop Barron)
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Study Guide (Bishop Barron)
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Leaders Kit (Bishop Barron)
• DVDs
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players (Bishop Barron)
• Websites
  • WordOnFireShow.com/Videos
  • Word On Fire
  • DavidTheKing.com

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Have you ever had an opportunity to share your faith but opted to remain quiet? There are several reasons why we might shy away from these grace-filled moments. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron teaches us how to overcome the hurdles of evangelization and let loose our missionary potential. The listener question comes from an Australian medical student who wants to know how we can evangelize in our everyday settings.

Also, be sure to take advantage of our Word on Fire Show listener sale! ENTER PROMO CODE: DAVID to save $10 on our newest film at DavidTheKing.com

Topics Discussed

• 0:05  - Intro, what Bishop Barron is reading
• 1:25 - How do you overcome being nervous about discussing, debating religion?
• 7:45 - How do we evangelize if we aren't scholars or experts about religion?
• 13:55 - How do we evangelize without losing our friends or pushing people away by trying to convert them?
• 18:25 - How do we evangelize in a culture that says religion is a private hobby that does not belong in the public sphere.
• 25:00 - How do we overcome despair, feeling like nothing we say or do will have an evangelical effect.
• 29:00 - Question from listener: How do we evangelize in our daily lives?

Bonus Resources 

• Study Program
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization Leader's Kit (Word on Fire)
  • David the King (Word On Fire)
• Articles
  • "A Strategy for the New Evangelization" (Bishop Barron)
  • "The New Evangelization and Seminaries" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Effective Evangelization Commences with Joy" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Practical Strategies of the New Evangelization" (Bishop Barron)
• Videos
  • New Media and Evangelization
  • Effective Evangelization
  • Confirmation and Evangelization
  • Evangelizing with the Heart of a Shepherd
  • Theology and the New Media
• Books 
  • The Priority of Christ: Toward a Postliberal Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron
  • Word on Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ by Bishop Robert Barron
  • Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture by Bishop Robert Barron
  • Bridging the Great Divide by Bishop Robert Barron

• Websites
  • Word On Fire
  • DavidTheKing.com

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Do you ever wish you could read more books? Have you ever thought about writing articles at the professional level or authoring your own book? Bishop Robert Barron has read a library's worth of texts, written fifteen books, and composed thousands of short works. In this episode of the Word on Fire Show, Bishop Barron offers helpful advice on how to improve your performance in the language arts.

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Fleming Rutledge’s “The Crucifixion”
  • Anthony Doerr’s “All the Light We Cannot See”
  • The Book of Revelation
• DVD's
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players 
  • Faith Clips
•  Articles  
  • “Forward to Hildebrand's Liturgy and Personality” (Bishop Barron)
  • “Why you should read C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce” (Bishop Barron)
  • “What should Catholic's Make of Eckhart Tolle” (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • 2 Samuel by Bishop Barron
  • Vibrant Paradoxes by Bishop Barron
  • The Priority of Christ by Bishop Barron
  • Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ  by Bishop Barron
  • Seeds of the Word by Bishop Barron

• Study Program 
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

In 2015 Bishop Robert Barron gave the opening keynote speech at the famous World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. In front of this massive crowd of Catholics, Bishop Barron explained how Christianity is the greatest form of humanism because of its unique claim that all humans are made in the image and likeness of God. As representatives of God, we share in the responsibility of bringing the power, wisdom, heart, and mind of God out into the world. This episode of the Word on Fire Show features Part Two of the Bishop's powerful talk.

