The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
Episodes
WOF 531: Social Media in Light & Darkness (pt. 3)
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Tha...
WOF 530: Catholic Ministry & Social Media (pt. 2)
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Tha...
WOF 529: The Art & Means of Communication (pt. 1)
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Tha...
WOF 528: The Early Days w/ Bishop Barron & Fr. Steve (pt. 2)
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Than...
WOF 527: Reason and Authority (12 of 12)
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Enlightenment believed reason was its own authority. Heteronomous authority was anathema. Autonomy was the ideal. Thus, the Church's hierarchica...
WOF 526: The Early Days w/ Bishop Barron & Fr. Steve (pt. 1)
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Tha...
WOF 525: The Illative Sense (11 of 12)
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Since the mind can infer truths of which it does not have certainty, what judges the validity of an inference in concrete matters? The Illative Sens...
WOF 524: The Dangers of Life Becoming Too Easy
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a recent episode of the Joe Rogan show, evolutionary biologist and public intellectual Bret Weinstein observed that two emerging features of conte...
WOF 523: The Grammar of Assent (10 of 12)
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent was Newman's most difficult work. While not a formal epistemology (theory of knowledge), Newman prompted a ...
WOF 522: What's It Like to Be a Catholic Bishop?
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
St. Pope John Paul the II memorably observed that the Catholic Church comes from the eucharist and that the eucharist, in turn, comes from priests. ...
WOF 521: The Philosophical Habit (9 of 12)
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Newman believed that a liberal arts education would instill a philosophical habit of mind in students, helping students reason to the foundational p...
WOF 520: Defending Religious Freedom
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Religious freedom, especially for Christians, is under attack across the globe, including in the West–including right here in the United States. Wh...
WOF 519: The Queen of the Sciences (8 of 12)
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Theology is the queen of the sciences. It is not just one science among many but the principal organizing science. If it is taken out of this centra...
WOF 518: What Is the Christian Way of Caring for the Poor?
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Poverty is not only a complex problem to address economically–not to mention sociologically, psychologically, and culturally; it is also oft...
WOF 517: The Idea of a University (7 of 12)
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Newman's articulation of the nature of university education in his The Idea of a University is crucial today in that a polytechnic model has ...
WOF 516: How to Have a Civil Debate in a Polarized World
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie Kirk's assassination revealed a disturbing new cultural and political reality for those who share any of Kirk's views: it is possible, in ...
WOF 515: Developments Contrasted with Corruptions (6 of 12)
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this lesson, Bishop Barron explains how Newman distinguishes between doctrinal development and corruption. A thorough explanation of this crucial...
WOF 514: Celebrating St. John Henry Newman Becoming a Doctor of the Church
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pope Leo XIV has recently formally declared St. John Henry Newman—who was canonized only in 2019 by Pope Francis—a doctor of the Catholic Church...
WOF 513: The Play of Lively Minds (5 of 12)
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Newman thinks that the fullness of an idea can best be manifested when it enters the play of lively minds. It grows and develops through the Church. N...
WOF 512: The Development of Christian Doctrine (4 of 12)
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Newman's Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine is perhaps his greatest contribution to theology. In this essay, Newman considers why...
WOF 511: Newman as a Catholic (3 of 12)
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this lesson, Bishop Barron explains what led Newman to enter the Roman Catholic Church. Newman's study of Church history was part of it, giving a p...
WOF 510: Newman as an Anglican (2 of 12)
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this lesson, Bishop Barron presents Newman's autobiographical Apologia Pro Vita Sua, focusing on Newman's years as an Anglican prior to his...
WOF 509: The Importance of St. John Henry Newman (1 of 12)
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this lesson, Bishop Barron introduces St. John Henry Newman and explains his theological significance in his own day and ours. He is a pivotal pl...
WOF 508: How to Build on Conversion Momentum
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We recently looked at some of the reasons that may be contributing to the resurgence or interest in Catholicism out in the culture. Today, we look at ...
WOF 507: 1,700 Years of the Nicene Creed
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For 1,700 years, the universal church has confessed the Nicene Creed. This anniversary year, Bishop Barron spoke at a Greek Orthodox church in Rochest...
