The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
Episodes
WOF 333: Storytelling and Evangelization
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from another great Word on Fire Institute course titled "The Five S's of Effective Evangelization," taught by...
WOF 332: How to Start Praying the Liturgy of the Hours
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, the Liturgy of the Hours is the highest form of prayer after the Mass. It is an ancient, structured way of praying Scripture throughout the d...
WOF 331: Fr. Mike Schmitz and Bishop Barron
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, I recently had the privilege of speaking with Fr. Mike Schmitz, host of the popular "Bible in a Year" podcast. We spoke at the 2021 Good New...
WOF 330: Kids Q&A w/ Bishop Barron (April 2022)
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today I take several questions from kids all over the world, including: 1:40 - Why did Jesus appear so long ago? 4:26 - Why did God the Fath...
WOF 329: Living the Liturgical Year
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled "Living the Liturgical Year in the Home," taught by Haley St...
WOF 328: The Cure for Cynicism
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, cynicism is on the rise. Our culture is increasingly pessimistic, characterized by a general distrust of others people's motives. So, how do...
WOF 327: Three Equations for Happier Catholics
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled "The Art of Happiness," taught by Dr. Arthur Brooks. Blendi...
WOF 326: Reading All 150 Psalms
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron recently had the experience of recording all 150 Psalms for the Catholic app Hallow. Listen as he shares about that experience, discuss...
WOF 324: Understanding Genesis: Joseph
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today we conclude our "Word on Fire Show" series on how to understand Genesis by focusing on Joseph, the great figure who went from slave to ...
WOF 323: Reading Scripture with the Early Church Fathers
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron's new Word on Fire Institute course titled "Reading Scripture with the Early Church Father...
WOF 322: Strange Rites
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today we discuss an interesting new book titled Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella Burton. Burton argue...
WOF 321: Evangelizing the Open-Minded
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled "Evangelizing the Open-Minded." In this course, Dr. Matthew N...
WOF 320: Volume II of the Bible is Here!
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, the long-awaited Word on Fire Bible, Volume II (Acts, Letters, and Revelation) is now available! Today, we give you a peek inside. Brandon...
WOF 319: Dante's Catholic Imagination
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share Lesson 1 from Bishop Barron's latest Word on Fire Institute course titled "Dante's Catholic Imagination." Listen as Bishop Barron lead...
WOF 318: What Makes Life Meaningful?
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What makes life meaningful? What is meaning, and where do we find it? Those are the pressing questions Brandon Vogt and I discuss today on "The Word o...
WOF 317: Faith, Science, and Sin
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share a sample from our new Word on Fire Institute course titled "Faith, Science, and Sin" taught by Dr. Christopher Baglow. Dr. Baglow cons...
WOF 316: Understanding Genesis: Jacob
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, today we continue our "Word on Fire Show" series on how to understand Genesis by focusing on Jacob, the son of Isaac and a patriarch of the a...
WOF 315: Reclaiming Vatican II
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
During the past five decades, the Second Vatican Council has been alternately celebrated or maligned for its supposed break with tradition and embrac...
WOF 314: Non-Catholic Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron takes several questions from non-Catholics, including: How does the Catholic Church think about sola Scriptura and Bible interpretation...
WOF 313: Not Dumbing Down the Faith
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
WOF 312: Understanding Genesis: Abraham and Isaac
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 tw...
WOF 311: Bishop Barron Q&A on Discernment
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, at the recent FOCUS SEEK, seminarians and young people discerning their vocation asked me range of questions about calling and vocations, in...
WOF 310: Why Psychiatry Needs to Get Right with God
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Modern psychiatry tends to downplay spirituality, but in today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss a new Scientif...
WOF 309: An Antidote to Hostility: Bishop Barron on Mind Pump
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this year, Bishop Barron joined Sal Di Stefano from Mind Pump Media for a great conversation. They discussed the great social upheaval and pol...
WOF 308: Understanding Genesis: Adam, Eve, and the Fall
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 shou...
WOF 307: What's Going to Cost Me Most?
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 q...
WOF 306: The Genius of St. Irenaeus
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
WOF 305: For Teachers, Evangelizing is Priority One
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 te...
WOF 304: Understanding Genesis: Creation
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
WOF 303: Which of C.S. Lewis's Books Was His Favorite?