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on the Rise of the "Nones"
  • Bishop Barron on God's Existence and The Argument from Desire
• DVD's
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players (Word On Fire)
  • CATHOLICISM: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Word On Fire)
  • The Mystery of God (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
•  Articles  
  • Playing at Atheism (Bishop Barron)
  • The Glory of God is a Human Being 'Fully Alive' (Bishop Barron)
  • Apologists, Catechists, Theologians: Wake Up!  (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • The Priority of Christ by Bishop Barron
  • Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ  by Bishop Barron
  • CATHOLICISM by Bishop Barron

• Study Program 
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)

In 2015 Bishop Robert Barron gave the opening keynote speech at the famous World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. In front of this massive crowd of Catholics, Bishop Barron explained how Christianity is the greatest form of humanism because of its unique claim that all humans are made in the image and likeness of God. As representatives of God, we share in the responsibility of bringing the power, wisdom, heart, and mind of God out into the world. This episode of the Word on Fire Show features Part One of the Bishop's powerful talk.

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on the Rise of the "Nones"
  • Bishop Barron on God's Existence and The Argument from Desire
• DVD's
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players (Word On Fire)
  • CATHOLICISM: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Word On Fire)
  • The Mystery of God (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
•  Articles  
  • Playing at Atheism (Bishop Barron)
  • The Glory of God is a Human Being 'Fully Alive' (Bishop Barron)
  • Apologists, Catechists, Theologians: Wake Up!  (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • The Priority of Christ by Bishop Barron
  • Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ  by Bishop Barron
  • CATHOLICISM by Bishop Barron

• Study Program 
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)

In a way we are all addicts, because we are all sinners. In this episode of The Word on Fire Show, Bishop Barron explains the spiritual dimensions of addiction and how finding your center in God is not only the first step to recovery but also the walking path of lifelong freedom. The listener questions asks whether it's more fun to be bad than good.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05  - Introduction, Bishop's upcoming trips
• 2:05 - How are we all addicts?
• 5:30 - How can addiction bleed into the religious life?
• 6:20 - What is the purpose of the ascetic life in terms of addiction?
• 10:00 - What are the spiritual roots of Alcoholics Anonymous?
• 15:15 - What is the Biblical prescription for dealing with addiction?
• 19:20 - How can we tell if we are addicted to something when it doesn't seem to be ruining our lives?
• 22:00 - Why is Christianity specifically helpful for battling addiction?
• 24:10 - What should someone do if they are right now struggling with an addiction and want to stop?
• 25:25 - Question from listener: Is it more fun to be bad than good?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Porn and the Curse of Total Sexual Freedom
  • The Woman at the Well

• DVD
  • David The King 
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players

•  Articles  
  • "What is Our Fundamental Problem?" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Saint of Light, Saint of Darkness" (Bishop Barron)
  • "The Cross of Jesus: God's Awful Work of Love" (Bishop Barron)

• Daily Calendar and Prayer Cards
  • Pivotal Players Calendar (Word On Fire)
  • Pivotal Players Prayer Cards (Word On Fire)

• Books
  • Praying with the Pivotal Players by Amy Welborn
  • The Priority of Christ by Bishop Barron
  • The Strangest Way by Bishop Barron

• Study Guides
  • David The King
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Study Guide

• Websites
  • David The King
  • Word On Fire
  • BishopBarronBooks

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Marriage has been one of the most talked about topics in the news over the past decade. Despite all the interest surrounding the institution of marriage, the numbers of people actually getting married has dwindled. In this episode Bishop Barron explores the beauty and goodness of married life by discussing the spirituality that undergirds this timeless institution. The listener question wonders what will happen to marriages in heaven.

Topics Discussed

• 0:05  - Introduction and the Vogt's visit to Santa Barbara
• 2:00 - Why has the number of people getting married declined?
• 6:30 - What is the number one priority in being a husband or wife?
• 8:40 - What is the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony?
• 10:07 - What is the key to a healthy marriage?
• 16:00 - How can a celibate priest be an authority on marriage?
• 19:50 - Why does the Catholic Church demand an openness to children within a marriage?
• 22:20 - Advice from Bishop Barron for people who aren't sure if they ever want to get married
• 23:40 - Advice from Bishop Barron for those who aspire for marriage
• 25:30 - Advice from Bishop Barron for those discerning marriage within their current relationship
• 26:27 - Advice from Bishop Barron for those who are struggling through a difficult marriage or a divorce
• 27:20 - Question from listener: Will I be with my wife as husband and wife in heaven?

