The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
Episodes
WOF 233: How to Disagree Well
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An article by the Protestant pastor Timothy Keller offers "6 Principles for How to Argue When You Disagree." Bishop Barron and Brandon walk through ...
WOF 232: The Cataclysm Sentence
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One day in 1961, the famous physicist Richard Feynman stepped in front of a Caltech lecture hall and posed this question to a group of undergraduate s...
WOF 231: Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A recent New York Times story claimed to reveal "Why the Big Bang Produced Something Rather Than Nothing." Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss ...
WOF 230: Understanding the Holy Spirit
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are the basics we should know about the Holy Spirit? Who is he? And why is the Holy Spirit even necessary? Why not just God the Father and God th...
WOF 229: Is the Nuclear Family a Mistake?
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a recent article for The Atlantic, David Brooks claims "The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake." He contends that the model of a married couple with 2....
WOF 228: The Quest for the Historical Jesus
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus has naturally been a key person of interest for Western thought, but over the last few hundred years, there have been some major shifts in what ...
WOF 227: The Meaning of Easter
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alleluia! We've just entered into the joyous season of Easter, where we celebrate the Lord's Resurrection, but what does it mean to say that Jesus is ...
SPECIAL: Bishop Barron's "Tre Ore" Reflections
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this Good Friday, we share Bishop Barron's "Tre Ore" reflections, which Cardinal Dolan invited him to deliver in 2012 at St. Patrick's Cathedral (N...
WOF 226: Stations of the Cross w/ Bishop Barron
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As Holy Week begins, listen to Bishop Barron's reflections on the 14 Stations of the Cross. Stream it all at once, or throughout the week, as we appro...
WOF 225: Non-Catholic Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron answers questions from non-Catholics around the world, including: If we are beloved children of God, how could he banish anyone to an e...
SPECIAL: Hope During the Coronavirus w/ Bishop Barron
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, the coronavirus outbreak has left countless people all over the world asking themselves: Why is God allowing this to happen? How do we respon...
WOF 224: Thomas Aquinas on the Real Presence (Part 2 of 2)
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In last week's episode, we shared the first half of Bishop Barron's talk on "The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist." It focused on the Biblica...
UPDATE: Join Bishop Barron for Mass Each Day
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, Catholic dioceses throughout the United States have now suspended public Masses. We know this is heartbreakin...
WOF 223: The Eucharist in the Early Church (Part 1 of 2)
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The fathers of the Second Vatican Council referred to the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life, that from which authentic Christia...
WOF 222: Gnosticism, the Enduring Heresy
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Gnosticism was one of the earliest heresies of the Church, and it remains among the most enduring. With an emphasis on special knowledge acquired only...
WOF 221: When Church Leaders Fail
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just recently, Catholics were devastated to learn of another case of sexual abuse, this time involving Jean Vanier, the esteemed founder of L'Arche an...
WOF 220: Entering the Desert of Lent
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the beginning of Lent right around the corner, Bishop Barron talks about this ancient period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation fo...
WOF 219: Stoicism and Christianity
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stoicism is experiencing a cultural moment, especially among Millennial techies. What is this ancient school of philosophy? Why is it experiencing a r...
WOF 218: The Intellectual Life
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 intellectua...
WOF 217: International Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 si...
WOF 216: "1917," War, and Faith
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 G...
WOF 215: When People Are Indifferent About God
20 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
WOF 214: Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great (Part 3 of 3)
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 fro...
WOF 213: More Church Fathers You Should Know (Part 2 of 3)
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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-...
WOF 212: Top 3 New Year's Resolutions
30 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
WOF 211: The Warrior King of Christmas
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
WOF 210: Church Fathers 101 (Part 1 of 3)
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Who were the Church Fathers, and why do they still matter today? Bishop Barron introduces these spiritual masters and shares their key contributions. ...
WOF 209: 5 Ways to Draw Young People Back to God
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
WOF 208: The Queen of the Sciences
02 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Should theology be a core subject studied in universities? John Henry Newman certainly thought so. Today, we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron'...
WOF 207: Christ the King
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The first words out of Jesus' mouth—and the central theme of his preaching—concerned the Kingdom of God. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ t...