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
C.S. Lewis wrote more than 30 books which have collectively sold over 100 million copies, including the Chronicles of Narnia series, Mere Christianity...
WOF 302: How to Keep Our Kids Catholic
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Christian Smith has written a new book titled Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation. It's based on ne...
WOF 301: Bishop Barron's Q&A w/ Yale University Students
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this Q&A session with students at Yale University from February 2021, Bishop Barron answered a variety of questions from students, including: Do ...
WOF 300: Why We Need Close Friends
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A recent poll from the Survey Center on American Life revealed that people are rapidly losing their close friends, especially men. The number of Amer...
WOF 299: Bishop Barron Presents: Larry Chapp
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the latest "Bishop Barron Presents" discussion, featuring theologian and educator Dr. Larry Chapp. Larry and Bishop Barron discuss t...
WOF 298: How to Forgive People
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue our discussion of a recent article by Tim Keller, the popular Protestant pastor, titled "The Fading of Forgiveness: Tracing the Disa...
WOF 297: Bishop Barron Presents: Robert George
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the latest "Bishop Barron Presents" discussion, this one featuring American legal scholar, political philosopher, and public intellect...
WOF 296: The Fading of Forgiveness
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss a recent article by Tim Keller, the popular Protestant pastor, titled "The Fading of Forgiveness: Tracing the Disappearance of the T...
WOF 295: Bishop Barron Presents: Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the latest "Bishop Barron Presents" discussion, this one with author Dr. Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen. Jennifer and Bishop Barron discus...
WOF 294: Bishop Barron Presents: Jason Blakely
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the latest "Bishop Barron Presents" discussion, featuring author and political science professor Dr. Jason Blakely. In Jason's convers...
WOF 293: Helping Loved Ones Return to the Church
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share in interview about Brandon Vogt's new book Return: How to Draw Your Child Back to the Church, recently published by Word on Fire. The ...
WOF 292: Bishop Barron Presents: Jessica Hooten Wilson
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the latest "Bishop Barron Presents" discussion, featuring literary and theological scholar Jessica Hooten Wilson. Jessica recently sat...
WOF 291: Parenthood, Children, and Freedom
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is parenthood suffocating or liberating? Do children keep you from self-discovery, or can they facilitate you finding your identity? Bishop Barron and...
WOF 290: Bishop Barron Presents: Sohrab Ahmari
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the latest episode in our "Bishop Barron Presents" series, featuring editor and author Sohrab Ahmari. Bishop Barron sits down to discu...
WOF 289: Recapping the Jordan Peterson Dialogue
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron recently joined Jordan Peterson for a second long discussion titled "Christianity and the Modern World," which has been viewed over 780,...
WOF 288: Stretching Out to Great Things
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron recently delivered the commencement address to the graduating class at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. The entire point of a Ca...
WOF 287: The Future of Catholic Schools
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
According to a recent Wall Street Journal headline, "Catholic Schools Are Losing Students at Record Rates, and Hundreds Are Closing." Catholic schools...
WOF 286: Sanctifying the World
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron recently visited the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he had the great privilege of preaching at their baccalaureate Mass. In...
WOF 285: Recapping Bishop Barron vs. The Cosmic Skeptic
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode, Brandon Vogt and I discuss my recent conversation with Alex O'Connor (aka @CosmicSkeptic), one of the most popular atheists in the...
WOF 284: Called Into the Depths (Naval Academy Address, Part 2 of 2)
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the second half of Bishop Barron's 2020 address at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, titled "Called Into the Depths." He ...
WOF 283: Is Church Really that Important?
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A new Gallup survey found that the proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue, or mosque has dropped below 50% fo...
WOF 282: Called Into the Depths (Naval Academy Address, Part 1 of 2)
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the first half of Bishop Barron's 2020 address at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, titled "Called Into the Depths." He ...
WOF 281: Creating a Bible for the Ages
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Word on Fire Bible series is one of the most ambitious and significant projects we've ever taken on. Listen as Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss...
WOF 280: Catholics, Media Mobs, and the Culture of Contempt
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share Bishop Barron's talk at the 2021 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress titled "Catholics, Media Mobs, and the Culture of Contempt....
