C.S. Lewis wrote more than 30 books which have collectively sold over 100 million copies, including the Chronicles of Narnia series, Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters. But of those thirty books, there was only one which Lewis described himself as “almost my favorite among my books,” yet he was disappointed that “in general [the book] has been almost totally ignored by the public.”
The book was his prophetic text titled The Abolition of Man. It’s an important book but one that many readers find dense and challenging.
Thankfully, Michael Ward, one of the world’s leading C.S. Lewis scholars, has stepped in to help. His groundbreaking new book titled After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's ‘The Abolition of Man was just published by Word on Fire Academic.
Today, Brandon Vogt sits down with Michael to discuss Lewis' original text and how Michael's new guide and commentary help readers make sense of Lewis’s argument.
Learn more: https://www.wordonfire.org/humanity
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Dr. Christian Smith has written a new book titled Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation. It's based on new research about how parents successfully raise children to become religiously-practicing adults.
In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt walk through his findings and discuss what actually helps our kids to retain their faith into young adulthood.
A listener asks, how do we know which religion is right, Catholicism or Protestantism?
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 Q&A session with students at Yale University from February 2021, Bishop Barron answered a variety of questions from students, 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!
A recent poll from the Survey Center on American Life revealed that people are rapidly losing their close friends, especially men. The number of American men who view themselves as having "no close friends" quintupled over the last 30 years, increasing from 3 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2021.
Why is this happening, and how can we reverse it? How can we develop closer friendships? Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss those questions today.
A listener asks, why does God love us?
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 latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring theologian and educator Dr. Larry Chapp.
Larry and Bishop Barron discuss topics such as:
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!
Today we continue our discussion of a recent article by Tim Keller, the popular Protestant pastor, titled “The Fading of Forgiveness: Tracing the Disappearance of the Thing We Need Most.”
We previously explored why forgiveness has faded in our culture. Today, we focus on the path forward, how we can practice and encourage more forgiveness.
A listener asks, what is, for Bishop Barron, the most annoying passage in the 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!
Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, this one featuring American legal scholar, political philosopher, and public intellectual Robert George.
Robert and Bishop Barron discuss virtue, focusing on topics such as Natural law, the “woke” phenomena, how we can engrain virtue in our society today, and more.
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!
Today we discuss a recent article by Tim Keller, the popular Protestant pastor, titled “The Fading of Forgiveness: Tracing the Disappearance of the Thing We Need Most”. Why are people increasingly skeptical about forgiveness? Keller proposes two reasons: a therapeutic culture, and religion without grace.
A listener asks, how did God create the universe if not from potentiality?
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 latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, this one with author Dr. Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen.
Jennifer and Bishop Barron discuss the history of ideas that shaped American culture, and her two books, American Nietzsche: A History of an Icon and His Ideas and The Ideas That Made America: A Brief History.
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!
Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring author and political science professor Dr. Jason Blakely. In Jason's conversation with Bishop Barron and Jared Zimmerer, he discussed topics found in his new book, We Built Reality: How Social Science Infiltrated Culture, Politics, and Power, including hermeneutics, economics, and more.
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!
Today we share in interview about Brandon Vogt’s new book Return: How to Draw Your Child Back to the Church, recently published by Word on Fire. The book is full of concrete advice and practical strategies to help draw any loved one back to the Church.
Return includes one of the best summations of why people dismiss the Church’s faith. He doesn’t cast aspersions or blame, and he avoids the scapegoating that marks some approaches to this problem.
Instead, he focuses on the solution, using a positive emphasis on what parents can say and do to respond to their child’s objections, rebuild relationships, and ultimately draw them back to the Church.
Return offers no magic-bullet guarantee that your loved one will come back. But you will find a complete game plan to create the best possible environment to reintroduce them to Christ and his Church. Learn more at https://wordonfire.org/return.
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 latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring literary and theological scholar Jessica Hooten Wilson. Jessica recently sat down with Bishop Barron and Jared Zimmerer to discuss caring for the soul through human formation, focusing on topics such as:
- The humanities within education
- Flannery O’Connor
- Dostoevsky
- Walker Percy
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!
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?
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 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
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 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.
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 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!