The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

In a recent talk, Bishop Barron presented on the importance of not dumbing down the faith as we engage in religious education. Young people enjoy asking about and discussing the big questions, from God’s existence, to how to be a good and moral person, to the problem of suffering. A disconnect takes place when we meet these intellectual questions with watered-down catechesis. Instead, we must remember the central teachings of Christianity. We must present the fullness of truth, the reality of the Incarnation, and the good news of grace. 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, today we continue our “Word on Fire Show” series on how to understand Genesis by discussing Abraham and Isaac. Watch and learn about these two pivotal figures in salvation history. A listener asks, where can I learn more about God’s non-competitive transcendence? Links Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard Against Heresies by St. Irenaeus The God of Faith and Reason: Foundations of Christian Theology by Robert Sokolowski 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, a Catholic bishop and media evangelist, engages in a Q&A about vocational discernment. He discusses his personal journey, the importance of philosophy in theology, and dealing with fears during discernment. The podcast also explores the joy and challenges of priesthood in modern times, the decline of women entering religious life, and the importance of discerning one's specific path in deepening their connection with Christ.

Modern psychiatry tends to downplay spirituality, but in today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss a new Scientific American article suggesting that "Psychiatry Needs to Get Right with God." The author explains how belief in God is associated with significantly better treatment outcomes for many patients, and therefore patients should have the option to include spirituality in their treatment.  A listener asks, where does one go to get the Catholic Church’s official interpretation of Scripture? 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!

Earlier this year, Bishop Barron joined Sal Di Stefano from Mind Pump Media for a great conversation. They discussed the great social upheaval and political division in our culture—including its intellectual, moral, and spiritual dimensions—and why a purely secular framework is not enough to solve it. Links Dei Verbum Reading Challenge 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 series on “Understanding Genesis.” Last time we focused on Creation and today we’re discussing Adam, Eve, and the Fall. How should we understand the creation of Adam and Eve? What actually happened at the Fall? Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss. A listener asks, why would Mark end his Gospel with the women not telling the Apostles about the resurrection? 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 Q&A session between Bishop Barron and Maronite clergy following a talk he shared on the priesthood. In the Q&A, he answered several questions, including: Did Adam love Eve for the sake of God? What is Mary’s role in Jacob’s ladder? Do you have practical advice for people feeling confined by their vocation? How should we pick our battles as we wrestle with the world? How do you approach the concept of free will and reconcile it with our slavery to God? What practical steps can we take in our parishes to keep people from disaffiliating from 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!

Pope Francis just announced he’s planning to declare a new Doctor of the Church, St. Irenaeus of Lyon. Who was he? What were his key ideas? Why does he still matter? That's what Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss in today's episode. Topics include: What’s a Doctor of the Church, and why should Irenaeus be declared one? How did Bishop first become acquainted with Irenaeus? What was Irenaeus’ approach to battling Gnosticism? Irenaeus taught that God has no need of anything outside of himself. What does this mean, and why is it good news? How to understand Irenaeus’s pithy line, “The glory of God is man fully alive”? Irenaeus’ theology of recapitulation How Irenaeus remains a great spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christians Why Irenaeus is still relevant today A listener asks, how should I respond to the idea that nothing really exists because we can’t prove that it exists? Links New editions of Bishop Barron's books: https://bookstore.wordonfire.org 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 a talk Bishop Barron offered earlier this year to the Catholic educators of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. He exhorted teachers to boldly proclaim the resurrection and lordship of Jesus, affirming that all Catholic teachers are, fundamentally, evangelizers. 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 begin a five-part series of discussions on the book of Genesis. In this first episode, we focus on the Creation story. Genesis is of course the first book in the Bible and perhaps the most foundational, but it’s also the source of so much confusion. Bishop Barron clarifies what the author is intending to convey and the theological and spiritual truths we can pull from the narrative. A listener asks, how do I start mental prayer, especially if I’m always distracted? Links Get your copy of the new Evangelization & Culture issue on poetry! 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!