Evangelization & Culture Podcast

Dive into the clash between a Catholic and an atheist in G.K. Chesterton's novel, 'The Ball and the Cross'. Explore Chesterton's journey to Catholicism and his profound storytelling. Uncover the battle of faith and philosophy in the narrative, highlighting themes of truth, respect in debates, and the struggle between dogma and reason.

Before Pope John Paul II shook the foundations of the Communist world, there was the inspired witness and breathtaking courage of Hungary’s József Cardinal Mindszenty. Carrying a picture of Christ bearing his crown of thorns, Mindszenty drew strength from its Latin inscription, Devictus vincit (Defeated, he is victorious). Join me and Professor Daniel Mahoney as we delve into the gripping Memoirs of Cardinal Mindszenty which reveal the faith of a Catholic giant and the crucible in which he was formed. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of the Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or on your favorite podcast hosting platform. You can get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.

How did four English women—a genius, a firecracker, a polymath, and a synthesizer—enter a stultifying philosophical milieu at Oxford and change ethics forever? Join me as I discuss Elizabeth Anscombe, Iris Murdoch, Mary Midgely, and Phillipa Foot with Professor Benjamin Lipscomb and his captivating book, The Women Are Up to Something. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of the Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or on your favorite podcast hosting platform. You can get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.

French pediatrician and geneticist Jérôme Lejeune insisted, “We need to be clear: The quality of a civilization can be measured by the respect it has for its weakest members. There is no other criterion.” After he criticized the cozy relationship between the scientific community and the practice of aborting patients with Down syndrome, Lejeune wrote to his wife, “Today, I lost my Nobel prize.” Join me and Mark Bradford, the Word on Fire Fellow for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, as we discuss how Jérôme Lejeune changed his life and the lives of those with challenging disabilities. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of the Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or on your favorite podcast hosting platform. You can get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.

Explore the character and jurisprudence of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia with James Rosen, Chief White House Correspondent for Newsmax and author of Scalia: Rise to Greatness. They discuss Scalia's commitment to excellence, his devout Catholicism, the influence of Catholicism in his life, his wit and sense of humor, his confirmation hearings, and his judicial philosophy of textualism and originalism.

Fr. Leonard Andrie writes, “Isolated and exhausted, Elijah, the worn-out prophet lies by a broom tree. He is, without question, a portrait of despair. He not only wants to resign his office as prophet but says in exasperation, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors’ (1 Kings 19:4).”  He asks to die because of his perceived failure. But God is not done with him yet. And, likewise, he is not done with you. Join me in the Spirit-filled conversation with St. Therese of Deephaven’s Fr. Leonard Andrie. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of the Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or on your favorite podcast hosting platform. Get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.

Dr. Tracey Rowland, a noted scholar on Pope Benedict XVI and the St. John Paul II Chair of Theology, discusses the Pope's impactful theological legacy. She emphasizes his deep understanding of grace and forgiveness within the Church. Acknowledging the clash between ideology and truth, Rowland critiques the influence of Marxism and feminism on Catholic thought. She also reflects on the evolution of German Catholic intellectualism post-World War II, highlighting how past ideologies continue to shape modern discourse. Her insights affirm the relevance of Benedict’s teachings today.

Joshua Hren, Founder of Wiseblood Books, discusses the art of Catholic publishing, the challenges faced by Catholic writers, the impact of universities on writers, and the power of storytelling and fiction in conveying moral lessons and depicting everyday reality.

What Belarusian Svetlana Alexievich observed, upon winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, could as easily be ascribed to the Russian novelists: “Suffering is our capital, our national resource. . . Not oil or gas—but suffering.” What is it about Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, Chekhov and Turgenev that so keenly wrestles with suffering and the human soul? Dr. Gary Saul Morson, a scholar of Russian literature at Northwestern University, joins me in exploring the depths of suffering in Russian literature.  Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of the Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or on your favorite podcast hosting platform. Get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.

Living as a young man under Nazi occupation, a priest enduring Communist oppression, and a pope in an unbelievable world, St. John Paul II was no stranger to suffering. Eminent thinker and papal biographer, George Weigel, insists that John Paul II was a towering spiritual father because he "knew suffering from the inside." Join us as we explore what St. John Paul II can teach us about faith and suffering in the modern world. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of the Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or on your favorite podcast hosting platform. Get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.