Is parenthood suffocating or liberating? Do children keep you from self-discovery, or can they facilitate you finding your identity? Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss those questions in light of two controversial articles about parenting, one in Time Magazine and another in the New York Times.
A listener asks, what does a priest go through that validates his authority for the sacraments?
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Today we share the latest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series, featuring editor and author Sohrab Ahmari. Bishop Barron sits down to discuss Sohrab's new book, The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos. Sohrab named his son after St. Maximillian Kolbe, and the book originated in his hope to inculcate in his son the virtues and values that shaped this great saint. We also examine:
Stay tuned for future “Bishop Barron Presents” conversations. These intellectually invigorating discussions feature varying religious and political perspectives to encourage greater understanding and civility.
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 Jordan Peterson for a second long discussion titled “Christianity and the Modern World,” which has been viewed over 780,000 times. On today's episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” we revisit and reflect on some of the key moments in the dialogue.
A listener asks, how can I answer my Protestant friend who claims that Catholics focus too much on Jesus' suffering and death, and not enough on his Resurrection?
More Jordan Peterson Resources >> https://wordonfire.org/peterson
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Bishop Barron recently delivered the commencement address to the graduating class at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. The entire point of a Catholic intellectual formation is to produce great souls. A great soul doesn’t invent her own values; rather, she intuits the marvelous intellectual, moral, and aesthetic values that are found in the objective order—and then she responds to them with her whole heart.
New book >> The Wisdom of the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Pressing Questions About Catholicism
According to a recent Wall Street Journal headline, “Catholic Schools Are Losing Students at Record Rates, and Hundreds Are Closing.” Catholic schools peaked in the 1960s with about 5.5 million students in 11,000 schools. Today, Catholic schools boast only 1.6 million students in 5,900 schools. What explains this decline? And what can we do about it?
Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the situation of Catholic schools, the purpose of Catholic education, and where Catholic schools should move in the future.
A listener asks, how can we be better friends with our friends who are not Christian?
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 visited the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he had the great privilege of preaching at their baccalaureate Mass. In his homily, shared today on the podcast, he said we must remember that the primary purpose of a Catholic university is evangelization, the proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore, education must equip and form graduates to sanctify the world, so that the light of Christ can be brought into workplaces, classrooms, and trades.
On today's episode, Brandon Vogt and I discuss my recent conversation with Alex O'Connor (aka @CosmicSkeptic), one of the most popular atheists in the world. We replay and unpack some of the most important clips from the dialogue. (Watch the full dialogue here.)
A listener who was raised Christian, but became atheist for many years, asks advice on re-engaging with Christianity.
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Today we share the second half of Bishop Barron's 2020 address at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, titled “Called Into the Depths.” He discussed three sailors from the Bible: the patriarch Noah, the prophet Jonah, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
The sea can be thought of as something frightening and terrifying, standing athwart the purposes of God with its unforgiving power and discouraging darkness. However, when we allow ourselves to be swallowed up by the Lord’s will, we will find a peace that is sure and unshakable, even in the midst of the worst storms.
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 Gallup survey found that the proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue, or mosque has dropped below 50% for the first time in American history. In 1999, around 70% of Americans attended a church, synagogue, or mosque--today it's just 47%. Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss these results, what they mean, and why it matters whether someone belongs to a church. They also respond to commenters on Reddit who reveal why they stopped going to church and will never go back.
A listener asks, why doesn't the spiritual life get easier?
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 2020 address at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, titled “Called Into the Depths.” He discussed three sailors from the Bible: the patriarch Noah, the prophet Jonah, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
The sea can be thought of as something frightening and terrifying, standing athwart the purposes of God with its unforgiving power and discouraging darkness. However, when we allow ourselves to be swallowed up by the Lord’s will, we will find a peace that is sure and unshakable, even in the midst of the worst storms.
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 Word on Fire Bible series is one of the most ambitious and significant projects we’ve ever taken on. Listen as Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss where the idea came from and the future of the project. They also give you a sneak peek at Volume II of the series, which will cover Acts, Letters, and Revelation.
Support the Word on Fire Bible project and claim your copy of Volume II!
A listener asks, why doesn’t the spiritual life get easier?
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 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.
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!
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?
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.
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?
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?
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?
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:
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!