WOF 279: Overcoming Disagreement Fatigue
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From politics to COVID, this past year has been filled with disagreement. That led Christian apologist Natasha Crain to write an article titled "Disa...
WOF 278: The Identity of Jesus
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share Bishop Barron's talk from the FOCUS SEEK 2021 conference. The talk is titled "The Identity of Jesus" and explores how Christ had the a...
WOF 277: The Dark Night of the Soul
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the "dark night of the soul"? How does it differ from general depression, sadness, or confusion? Bishop Barron and Brandon explore this spirit...
WOF 276: Approaches to the Question of God (Part 2 of 2)
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the second half of Bishop Baron's talk titled "Knocking Holes in the Buffered Self: Approaches to the Question of God." (Click here t...
WOF 275: Understanding Violence in the Old Testament
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Parts of the Old Testament depict God commanding the Israelites to massacre entire populations—every man, woman, child, and animal. How should Chris...
WOF 274: Knocking Holes in the Buffered Self (Part 1 of 2)
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the first half of Bishop Baron's talk titled "Knocking Holes in the Buffered Self: Approaches to the Question of God." He gave the tal...
WOF 273: Abandonment to Divine Providence
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade's spiritual classic, Abandonment to Divine Providence, taught that everything falls under God's will, from our delights to...
WOF 272: Talking to Princeton Students About God (part 2 of 2)
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron recently joined students from Princeton University in a virtual Q&A about God, faith, reason, and evangelization. The event was led by L...
WOF 271: How to Draw Young People Back to the Church
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why do so many young people drift away from God and the Church, and how can we help them return? This is a pressing question for all Catholics, but es...
WOF 270: Evangelization 101 (part 1 of 2)
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron recently joined students from Princeton University in a virtual Q&A about God, faith, reason, and evangelization. The event was led by L...
WOF 269: Kids Q&A w/ Bishop Barron (February 2021)
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from children all over the world, including: Is God bigger than an elephant? Why did God make bad germs? How d...
WOF 268: What Books Did J.R.R. Tolkien Read?
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's commonly assumed that J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, was an arch-conservative, a backward-looking person, and...
WOF 267: Do Not Fear
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
According to YouVersion, the popular Bible app, 2020's most-read Bible verse was Isaiah 41:10: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed...
WOF 266: Falling Toward God
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to this sample lesson from Fr. Paul Murray's new course inside the Word on Fire Institute titled "Prayer, Beauty, Mission: The Hidden Springs ...
WOF 265: Bishop Barron's Top 5 YouTube Videos of the Decade
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As 2020 winds to a close, Bishop Barron reflects back on his five most popular YouTube videos of the decade. He and Brandon Vogt discuss why these vid...
WOF 264: The Monsters of Social Media
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen as Fr. Steve Grunow, CEO of Word on Fire, speaks to a group of young Jesuits about the perils of artificial intelligence and the online world. ...
WOF 263: The Social Dilemma
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A hit Netflix documentary, "The Social Dilemma," is a film about the dark side of social media explained by the Silicon Valley innovators behind it. B...
WOF 262: Has Liberalism Failed? w/ Dave Rubin (part 2 of 2)
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we share the second half of Bishop Barron's recent discussion with Dave Rubin on the topic "Has Liberalism Failed?" (Click here to listen to ...
WOF 261: Evangelization and Guilt by Association
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There seems to be a growing sentiment, both within the Church and the wider culture, that if you share a public conversation with someone, or say some...
WOF 260: Has Liberalism Failed? w/ Dave Rubin (part 1 of 2)
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we share the first half of Bishop Barron's recent discussion with Dave Rubin on the topic "Has Liberalism Failed?" It's part of the "Bishop Ba...
WOF 259: Bishop Barron's 5 Favorite Books of All Time
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we look at Bishop Barron's favorite books of all time, from theology to poetry, fiction to stage plays. Download a full PDF guide to his favori...
WOF 258: Ideas Have Consequences: The Philosophers that Shaped 2020 (Part 2)
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we hear the second half of Bishop Barron's recent talk to the Knights of Malta, in which he explains that behind much of the rioting and deep u...
BONUS: Bishop Barron on the "McCarrick Report"
14 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus "Word on Fire Show" episode, Bishop Barron discusses the long-awaited "McCarrick Report" (PDF), which the Holy See just released on Tu...