Bonus Resources

• DVD
  • CATHOLICISM series (Bishop Barron)
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivitol Players series
• Books
  • Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Bishop Barron)
  • Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture (Bishop Barron)
  • Vibrant Paradoxes: The Both/And of Catholicism (Bishop Barron)
  • The Strangest Way (Bishop Barron)
• Videos
  •  Marriage and Relationships
  • Reflections on the Hookup Culture
  • Reflecting on Biblical Family Values
• Articles
  •  "Your Life is Not About You" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Sex, Love, and God: The Catholic Answer to Puritanism and Nietzscheanism"
• Websites
  • BishopBarronBooks.com
  • Catholic Answers

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Word on Fire Show host Brandon Vogt stopped into the Santa Barbara studio with his five children while on a cross-country road trip. The Vogt children were given the chance to ask Bishop Barron about God, Mary, and bananas in this special bonus episode of the Word on Fire Show.

Topics Discussed

• 0:01  - Introduction, about the road trip and hellos
• 1:15 - How did Bishop feel when he first became a priest?
• 2:07 - How can Mary be "Queen" and Jesus be "King" if she's his mother?
• 3:05 - How is Jesus King?
• 3:50 - How old is Jesus?
• 4:46 - How does it feel to be a bishop?
• 6:05 - How to explain God to young children?
• 7:35 - What is God's favorite color?
• 8:00 - Was Bishop Barron an alter server?
• 8:55 - What's Bishop Barron's favorite way to pray
• 10:05 - How do we know God is real?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Satellites and Praying to the Saints

• DVD/Study Program
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players

•  Articles  
  • "St. Patrick, St. Joseph, and the Conversion that Makes All the Difference" (Bishop Barron)

• Calendar and Prayer Cards
  • Pivotal Players Calendar (Word On Fire)
  • Pivotal Players Prayer Cards (Word On Fire)

• Books
  • Praying with the Pivotal Players (Amy Welborn)

• Study Guides
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Leader's Guide 
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Study Guide
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Leaders Kit

• Websites
  • Word On Fire
  • BishopBarronBooks

The best theological movements present the Church as an organism, not an organization. In this episode of our new series on the eight principles of Word on Fire, Bishop Barron explains how how the Communion of Saints works in and through the Mystical Body of Christ to evangelize the world. The listener questions asks about Catherine of Siena's three levels of prayer. 

Topics Discussed

• 0:17  - Introduction, filming B-roll footage for Pivotal Players Volume II
• 2:00 - How are the saints powerful?
• 5:55 - How can the stories of the saints aid in evangelization?
• 8:30 - What is the impact of the Little Flower?
• 11:15 - How can Saint Thomas Aquinas become accessible for the current culture?
• 15:30 - How was Saint John Paul II able to contribute so much to the Church and evangelization?
• 19:20 - What is the great contribution of Bl. John Henry Newman?
• 24:00 - Question from listener: How might we aspire to attain the third level of prayer as described by St. Catherine of Siena.

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Satellites and Praying to the Saints

• DVD/Study Program
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players

•  Articles  
  • "St. Patrick, St. Joseph, and the Conversion that Makes All the Difference" (Bishop Barron)

• Calendar and Prayer Cards
  • Pivotal Players Calendar (Word On Fire)
  • Pivotal Players Prayer Cards (Word On Fire)

• Books
  • Praying with the Pivotal Players (Amy Welborn)

• Study Guides
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Leader's Guide 
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Study Guide
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players - Leaders Kit

• Websites
  • Word On Fire
  • BishopBarronBooks

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Statistics show that more people own a smartphone (4 billion) than own a toothbrush (3.5 billion). In this episode of our new series called The Eight Principles of the Word on Fire Ethos, Bishop Barron discusses how readily available Internet access has made the new media an essential route of evangelization. The listener questions asks how virtue can possibly turn to vice. 