WOF 506: Why Are So Many Young People Becoming Catholic?
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Both interest and conversions to the Catholic Church have been surging both here and in parts of Europe, especially among young adults. To be sure, se...
WOF 505: Bishop Barron's Q&A with Irish Pilgrims
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we bring you the rich question and answer session from Bishop Barron's recent Jubilee address to Irish pilgrims in Rome. He takes on a var...
WOF 504: The Meaning and Purpose of Beauty (Part 2)
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we bring you the second half of a recent discussion about the meaning, purpose, and objectivity of the transcendental of beauty between the ...
WOF 503: Our Call to Radical Self Gift
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron gave a Jubilee address in Rome recently to Irish pilgrims in which he looked at the great Old Testament figures and examined what it loo...
WOF 502: The Meaning and Purpose of Beauty (Part 1)
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we bring you the first half of a recent discussion between Managing Editor of the Word on Fire Evangelization & Culture Journal, Dr. Tod W...
WOF 501: Christ's Real Presence in the Eucharist
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're listening to a talk Bishop Barron gave within one of his classic study programs, the Eucharist series. He addresses Christ's Real Presen...
WOF 500: Catholic Social Thought in the Age of AI
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In taking the name Pope Leo XIV, the new pope has signaled that the Church finds itself in an era marked by tumultuous social change. The question rem...
WOF 499: Four Culminating Themes of the Bible (Part 2)
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We bring you the second half of Bishop Barron's keynote address at this year's inaugural international Evangelisation & Culture conference in London. ...
WOF 498: How to Strengthen Catholic Identity in Catholic Schools
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If Catholic schools are already Catholic, why would they need to become more so? The unfortunate reality, however, is that some Catholic educational i...
WOF 497: Four Culminating Themes of the Bible (Part 1)
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this year, we hosted Word on Fire's first international Evangelisation & Culture conference in London, at which Bishop Barron gave the keynote...
WOF 496: The Evangelical Power of the Nicene Creed
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Nicene Creed was written 1,700 years ago and is one of the earliest summations of the core doctrinal beliefs of the Christian faith. We continue t...
WOF 495: The Bigger Story of the Bible with N.T. Wright (Part 2)
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you the second half of a conversation between Bishop Barron and biblical scholar, N.T. Wright, at Word on Fire's recent Evangelisation ...
WOF 494: What to Expect from a Pope Leo XIV Papacy
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On May 8, 2025, the college of cardinals stunned the world by electing Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of the South Side of Chicago, as our ...
WOF 493: The Bigger Story of the Bible with N.T. Wright (Part 1)
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you the first half of a conversation from earlier this year between Bishop Barron and biblical scholar, N.T. Wright, at Word on Fire's...
WOF 492: What Catholicism Can Teach Us About Multiculturalism
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The meaning and socio-political implementation of the term "multiculturalism" has become a flashpoint throughout the West. Supporters of multicultural...
WOF 491: Parliamentary Address: The Rhythm of Divine Mercy (Part 2)
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In February 2025, Bishop Barron returned to the Palace of Westminster in London, UK, to address religious leaders and members of Parliament. The focus...
WOF 490: Bishop Barron Responds to His Critics
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We continue celebrating twenty-five years of proclaiming the Gospel; evangelizing the culture; supporting the faithful; and inviting the disaffiliated...
WOF 489: Parliamentary Address: The Rhythm of Divine Mercy (Part 1)
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In February 2025, Bishop Barron returned to the Palace of Westminster in London, UK, to address religious leaders and members of Parliament. The focus...
WOF 488: The Legacy of Pope Francis
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pope Francis passed away at the age of eighty-eight on Easter Monday. He was the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit pope, and the first p...
WOF 487: "Ipsum Esse" & Catholic Social Teaching (Part 2)
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we conclude Bishop Barron's lecture at Charles University in Prague. During the talk, he focuses on St. Thomas Aquinas' distinctive notion of Go...
WOF 486: Celebrating 25 Years of Word on Fire
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Word on Fire is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. That's twenty-five years of proclaiming the Gospel, evangelizing the culture, and working ...
WOF 485: "Ipsum Esse" & Catholic Social Teaching (Part 1)
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron's lecture at Charles University in Prague. In this talk, Bishop focuses on St. Thomas Aquinas' dist...