WOF 206: Listener Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
18 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Bishop Barron answers questions from listeners all over the world. These include: If animals have distinct personalities, then why does th...
WOF 205: How to Discern the Spirits
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What did St. Ignatius mean when he counseled followers to "discern the spirits"? How do we do this? Bishop Barron unpacks the Spiritual Exercises of...
WOF 204: Outgrowing Atheism (Part 2 of 2)
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
oday we discuss the second half of Joe Rogan's interview with atheist Richard Dawkins about Dawkins' new book, Outgrowing God: A Beginner's Guide. ...
WOF 203: Joe Rogan, Richard Dawkins, and God (Part 1 of 2)
28 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Rogan, host of the one of the world's most popular podcasts, recently interviewed Richard Dawkins about Dawkins' new book, Outgrowing God: A Be...
WOF 202: Saints and Smartphones
21 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Surveys show 61% of people sleep with their phones and 75% grab their phones as soon as they wake up. We're addicted to our smartphones. In this episo...
WOF 201: What Unbelievers Asked on Reddit
14 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, Bishop Barron visited Reddit for another #AMA (ask me anything). Over 15,000 comments poured in from young skeptics around the world, maki...
WOF 200: Understanding the Post-Vatican II Church
07 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do we make sense of all the names, groups, and movements surrounding the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)? What are the key things to know, and ...
WOF 199: Does Free Will Exist?
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A recent article in The Atlantic claimed "A Famous Argument Against Free Will Has Been Debunked". It focused on a famous experiment during the 1980s ...
WOF 198: How We Come to Believe in God (Part 2 of 2)
23 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we share the second half of a talk from Bishop Barron on John Henry Newman's book, The Grammar of Assent. We shared the first half last we...
WOF 197: Newman's Most Important Book (Part 1 of 2)
16 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we share the first half of a talk from Bishop Barron on John Henry Newman's book, The Grammar of Assent. The book concerns the question of...
WOF 196: Kids Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
09 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron takes questions from kids, including: Why did Jesus pick Judas to be one of his disciples when he knew Judas would betray him? Does Hea...
WOF 195: What Makes Us Happy?
02 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The annual United Nations World Happiness Report, which measures the happiness of different countries, is always dominated by Scandinavian nations. De...
WOF 194: International Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
26 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from all over the world about God, the Church, and the culture. Will it be possible to upload one's consciousne...
WOF 193: The Eucharist Problem
19 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that "just one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ."...
WOF 192: Karl Marx and Millennials
12 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we discuss a recent article in Teen Vogue titled "Who is Karl Marx?" which shows how many teens and teachers have begun dabbling in Marxism. T...
WOF 191: Googling God
05 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we use Google's autocomplete feature to have Bishop Barron respond to some of the top questions people search for beginning with the phrase "D...
WOF 188: Pride and Humility
15 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron is traveling overseas to film the last two episodes of his Pivotal Players series. So in this episode, we share a clip from one of his...
WOF 187: The Ad Extra Strategy
08 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why does Bishop Barron focus heavily on ad extra evangelization, the type of ministry aimed at the peripheries of the culture? That's the focus of t...
WOF 186: Bishops and "Nones"
28 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron spoke to all the U.S. bishops about the "nones" during their recent USCCB gathering. In this episode, we walk through Bishop Barron's ta...
WOF 185: Myths of the Catholic Church
24 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As the Word on Fire Institute launches a new course by Dr. Christopher Kaczor on "Myths of the Catholic Church," Bishop Barron and host Jared Zimmerer...
WOF 184: Re-Judaizing Catholicism
17 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In his recent interview with Ben Shapiro, Bishop Barron said that he wants to "re-Judaize Catholicism," to read Christ, the Bible, and the Christian F...
WOF 183: Non-Catholic Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
10 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Non-Catholic listeners send in their questions for Bishop Barron. Questions include: As a Christian, do you ever think, "What if God doesn't exist...
WOF 182: What was the Enlightenment?
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Several recent bestselling books have focused on the Enlightenment, including Stephen Pinker's Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Huma...
WOF 181: J.R.R. Tolkien, Master Evangelist
27 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The great novelist, J.R.R. Tolkien, has enchanted generations of readers with his Hobbitand Lord of the Rings, and is the subject of a new feature f...
