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The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Join Bishop Robert Barron for a weekly podcast on faith and culture. Find more episodes at http://WordOnFireShow.com and submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.com.
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The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
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Now displaying: April, 2017
Apr 25, 2017

Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation has certainly emerged as the most talked-about religious book of 2017. There is a widely-felt instinct that something has gone rather deeply wrong with the culture and that classical Christianity, at least in the West, is in a bit of a mess. So, do we need the Benedict Option now? In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron discusses the upsides and the pitfalls of employing the Benedict option during these difficult times. The listener question wonders how Christians should engage the political arena.

Topics Discussed

  • 0:17  - Introduction, New announcement regarding Pivotal Players: Volume 2.
  • 3:42 - Has something gone terribly wrong in our society?
  • 4:36 - What are Bishop Barron's thoughts on the Benedict Option as a proposal?
  • 6:30 - Who was Saint Benedict and how can he help solve our modern problems?
  • 8:50 - How is Noah's Ark a good symbol for the Benedict Option?
  • 11:23 - What is the identity/relevance dilemma?
  • 13:55 - How does St. John Paul II relate to the Benedict Option?
  • 18:10 - Should the Church pull back on political engagement?
  • 22:05 - Should Christians pull out of society and live in separate communities?
  • 24:30 - Is homeschooling the best option for Christian children?
  • 28:15 - Should we avoid occupations that will force us to compromise our values?
  • 31:20 - Should we avoid technology as Christians?
  • 34:33 - Question from listener: Should Christians be active in the political arena?

Bonus Resources

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

Apr 18, 2017

The Case for Christ is a film adaptation of Lee Strobel’s best-selling book of the same name, one that has made an enormous splash in Evangelical circles and beyond. It is the true story of a young, ambitious (and atheist) reporter for the Chicago Tribune, who fell into a psychological and spiritual crisis when his wife became a Christian. In an attempt to bring his wife back to atheism, Lee used his considerable analytical and investigative skills to debunk the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus didn’t rise, Strobel realizes, all of Christianity crumbles like a house of cards. In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron walks alongside Strobel through many of the common claims against the Resurrection of Jesus and explains why each lacks credibility in the face of real historical evidence. The listener question wonders how he might overcome objections from his loved ones as he joins the Church.

Topics Discussed

  • 0:17  - Introduction, Bishop's recent Confirmations.
  • 2:40 - What is The Case for Christ about?
  • 4:36 - Is it wrong to ask hard questions about your faith?
  • 7:10 - How is historical evidence used in the evaluation of the Christian faith?
  • 9:00 - What's wrong with seeing the Resurrection as a symbol of myth?
  • 12:30 - Is it possible that the witnesses of the Resurrection were hallucinating?
  • 16:30 - Is it possible that Jesus didn't die on the cross but simply fainted and was fully revived three days later?
  • 20:24 - How do the claims against the Resurrection hold up against the historical evidence as a whole?
  • 23:35 - How do people become convinced that the Resurrection is true?
  • 25:41 - What was the converging moment for Lee Strobel?
  • 27:24 - Question from listener: What do you do when your friends and family don't support your decision to join the Church?

Bonus Resources

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

Apr 11, 2017

The Netflix original series “The Crown”, which has to do with the last months of the reign of King George VI and the first years of the reign of his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, demonstrates how societies must be grounded in God-given moral values for them to flourish. In this episode, Bishop Barron brings to light the theological underpinnings of the show, which serve as an encouragement for anyone struggling to pursue God's plan for her life. The listener question asks how Bishop Barron is able to discover spiritual themes in popular media.

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Topics Discussed

  • 0:17  - Introduction and a reprisal of Bishop's “Simpsons” visit.
  • 3:10 - What makes “The Crown” such good TV?
  • 5:20 - How was the Queen's coronation a call from God to carry out her duty?
  • 8:40 - How would compare the English monarchy to our American democracy?
  • 13:30 - How is it that God anointed her to be queen when she clearly had circumstance put her there?
  • 15:10 - How does God's plan for our lives tend to upset the comfort of our lives and our relationships?
  • 20:22 - What advice would Bishop give to priests who are ordained to fulfill God's mission?
  • 23:00 - Why are Americans so attracted to the idea of monarchies? Is there a biblical nostalgia in that somehow?
  • 25:38 - Question from listener: How does Bishop Barron draw out Christian themes from popular media?

Bonus Resources

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

Apr 4, 2017

Thomas Joseph White's book The Incarnate Lord discusses the importance of Jesus' identity. The classical tradition of Christology understood Jesus ontologically, that is to say, in terms of his fundamental being or existential identity; whereas modern and contemporary Christology tends to understand Jesus psychologically or relationally. The transition from an ontological Christology to a consciousness Christology has conduced toward all manner of relativism, subjectivism, indifferentism, and the attenuation of evangelical zeal. In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron unpacks these theological concepts and explains their consequences in familiar terms. The listener question asks about the Jesus Seminar of the Westar Institute.

Topics Discussed

  • 0:17  - Introduction, Chesterton, and Bishop's recent trip.
  • 3:00 - What is Christology and why does it matter?
  • 4:55 - Why does high-level theology matter?
  • 7:28 - What is the major difference with modern Christology?
  • 10:58 - Who is Jesus?
  • 13:20 - What are the ramifications of reading Jesus with a psychological priority rather than an ontological priority?
  • 15:00 - How is the emphasis on Jesus' ontology make Christianity unique compared to other religions?
  • 18:20 - What was the theological priority of the early Church?
  • 19:45 - What are some of the insights we learn about Jesus from Saint Thomas Aquinas?
  • 25:15 - What books does Bishop Barron recommend for studying Christology?
  • 27:00 - Question from listener: What does Bishop Barron think about the Jesus Seminar of the Westar Institute?

Bonus Resources

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

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