WOF 484: Bishop Barron Joins Catholic Voices Podcast (Part 2 of 2)
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're bringing you the second half of a conversation between Bishop Barron and Brenden Thompson during a trip to London. Brenden is Programme M...
WOF 483: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (12 of 12)
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we conclude Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs v...
WOF 482: Bishop Barron Joins Catholic Voices Podcast (Part 1 of 2)
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're bringing you the first half of a conversation that Bishop Barron had with Brenden Thompson during a trip to London. Brenden is Programme M...
WOF 481: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (11 of 12)
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here is the eleventh lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth centu...
WOF 480: Are We Required to Love Everyone Equally?
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are Christians required to love everyone equally? This question has recently become a matter of public and even political debate. So how should we ans...
WOF 479: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (10 of 12)
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We bring you the tenth lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth cen...
WOF 478: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (9 of 12)
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue with lesson nine on our walk through Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologian...
WOF 477: 5 Ways Faith Can Free You from Anxiety & Depression
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Depression and anxiety have exploded in the past decade in the United States, especially, though not exclusively, among young people. Tragically, anxi...
WOF 476: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (8 of 12)
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our walk through Bishop Barron's lecture series with lesson eight on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the...
WOF 475: How to Balance Work and Leisure
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A debate has been raging on social media recently about the role work should play both in our individual and communal lives. One side argues that Amer...
WOF 474: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (7 of 12)
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we present the seventh lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentie...
WOF 473: Why and How to Pray
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the nature and purpose of prayer? The question may sound simple, but it unearths some complex philosophical and theological issues. If God is ...
WOF 472: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (6 of 12)
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We bring you the sixth lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth cen...
WOF 471: How to Reclaim Civil Society for the Common Good
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A cultural shift seems to be underway, at least within the United States, that is potentially making society more open—perhaps even more positively ...
WOF 470: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (5 of 12)
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the fifth lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth c...
WOF 469: 5 Reasons to Be Hopeful in the New Year
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the defining features of the Christian moral and spiritual life is the supernatural virtue of hope. What is hope? What makes hope more than a m...
WOF 468: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (4 of 12)
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We bring you the fourth lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth ce...
WOF 467: The Fall—and Rise?—of Men
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the enduring, progressive narrative that society favors and privileges men, the sociological data reveals men have and continue to experienc...
WOF 466: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (3 of 12)
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you the third lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twent...
WOF 465: Recapping the Synod on Synodality
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After spending nearly a month in Rome, Bishop Barron has just returned from the concluding session of the Synod on Synodality. However, numerous basic...
WOF 464: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (2 of 12)
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you the second lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twenti...
WOF 463: The Importance & Power of Prayer w/ Tammy Peterson: Part II
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Through a litany of trials and grace, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. We bring you the second half of an hour-long conversation...
WOF 462: Bishop Barron on the Theology of Balthasar (1 of 12)
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you the first lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important, intriguing, strange, and influential Catholic th...
WOF 461: The Importance & Power of Prayer w/ Tammy Peterson: Part I
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Through a litany of trials and grace, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. Today we bring you the first half of an hour-long convers...
WOF 460: The Star of the North Congress Address: Part II
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you the second half of Bishop Barron's May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He conclud...
WOF 459: Five Lessons to Learn from the African Church
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Parts of the global Church have a very different kind of challenge on their hands than we do in the West: how to handle explosive growth. In many pa...
WOF 458: The Star of the North Congress Address: Part I
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron's May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He discus...
WOF 457: How to Resist Anti-Christian Bigotry
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How should we respond when the culture becomes inhospitable if not actively hostile to Christian values? Sadly, biblical and natural law points of v...
WOF 456: Bishop Barron at the New Ressourcement Conference
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we bring you Bishop Barron's lecture from the 2023 New Ressourcement Conference. The New Ressourcement is a quarterly journal of theology and...
WOF 455: Should We Worry About Declining Birth Rates?
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1968, a book called The Population Bomb written by entomologist Paul Ehrlich helped spark panic in the west that the global population was reachi...