WOF 180: Priests, Confessions, and Prison
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A recent bill proposed in the California Senate will force priests to report any crimes of sexual abuse they hear about in the confessional, breaking...
WOF 179: Bishop Barron's New Book on the Sexual Abuse Crisis
13 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss Bishop Barron's new book, titled Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis. In light of this curren...
WOF 178: Can Doctrine Really Develop? (Part 2 of 2)
06 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we share the second half of a talk Bishop Barron gave on John Henry Newman's famous book, An Essay on the Development of Doctrine...
WOF 177: Thoughts on the Jordan Peterson Interview
29 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In March 2019, Bishop Barron was interviewed by Dr. Jordan Peterson for the Jordan B. Peterson Podcast. To say the discussion was highly anticipated ...
WOF 176: A God Problem in "The New York Times"
22 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, The New York Times featured an op-ed by philosophy professor Peter Atteton, who tried to show that the idea of God is incoherent. Bishop ...
BONUS: Notre Dame on Fire
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We record this episode the day after a tragic fire at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris has destroyed the spire, roof, and interior of one of the ...
WOF 175: Stations of the Cross with Bishop Barron
15 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As Holy Week begins, listen to Bishop Barron's reflections on the 14 stations of the Cross. Stream it all at once, or throughout the week, as we appro...
WOF 173: Kids Q&A with Bishop Barron
01 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kids from around the world ask Bishop Barron their burning questions about God's favorite food, whether heaven has an edge, and why the ground shook w...
WOF 172: Adventures in Rome
25 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt record live from Rome, where they visited for Bishop's reception of an honorary doctorate from the Pontifical Universit...
WOF 171: The Future of the Word on Fire Show
18 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We started the Word on Fire Show back in 2015, right after Bishop Barron was consecrated bishop. Now, three years later, after 170 episodes and 6 mill...
WOF 170: Can Doctrine Really Develop? (Part 1 of 2)
11 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
John Henry Newman's classic book, An Essay on the Development of Doctrine, shows how doctrine isn't stagnant but in fact develops over time, much lik...
WOF 169: The Metaphysics of Prayer
04 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What's actually happening when we pray? In this episode, Bishop Barron answers the deepest questions about prayer, not necessarily how to pray but w...
WOF 168: Bishop Barron at Amazon's HQ
25 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron recently visited the headquarters of Amazon, in Seattle, WA, to take part in a "Fishbowl" discussion about his new book, Arguing Religi...
WOF 167: Jordan Peterson's Next Step
18 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, Bishop Barron watched several YouTube conversation between Sam Harris, a well-known atheist, and Dr. Jordan Peterson, one of the most promin...
WOF 166: Scapegoating on Social Media
11 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The recent confrontation between a grinning young high school student and a Native American elder has led to much anger and vitriol, especially on soc...
WOF 165: The Gospel of Saint You
04 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Bishop Barron discusses a recent New York Times article by David Brooks titled "The Morality of Selfism: The Gospel of Saint You."...
WOF 164: The Return of Paganism
28 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ross Douthat recently published an op-ed in the New York Times titled "The Return of Paganism." He argues that maybe there actually is a genuinel...
WOF 163: International Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
21 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron takes listener questions from all over the world, including: What are examples of popular films that convey the Gospel without being pr...
WOF 162: The Most Popular Bible Verses
14 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
According to data from BibleGateway.com and YouVersion, the popular Bible app, the most popular Bible verse of 2018 was Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear."...
WOF 161: What People Believe About Jesus
07 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A recent Christianity Today article titled, "Christian, What Do You Believe? Probably a Heresy About Jesus, Says Survey" explores a State of Theol...
WOF 160: A Bishop's Guide to Social Media
31 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How should Christians use social media? How can we escape its dangers (venomous rhetoric, echo chambers, etc.) and instead use these tools well? Bisho...
WOF 159: Understanding the Incarnation
24 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On Christmas Eve, the night before the great Solemnity of the Nativity of Jesus, Bishop Barron talks about the Incarnation. What do we mean by this? W...
WOF 158: How to Have a Good Religious Argument
17 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
According to Bishop Barron, we need more religious argument, not less. But how do we talk about religion productively? In today's episode he offers ...
