How should we respond when the culture becomes inhospitable if not actively hostile to Christian values? Sadly, biblical and natural law points of view are unwelcome now in many of the institutions that constitute the core of our society, including corporations, public schools, higher education, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the legacy media, and even government entities themselves. What can Christians do to resist persecution by these secular powerhouses? How can we understand what it means to resist those who undermine Christians in light of Christ’s command to love our enemies?
A listener asks how she can share the faith with her non-religious family members.
00:00 | Intro
01:48 | Matt Walsh’s recent “Am I Racist?” film
02:50 | Distinguishing bigotry from disagreement
03:56 | Distinguishing inhospitality from hostility
06:12 | Anti-Christian sentiment in history
08:43 | Taking opposition at its word
12:47 | How the Olympics opening ceremony provoked response
14:58 | Provocative acts of nonviolence
18:08 | Unpacking “turn the other cheek”
22:24 | Recent revival of religious interest
23:38 | Resistance as an act of love
25:07 | What’s to be done with anger?
26:22 | Pacifism and forceful resistance
28:51 | How the martyrs inform the Church
30:09 | Resistance to culture as a form of evangelization
31:11 | Listener question: How do I share my faith with non-religious family and friends?
32:49 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.
Today we bring you Bishop Barron’s lecture from the 2023 New Ressourcement Conference. The New Ressourcement is a quarterly journal of theology and philosophy published by Word on Fire Academic. It serves the Church and the academy by publishing scholarly articles that demonstrate the depth and relevance of the Catholic tradition.
In the talk, Bishop Barron explains the roots of this theological movement, his own coming-of-age experience in a postconciliar Church, and the particular concerns this movement aims to address. Enjoy!
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.
In 1968, a book called The Population Bomb written by entomologist Paul Ehrlich helped spark panic in the west that the global population was reaching a breaking point, saying too many human beings would soon cause widespread famine and social chaos.
This view that a growing human population is an existential threat to humanity remains widespread to this day. For example, University of Chicago political philosopher Martha Nussbaum recently stated that given the world’s current population, “no one should be having any children.” Contemporary empirical evidence, however, points in exactly the opposite direction. Deaths are already outpacing births in many regions of the world, resulting in precipitous declines in national populations. Is this good news for humanity? Are public policies aimed at population control justified? Is there such a thing as an ideal population size? Should anyone care about whether others choose to have children or not?
A listener asks whether we should continue going to confession if we keep committing the same sin over and over again.
00:00 | Intro
01:49 | Seminarians kick off school year
03:00 | Assessing population decreases across the globe
05:36 | Increased attitudes against having children
08:24 | Unpacking “culture of death,” ego-drama, and theo-drama
11:33 | Childbearing as a societal good
12:35 | Population capping through public policy
14:07 | Human population and the environment
17:03 | Utilitarianism as a faulty moral theory for addressing population concerns
18:51 | Foregoing childbirth to spare potential children pain
21:20 | Foregoing childbirth to favor economic security
22:33 | Foregoing childbirth for lack of desire
24:55 | Old age without children
28:00 | The centrality of fruitfulness
29:14 | Pope St. Paul VI’s prophetic ban on artificial contraception
30:57 | How does the Church look forward?
34:05 | Listener question: Does repeating sins disqualify me from Confession?
36:35 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.
We are happy to share Bishop Barron’s keynote address at the historic 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Enjoy.
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.
The nature and purpose of the human body was once considered obvious. But it has come under attack from secular culture in some strange and even disturbing ways in recent years. Now, unfortunately, it is up for grabs. The Word on Fire Institute sought to address this confusion surrounding the body at our recent Wonder Conference, “Nature and the Human Body.” Drawing on rich theological, philosophical, scientific, medical, moral, political, technological, and artistic resources, the conference sought to reclaim an authentic understanding and deep appreciation for the body—its resilience and fragility, its joys and its sufferings, its transcendence and its temporality, and, above all, its wonder.
A listener asks how Catholics should think about near-death experiences and stories.
00:00 | Intro
01:23 | Hosting the Wonder Conference in Bishop Barron’s own diocese
02:25 | Why we needed Wonder
03:50 | Understanding the false dichotomy of faith and science
06:20 | Addressing the question of body/soul unity
12:38 | Inherent dangers in dividing body and soul
15:36 | Can Catholic ministries give platforms to evolutionary biologists?
17:11 | Highlights from Dr. Heather Heying’s Wonder talk
18:45 | Beginning with the logos and intelligibility
20:04 | The human difference
21:04 | Bishop Barron Presents: liturgical artist Jonathan Pageau
23:06 | Materialism as an incoherent philosophy vs. scientific worldview
26:30 | The intelligibility of creation
27:36 | Fr. Robert Spitzer and the transcendent body
33:46 | Hope for reconciling faith and science in the public square
35:16 | Listener question
37:54 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.