WOF 454: Bishop Barron's NEC Keynote Address
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are happy to share Bishop Barron's keynote address at the historic 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Enjoy. Link: Word ...
WOF 453: Nature & the Human Body—Recapping Wonder 2024
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The nature and purpose of the human body was once considered obvious. But it has come under attack from secular culture in some strange and even dis...
WOF 452: Bishop Barron's Homily at the Eucharistic Congress
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, Bishop Barron traveled to the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. He gave a homily during a breakout session to all the pr...
WOF 451: Is Christianity Making a Comeback?
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some recent polling suggests that the number of those who identify with no religion has hit a ceiling, and it may even be declining. At the same tim...
WOF 450: Freedom & Political Order w/ Patrick Deneen—Part II
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we bring you the latter half of Bishop Barron's conversation with Patrick J. Deneen, a professor of political science at the University of No...
WOF 449: Are Reverent Liturgies & Social Justice at Odds?
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does being committed to social justice necessarily entail neglecting the liturgy? Conversely, do reverent liturgies entail downplaying or even ignorin...
WOF 448: Freedom & Political Order w/ Patrick Deneen—Part I
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we bring you the first part of Bishop Barron's conversation with Patrick J. Deneen, a professor of political science at the University of Not...
WOF 447: The Crossroads of Religion & Politics—Part 2
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We bring to you the second part of Bishop Barron's discussion with Dr. Tod Worner on the way a Catholic, and indeed all Christians, should approach ...
WOF 446: Five Animating Sensibilities for Evangelization
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We recently hosted a Word on Fire Institute member event in London. At the event, Bishop Barron reflected on five animating sensibilities for evange...
WOF 445: The Crossroads of Religion & Politics—Part I
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we bring to you the first part of Bishop Barron's discussion with Dr. Tod Worner on the way a Catholic should navigate the crossroads of religi...
WOF 444: Bishop Barron Speaks at Parliament
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron had the privilege of speaking to members of Parliament in London, England. He reflects on the presence of the Church in society, her end...
WOF 443: How Should We Understand Miracles?
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over 83 percent of Americans still believe in miracles, but what, specifically, are miracles? What are the grounds for believing in them, especially...
WOF 442: Dante Ascends the Paradiso
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have arrived at the end of our journey with Dante. At the top of Mount Purgatory, Dante ascends the Paradiso and in the highest heaven, he behold...
WOF 441: Did Bill Maher Become an Ally?
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The atheist political commentator and television host Bill Maher has long been a bitter critic of Christianity. In additional to regular swipes at C...
WOF 440: Atoning for the Seven Deadly Sins
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our journey continues through Dante's poetic imagery of the seven deadly sins. As Bishop Barron describes them in order of their severity, we discov...
WOF 439: Is Christianity Useful to the West?
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is Christianity a useful religion to the West? Atheist Richard Dawkins recently claimed that, while still an atheist, he considers himself a "cultur...
WOF 438: Damned Alone—But Saved Together
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing the journey in the fourth lecture of Bishop Barron's course, "Dante's Catholic Imagination," we see notion that "we're damned alone, but ...
WOF 437: Is Safety Culture Good for Us?
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Terms like "safe spaces," "trigger warnings," "harm reduction," "micro-aggression," "emotional wellbeing" and "fragility" are dominating the culture a...
WOF 436: Dante's Poetic Vision of Hell
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We continue with the third lecture of Bishop Barron's course, "Dante's Catholic Imagination." We uncover the horrors of hell as Virgil takes Dante o...
WOF 435: The Enduring Relevance of St. Thomas Aquinas
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most in contemporary secular culture have probably never heard of the name "Thomas Aquinas." However, his thought remains more pertinent than ever—n...
WOF 434: Blocked by the Beasts of Sin
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We continue now with the next lecture from Bishop Barron's popular course, "Dante's Catholic Imagination," available in its entirety inside the Word o...
WOF 433: Healing Antisocial America
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A recent article in The Atlantic magazine highlights the crisis of isolation befalling the United States. Americans have never been—or felt—mor...
WOF 432: Who is Dante Alighieri?
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we are excited to bring you the first lecture from Bishop Barron's popular course, "Dante's Catholic Imagination," which is available in its e...