

Evangelization & Culture Podcast
Word on Fire Institute
Tod Worner discusses the culture, faith, literature, philosophy, history, and more in stimulating conversations with renown intellectuals of our time on the Evangelization & Culture Podcast. Tod also shares a reflection of his own and a book recommendation in each episode.
Tod curates more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture. Learn more and become a member at WordonFire.Institute.
Tod curates more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture. Learn more and become a member at WordonFire.Institute.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 23, 2024 • 1h 30min
A Story of Catholic Re-version w/ Francis Beckwith
What happens when a cradle Catholic wanders from his faith, succeeds brilliantly as a Protestant in the Academy, only to find himself convicted through his own research and the grace of God of the truth of the Catholic Faith? As G.K. Chesterton wrote, “The moment a man ceases to pull against the Church he feels a tug towards it. . . . The moment he tries to be fair to it he begins to be fond of it. Join me and Professor Francis Beckwith as we explore his tale of a Catholic reversion. 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.

Jan 9, 2024 • 1h 21min
The Good Death of Kate Montclair w/ Daniel McInerny
The respected, middle-aged Kate Montclair has an inoperable brain cancer. She is going to die. But how? Her friend Adele, the vivacious leader of the Death Symposium, knows just how to help her. Join me and Christendom associate professor of philosophy and novelist Daniel McInerny as we explore the profound tensions and irresistible temptations surrounding incurable illness and the fashionable choice of euthanasia. 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.

Dec 26, 2023 • 56min
Why Children's Literature Matters w/ Haley Stewart
"I am inclined to set it up as a canon,” C.S. Lewis clucked, “that a children’s story that is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story.” To read children’s literature as a child is to be immersed in a world of wonder. To read them again as an adult is to begin to understand what they truly meant. Join me and Word on Fire Spark Editor Haley Stewart as we explore exactly why children’s literature matters. 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.

Dec 12, 2023 • 1h 1min
The Strangest Way: Bishop Barron on Conversion
Bishop Barron discusses authentic conversion to Catholicism, exploring topics such as letting go of the old self, the church's role in conversion, backsliding, ongoing conversion and inner revolution, controversy and evangelization, and living a vibrant Catholic life.

Nov 28, 2023 • 1h 32min
The Crucifix & the Rosary: A Journey of Illness & Grace w/ Tammy Peterson
Join Tammy Peterson, a cancer survivor who found solace in her faith, as she shares her journey from cancer to Christ. She discusses the importance of daily prayer, communication in marriage, the power of gratitude and prayer in illness, and the transformative experience of praying the rosary in the hospital. She also touches on surrendering control, the benefits of the carnivore diet for chronic illnesses, and finding peace and grace through surrender.

Nov 14, 2023 • 1h 22min
G.K. Chesterton and “The Ball and the Cross” w/ Dale Ahlquist
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.

Oct 31, 2023 • 1h 35min
The Courage of Cardinal Mindszenty w/ Daniel Mahoney
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.

Oct 17, 2023 • 1h 24min
The Women Are Up to Something w/ Benjamin Lipscomb
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.

Oct 3, 2023 • 1h 20min
The Advocate: Jérôme Lejeune and the Intellectually Disabled w/ Mark Bradford
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.

Sep 19, 2023 • 1h 12min
The Character & Jurisprudence of Antonin Scalia w/ James Rosen
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.