The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

How did Bishop Barron get drawn into the life of the mind? What are his reading and writing habits like? In this episode, he discusses the intellectual life and gives advice to aspiring intellectuals. A listener asks which literature books Bishop would recommend for a Catholic high school English class. 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, Bishop Barron fields questions from people all over the world, including: How do I evangelize in remote areas where people are simple, and can’t even read the Bible, without dumbing down the message? What’s the Catholic response to worry and anxiety? Was Purgatory divinely revealed or just a human invention? How to evangelize young people about hot-button issues without sounding preachy and condemnatory? When praying, should we always go to God with requests or can we sometimes just praise him? How can God be outside the universe but still have an effect on it? Can you talk about Rabbi Wolpe’s argument against the Trinity, that if God is perfect, how could there be three persons in the Trinity? 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 hit movie 1917 vividly depicts the horrors of World War I, including its great spiritual peril. In this episode, Bishop Barron reflects on the Great War, discussing its impact on twentieth-century theology and philosophy, the Pope, and the Catholic Church’s relationship to the world. A listener asks why Jesus chose to live a quiet, mostly obscure 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!

Today, we share a sample lesson from a course inside our Word on Fire Institute on “Reaching the Different.” The course is taught by Dr. Matt Nelson and teaches how to evangelize friends and family who are apathetic about God and don't care about religion. To get the rest of the course, along with 10 other full courses and all sorts of bonuses, join the Institute at https://wordonfire.institute.

In this third and final part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to Part 1 and Part 2), Bishop Barron examines four influential Fathers from the post-Nicene period: John Chrysostom (349 – 407) Jerome (347 – 420) Augustine (354 – 430) Gregory the Great (540 – 604) A listener asks whether to pray for people who are sick or simply accept pain and suffering as part of God’s plan. Links + Book Recommendations Websites ChurchFathers.org Church Father writings online (New Advent) Church Father books mentioned Clement (35 – 99) Letter to the Corinthians Ignatius (35 – 108) Epistles of Ignatius Polycarp (69 – 155) The Martyrdom of Polycarp Justin Martyr (100 – 165) First and Second Apologies Irenaeus (130 – 202) Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies) Origen (184 – 253) De Principiis (On First Principles) Biblical Commentaries Athanasius (292 – 373) On the Incarnation of the Word Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395) Life of Moses John Chrysostom (349 – 407) On Wealth and Poverty On Marriage and Family Life Jerome (347 – 420) Letters Augustine (354 – 430) Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition) De Civitate Dei (The City of God) De Trinitate (On the Trinity) Gregory the Great (540 – 604) Pastoral Rule Church Father collections Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens Church Father commentaries/introductions The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D’Ambrosio 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 second part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to Part 1), Bishop Barron takes a look at some important Church Fathers from the pre-Nicene and Nicene periods, including: Justin Martyr (100 – 165) Irenaeus (130 – 202) Origen (184 – 253) Athanasius (292 – 373) Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395) A listener asks how we can understand Purgatory and Heaven in relation to time. Links + Book Recommendations Websites ChurchFathers.org Church Father writings online (New Advent) Church Father books mentioned Clement (35 – 99) Letter to the Corinthians Ignatius (35 – 108) Epistles of Ignatius Polycarp (69 – 155) The Martyrdom of Polycarp Justin Martyr (100 – 165) First and Second Apologies Irenaeus (130 – 202) Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies) Origen (184 – 253) De Principiis (On First Principles) Biblical Commentaries Athanasius (292 – 373) On the Incarnation of the Word Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395) Life of Moses John Chrysostom (349 – 407) On Wealth and Poverty On Marriage and Family Life Jerome (347 – 420) Letters Augustine (354 – 430) Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition) De Civitate Dei (The City of God) De Trinitate (On the Trinity) Gregory the Great (540 – 604) Pastoral Rule Church Father collections Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens Church Father commentaries/introductions The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D’Ambrosio   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!

With the new year coming up, many of us will make resolutions. Some of us will pledge to exercise more, lose weight, or pick up new habits. But what spiritual resolutions should we make for 2020? In this short episode, Bishop Barron offers three suggestions. 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!

How many Christmas cards and nativity scenes have you seen presenting the baby Jesus as soft and saccharine? Well, that’s not how the Bible describes him. There, Jesus is presented as a warrior king, who came with a heavenly army to battle against the dark powers of the world. In this episode, excerpted from Bishop Barron’s CATHOLICISM film series, discover the real meaning of Christmas, and the extraordinary infant king at its center. Click here to watch the video version of this episode! 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!

Who were the Church Fathers, and why do they still matter today? Bishop Barron introduces these spiritual masters and shares their key contributions. In the first episode of our three-part series, he also discusses the three main Apostolic Fathers: Clement (35 – 99) Ignatius (35 – 108) Polycarp (69 – 155) A listener asks about the difference between faith and hope. Links + Book Recommendations Websites ChurchFathers.org Church Father writings online (New Advent) Church Father books mentioned Clement (35 – 99) Letter to the Corinthians Ignatius (35 – 108) Epistles of Ignatius Polycarp (69 – 155) The Martyrdom of Polycarp Justin Martyr (100 – 165) First and Second Apologies Irenaeus (130 – 202) Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies) Origen (184 – 253) De Principiis (On First Principles) Biblical Commentaries Athanasius (292 – 373) On the Incarnation of the Word Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395) Life of Moses John Chrysostom (349 – 407) On Wealth and Poverty On Marriage and Family Life Jerome (347 – 420) Letters Augustine (354 – 430) Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition) De Civitate Dei (The City of God) De Trinitate (On the Trinity) Gregory the Great (540 – 604) Pastoral Rule Church Father collections Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens Church Father commentaries/introductions The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D’Ambrosio 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!

At the recent USCCB meeting, Bishop Barron gave a presentation to all the American bishops in which he offered five ways to draw young people back to God. Today, we discuss each way. A listener asks which books Bishop Barron would recommend to counter his biology teacher who tells him to read Bertrand Russell and Christopher Hitchens. Links + Book Recommendations Bishop Barron’s USCCB presentation on “Reaching Out to the Religiously Unaffiliated” (YouTube) William Lane Craig vs. Christopher Hitchens debate (YouTube) StrangeNotions.com “20 Arguments for God’s Existence” by Peter Kreeft The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism by Edward Feser Aquinas: A Beginner’s Guide by Edward Feser On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig Answering Atheism: How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity by Trent Horn 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!