WOF 157: The Greatest Woman Ever
10 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
William Wordsworth called Mary, the mother of Jesus, "our tainted nature's solitary boast." Who was this extraordinary woman, and how should we unders...
WOF 156: The Advent Revolution
03 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is the season of Advent just a cozy, sentimental period before Christmas? Or is it a time of spiritual revolution? Bishop Barron discusses this import...
WOF 155: Understanding Newman's Great Autobiography (Part 2 of 2)
26 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
John Henry Newman's spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is widely recognized as a classic of religious literature. Chronicling his conver...
WOF 154: Who was John Henry Newman? (Part 1 of 2)
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
John Henry Newman's spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is widely recognized as a classic of religious literature. Chronicling his conver...
WOF 153: Listener Q&A with Bishop Barron
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Bishop Barron answers questions from all over the world. If you have a question, be sure to visit AskBishopBarron.com.
WOF 152: Is Stephen Hawking Right About God?
05 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In Stephen Hawking's new book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions, published just a few months after his death, the famed scientists suggests that Go...
WOF 151: Synod Wrap Up with Bishop Barron
29 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As the Synod on Youth wraps up at the Vatican, Bishop Barron shares his final thoughts on the meeting.
WOF 149: Who was Hans Urs von Balthasar?
15 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron's flagship course inside our new Word on Fire Institute. His 12-part course is on Hans Urs von Balth...
WOF 148: Listening to Young People Talk About the Church
08 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A few days before leaving for the 2018 Synod on Youth in Rome, Bishop Barron hosted a listening session with a group of young people at Villanova P...
WOF 147: Introducing the Word on Fire Institute
01 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today marks the grand opening of the Word on Fire Institute! It's one of the pillars of our Word on Fire Movement, and it's a place where you'll find...
WOF 146: The Gospel of the Family (Part 2 of 2)
24 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're sharing the second half of Bishop Barron's keynote talk at the recent 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland. His talk wa...
WOF 145: The Gospel of the Family (Part 1 of 2)
17 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're sharing the first half of Bishop Barron's keynote talk at the recent 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland. His talk was ...
WOF 143: Why People Become "Nones"
03 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bishop Barron was recently appointed as a representative of the U.S. Bishops for the upcoming Synod in Rome on "Youth, Faith, and Vocational Discernme...
BONUS: Bishop Barron on Why Remain Catholic?
29 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Friends, in light of the recent scandals, I know many people are wondering whether they should remain in the Catholic Church. And I totally get that; ...
BONUS: Bishop Barron Q&A about the Sexual Abuse Crisis
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Many of you have asked for Bishop Barron's thoughts on the McCarrick abuse crisis, the Pennsylvania grand jury report, and the recent report from Ar...
WOF 142: Bishop Barron Q&A with 300 Priests
27 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The first annual Word on Fire Conference for Priests brought 300 Catholic priests to Huntington Beach, CA, for a three day reflection on the art of pr...
WOF 141: A Privileged Encounter
20 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode you'll hear the full Episode 1 from Bishop Barron's new film series, The Mass. Listen as Bishop Barron explains why the Mass is so...
WOF 140: 10 Years of the "CATHOLICISM" Series + Live Q&A
13 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ten years ago, Bishop Barron and his Word on Fire team set out to create something the world had never seen: a large-scale film series about the Cath...
WOF 139: Get Out of the Sacristy
06 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Pope Francis has encouraged priests to "get out of the sacristy into the streets," to find the Church's lost sheep and evangelize them. Bishop Barron ...
WOF 138: Why Religious Liberty?
30 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What do we mean by religious liberty? Why should all people, including non-religious people, care about protecting religious liberty? Bishop Barron re...
WOF 135: Bishop Barron LIVE Q&A on the Mass
09 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Bishop Barron answers Questions about the Mass. Go to ReasonScienceFaith.com to get your free Catholic scientist posters!
WOF 134: Questions from the Word on Fire Community
02 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Bishop Barron answers questions from the Word on Fire Community. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction 1:45 - Why have my emotions ...
WOF 133: And Now I See
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Bishop Barron discusses the content of his great book, And Now I See. A listener asks about the role of our conscience in relation t...