Topics Discussed

• 0:17  - Introduction, Bishop's recent trip to Saint Anselm College
• 2:30 - What is the power of the new media?
• 5:19 - Why is the new media effective for evangelization?
• 7:50 - What's the danger in not using the new media to spread the Gospel?
• 9:30 - What made Fulton Sheen so effective at using the media of his time?
• 16:10 - Why are people feeling less connected and more lonely despite the technology advances?
• 19:35 - How might we cope with internet attacks while sharing the Gospel?
• 25:00 - How do we become more effective at sharing our faith online?
• 26:55 - Question from listener: How can virtue possibly turn into vice?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • "Theology and the New Media" (Bishop Barron)
  • "The Vatican and New Media" (Bishop Barron)

• DVD/Study Program
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization

•  Articles  
  • "Surprising Lessons from Ten Million YouTube Views" (Bishop Barron)

• Books
  • The Church and New Media (Brandon Vogt, chapter by Bishop Barron)
  • Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture  by Bishop Barron
  • Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ  by Bishop Barron

• Lectures
  • "The New Evangelization: The Impact of Social Media" (Bishop Barron)
  • "The New Evangelization and the New Media" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Against the YouTube Heresies" (Bishop Barron)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)
  • BishopBarronBooks (Bishop Barron)

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Joel and Ethan Coen, more famously known as the Coen brothers, are arguably the greatest filmmakers of our time. In this follow-up episode on the Coen brothers, Bishop Barron illuminates the Biblical motifs present in three of the Coen brothers' most unique films. The listener question asks about the nature of God.

Topics Discussed

• 0:17  - Introduction, catching up with Bishop Barron.
• 1:38 - What makes the Coen Brothers so unique?
• 3:45 -  What are the spiritual themes in A Serious Man? (spoiler alert)
• 12:00 -What are the spiritual themes in The Big Lebowski? (spoiler alert)
• 22:55 -What are the spiritual themes in Hail, Caesar!? (spoiler alert)
• 25:15 - Question from listener: What is God?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on True Grit
  • Bishop Barron on Fargo
  • Bishop Barron on A Serious Man
  • Bishop Barron on Hail, Caesar!
• DVD's
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
•  Articles  
  • “The Martian” and Why Each Life Matters (Bishop Barron)
  •  “The Avengers” and Friedrich Nietzsche (Bishop Barron)
  •  “The Theory of Everything”: A God-Haunted Film (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture  by Bishop Barron
  • Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ  by Bishop Barron

• Study Program 
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Joel and Ethan Coen, more famously known as the Coen brothers, are arguably the greatest filmmakers of our time. They’ve been nominated for 13 academy awards, won four, and have garnered praise from many of the world’s most influential people. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron illuminates the Biblical motifs present in some of the Coen brothers' most celebrated films. The listener question asks about God's providence in relation to coincidence.

Topics Discussed

• 0:17  - Introduction, Bishop's Channel Island Mass.
• 1:38 - What makes the Coen Brothers so unique?
• 3:45 -  What are the spiritual themes in Fargo? (spoiler alert)
• 11:16 -What are the spiritual themes in No Country for Old Men and how does it relate to Fargo? (spoiler alert)
• 17:28 -What are the spiritual themes in True Grit? (spoiler alert)
• 24:45 - Question from listener: What is the difference between coincidence and God's providence?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on True Grit
  • Bishop Barron on Fargo
  • Bishop Barron on No Country for Old Men
  • Bishop Barron on Whiplash
• DVD's
  • CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
•  Articles  
  • “The Martian” and Why Each Life Matters (Bishop Barron)
  •  “The Avengers” and Friedrich Nietzsche (Bishop Barron)
  •  “The Theory of Everything”: A God-Haunted Film (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture  by Bishop Barron
  • Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ  by Bishop Barron