WOF 257: Arianism, Then and Now
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A new survey from Ligonier Ministries titled "The State of Theology" revealed lots of interesting things. But one finding that stood out, and genera...
WOF 256: Ideas Have Consequences: The Philosophers that Shaped 2020 (Part 1)
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a recent talk given to the Knights of Malta, Bishop Barron addressed this convulsive time in our national history, demonstrated by the global pande...
WOF 255: Kids Q&A w/ Bishop Barron (October 2020)
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from children all over the world, including: If God is the most powerful being, how isn't he corrupt? How can ...
WOF 254: Inside Word on Fire - "The Word on Fire Bible"
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Word on Fire's John Barron interviews the design team responsible for the mesmerizing Word on Fire Bible, including Rozann ...
WOF 253: Catholicism and Politics
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the presidential election around the corner, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt consider principles that should inform our voting decisions. They als...
WOF 252: God, "Nones," and the Bible
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to this sample lesson from Dr. Anthony Pagliarini's course for the Word on Fire Institute titled "How Nones Can Misread the Bible." To access...
WOF 251: What is Postmodernism?
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is postmodernism? What gave rise to it, what are its main characteristics, and how should Catholics assess it? In this episode, Bishop Barron and...
WOF 250: Your Life is Not About You (Part 2 of 2)
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to the second part of this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's study program, "Untold Blessing," which explores the three paths of holiness. Th...
WOF 249: Creating Atheists
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In his wildly popular book, A Manual for Creating Atheists, Peter Boghossian, a philosophy professor at Portland State University, outlines his proces...
WOF 248: Your Life is Not About You (Part 1 of 2)
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's classic study program, "Untold Blessing," which explores the three paths of holiness. Today, we'll ...
WOF 247: Non-Catholic Q&A w/ Bishop Barron (August 2020)
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from several non-Catholics, including: How to foster unity between Protestants and Catholics? Why focus on Mar...
WOF 246: Beauty as a Route of Access to God
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's course inside the Word on Fire Institute on "The Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar." Then join th...
WOF 245: Catholic Morality 101
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our culture holds many different concepts of morality. In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss three major theories–consequentialism...
WOF 244: The Eucharist as Sacred Meal
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's film and study program "Eucharist," and then get access to the full study program by joining the Wor...
WOF 243: Bishop Barron's New Book, "Renewing Our Hope"
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's an exciting day as we celebrate the launch of Bishop Barron's newest book, Renewing Our Hope: Essays for the New Evangelization (CUA Press). The...
WOF 242: What Is Imaginative Apologetics?
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do we share the Faith in a culture where many people don't understand what we mean by words like "sin" or "salvation"—and where the media const...
WOF 241: When a Christian Rock Singer Stops Believing in God
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, Jon Steingard, frontman of the Christian rock group Hawk Nelson, revealed that "he no longer believes in God" after spending his life as ...
WOF 240: Science was Born of Christianity
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The narrative that science and Christianity are enemies is false. Not only are they not enemies but Christianity helped science develop beyond the li...
WOF 239: International Q&A w/ Bishop Barron (July 2020)
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Bishop Barron fields questions from people all over the world, including: How do we reconcile love as willing the good of the oth...
WOF 238: Door Knobs and Sticks
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share a sample lesson from Fr. Stephen Gadberry's course inside the Word on Fire Institute titled "The People You Will Meet." Knowing your au...
WOF 237: Distraction and Useless Things
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're all hyper-distracted, pulled in so many directions from our phones, to TV, to social media. We're plagued by notifications, texts, pings, and al...
WOF 236: Introducing "The Word on Fire Bible"
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NOTE: Due to enormous demand, the leather edition of The Word on Fire Bible: The Gospels ($59) and the Evangelization Pack (1 Leather + 4 Paperbacks f...
WOF 235: The Story of Salvation
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you aren't familiar with the sweeping story of salvation, the "theo-drama," you won't fully grasp any particular part of the story. Today, Bishop B...
WOF 234: Kids Q&A w/ Bishop Barron (June 2020)
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kids ask the best questions, and today Bishop Barron responds to many from around the world: Why did Jesus die on the cross rather than some other de...