• Study Program 
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

"The Church exists to evangelize.” These words from Evangelii Nuntiandi express the very nature of our mission. But what is evangelization? And how ought we to express Christ in the culture around us? In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron answers these questions and offers advice on exactly how an evangelist can move into the culture and plant the seeds of Christ. Evangelizing the Culture is the second of the eight principles of the Word on Fire ethos. Finally, a listener calls in to ask how he might evangelize his lukewarm parents. 

Topics Discussed

• 0:17 – Intro and Bishop Barron's new award
• 2:15 - What does it mean to "evangelize the culture"?
• 6:40 - How can evangelizing the culture solve the problems of the Church and the culture?
• 11:50 - How can we see Christ in our surroundings?
• 15:24 - How do engage the culture without falling into sin?
• 18:45 - Why was Tolkien so effective at evangelizing the culture?
• 21:30 - How does the Church community (including the saints) serve evangelization?
• 23:15 - What's the proper approach for drawing the world to Christ?
• 24:38 - Question from listener: How do we re-evangelize our parents who grew up in the faith but now lack a relationship with Jesus?

Bonus Resources

• Websites
  • DailyCatholicGospel.com (free daily Gospel reflections from Bishop Barron)
• Articles
  • "The Trouble with the 'You Go Girl' Culture" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Why Goodness Depends on God" (Bishop Barron)
• DVD's
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players (Word on Fire)
  • CATHOLICISM series (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
• Videos
  • Bishop Barron on Evangelizing Through the Good
  • Faith, Hope and Love
  • Evangelizing the Culture
• Books
  • Vibrant Paradoxes by Bishop Barron
  • Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ  by Bishop Barron
  • CATHOLICISM by Bishop Barron
  • The Strangest Way by Bishop Barron

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

Jesus boldly proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. In order to be His disciple, one must make Jesus Christ the foundation of life and proclaim His Lordship in every area of life. Much like the rose window in Chartres Cathedral, a well ordered soul revolves around the great center, which is Christ. In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron begins a series called The Eight Principles of the Word on Fire Ethos with this key principle, namely, "Christocentrism". Bishop explains how we go about making Christ the priority of our lives, and why we must know who Jesus is in order to do so. The listener questions asks why the Sacred Heart of Jesus is so important in Christian devotion. 

Topics Discussed

• 0:17  - Introduction, Bishop's recent trip to Mundelein Seminary.
• 2:00 - What is Christocentrism?
• 5:53 - Is it possible to be too obsessed with Jesus?
• 7:20 - Why is it important not to domesticate the real Jesus?
• 8:45 - How should we read the difficult truths Jesus spoke?
• 10:45 - How do we make Jesus the center of our lives?
• 15:22 - Question from listener: Why is the Sacred Heart of Jesus is so important in Christian devotion?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • How Jesus is the Messiah
  • Andrew Sullivan's Non-Threatening Jesus
  • John Dominic Crossan's Strange Jesus
• DVD's
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players (Word on Fire)
  • CATHOLICISM series (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
•  Articles  
  • "Why It Matters Who Jesus Is" (Bishop Barron)
  • "Why Jesus is God" (Bishop Barron)
  • "The Disturbing Fact of the Resurrection" (Bishop Barron)
  • “Your Life Does Not Belong to You” (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • The Priority of Christ by Bishop Barron
  • The Incarnate Lord by Fr. Thomas Joseph White
  • Jesus Christ: Fundamentals of Christology by Roch A. Kerezty
  • The Strangest Way by Bishop Barron

• Study Program 
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)
  • CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players Study Guide (Word on Fire)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Bishop Barron)
  • DailyCatholicGospel.com (Bishop Barron)

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.