The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

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 central organizing place, something else will take its place. In this lesson, Bishop Barron helps us understand why Newman thought theology was of crucial importance in education.  Topics Covered: Theology as the queen of the sciences  Consequences of supplanting theology The Liberal Arts  The Philosophical Habit Links: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/   NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.  

Poverty is not only a complex problem to address economically–not to mention sociologically, psychologically, and culturally; it is also often caught up in political and ideological currents, both domestically and internationally, that run counter to a Catholic understanding of human dignity and the common good. So what, then, is the authentically Catholic way of caring for the poor? What does it mean to say that Catholicism has a preferential option for the poor? How, moreover, can the Church coherently both advocate for reducing poverty on the one hand while praising the embrace of voluntary poverty on the other? A listener asks advice on how God being in a non-competitive relationship with human beings applies to his mission as an evangelist. Topics Covered: 00:00 | Introduction 01:53 | Bishop Barron at the annual meeting of US bishops 03:39 | The three essential tasks of the Church 07:48 | The necessity of charity in true worship 09:04 | Understanding and identifying poverty 10:58 | The margins, the marginalized, and Catholic social teaching 16:08 | Understanding institutional sin 18:40 | The salvific dimension of poverty 21:17 | The voluntary poverty of the Church 22:57 | What about spending money on cathedrals? 26:03 | Beauty as service to the poor 27:11 | Defining "preferential option for the poor" 31:16 | The Church, policy, and the poor 35:18 | Right to private property or universal distribution of goods? 37:42 | The evangelical dimension of caring for the poor| 40:06 | Listener question: If God exists noncompetitively, does my mission matter? 41:45 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Links: Dilexi Te: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20251004-dilexi-te.html Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/   NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.  

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 replaced classical liberal education and theology has been exiled from most institutions.  Topics Covered: Why theology is a science  Why secularism destroys the university  Oxford ideal Links: Read: Fifteen Sermons by John Henry Newman Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/   NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.  

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 our day and age, to be shot for speaking your mind. How can we recover from this dark event, whose effects have reverberated across the globe? How can we reclaim the possibility of disagreement with each other without resorting to violence? What conditions must be in place to make civil debate both possible and productive again, especially as our society appears to be growing more polarized? A listener asks for advice on a healthy way to end an argument when it's clear you're at an impasse.   00:00 | Introduction 02:19 | Praying at Planned Parenthood 03:17 | Bishop Barron and Charlie Kirk 08:58 | Athens, Jerusalem, and the West 14:49 | Two necessary conditions for meaningful dialogue 22:08 | Belief in God—the fundamental condition 24:50 | God and the priority of logos over will 26:34 | Do we really need God for human rights? 28:44 | The Catholic case for freedom of speech 29:54 | Public celebration of evil 33:05 | Violence as a response to speech 34:18 | How can we debate those who reject necessary conditions for dialogue? 35:27 | How forgiveness is possible when justice is wanted 36:42 | Evangelical lessons from Charlie Kirk 37:40 | Listener question: How do you walk away from an impasse? 39:57 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Links: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.  

In this lesson, Bishop Barron explains how Newman distinguishes between doctrinal development and corruption. A thorough explanation of this crucial issue requires a robust presentation of Newman's seven notes. Bishop Barron does just that! Topics Covered: Doctrinal development and corruption  The Seven Notes  Examples of doctrinal development and corruption  Links: Article: Henri de Lubac on the Development of Christian Doctrine Read: John Henry Newman on Truth and its Counterfeits Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/   NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.  

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, a recognition given only to 37 other saints in Catholicism's over 2000 year history. This places Newman among great figures like St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Theresa de Avila, St. Catherine of Sienna, and the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux. What is the significance of giving St. John Henry Newman—an Englishman and Anglican convert to Catholicism who was born over 200 years ago—this title? What is it about Newman's approach to communicating the faith that earned him this great honor—and why now?  Equally important, how can contemporary evangelists draw inspiration from his work to proclaim the Gospel in a drastically different world, religiously and morally, from Newman's 19th century Victorian England? A listener asks for advice on how to give better homilies at Mass. 00:00 | Introduction 01:26 | Bishop Barron's recent domestic travels 03:20 | Defining "Doctor of the Church" 04:55 | Distinguishing doctors from saints 05:50 | John Henry Newman's brief biography 12:18 | Understanding the development of doctrine 17:41 | Safeguards against corruption 22:33 | The wholeness of the truth 25:34 | Newman: "To live is to change" 29:28 | The "illative sense" of the mind's assent to propositions 34:10 | Difficulties vs. doubt 35:54 | How Newman speaks to England now 37:55 | Listener question: How can priests improve preparation for homilies? 39:58 | Join the Word on Fire Institute   Links: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.    

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. Newman's organic imagery opens up an interesting way of thinking about the difference between development and corruption in matters of doctrine.  Topics Covered: The unveiling of ideas through the lively play of minds  Difference between development and corruption  The Prophetic Office  The Kingly Office  Links: Article: A Theory on the Development of Dogma? Video: Bishop Barron on the Development of Christian Doctrine Read: Newman's Challenge by Stanley L. Jaki NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

Newman's ​Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine​ is perhaps his greatest contribution to theology. In this essay, Newman considers why "development" is an important lens through which to understand the Church and her teachings.    Topics Covered: How ideas and doctrines tend to evolve over time How Newman avoids historicism  The inexhaustible richness of Christ Links:   Podcast: WOF 511: Newman as a Catholic (3 of 12) Read: An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine Article: Development or Corruption Video: Development of Doctrine: What it is and Why it Matters Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.  

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 personal tinge to his famous quote: "To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant." Topics Covered: Newman's study of the Fourth Century theological controversies Newman's suspicion of the Via Media Newman's conversion to Catholicism Attempts at reviving Catholic intellectual life Links: Article: Newman on Conversion Video: Newman, Vatican II, and the Hermeneutic of Continuity Read: Arians of the Fourth Century NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

In this lesson, Bishop Barron presents Newman's autobiographical ​Apologia Pro Vita Sua​, focusing on Newman's years as an Anglican prior to his conversion to the Catholic Church. ​​   Topics Covered: The Oxford Movement  Newman's study of the Arian Controversy  The Via Media  Tract 90 Links: Podcast: WOF 509: The Importance of John Henry Newman Article: Newman and the Study of Church Fathers Read: Apologia Pro Vita Sua Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.  

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 player in Church history, being compared to St. Thomas Aquinas for his brilliance.  Topics Covered: Major themes in Newman's writings Biography of St. John Henry Newman  Influence on Vatican II Apologia Pro Vita Sua Links: Article: Two False Newmans Book: Newman: His Life and Legacy NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.  

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 five suggestions on how we can preserve that momentum and hopefully increase it. 00:00 | Introduction 00:40 | Bishop Barron's European trip to film new documentary 02:45 | The importance of a thinking Catholicism 06:18 | Recovering Catholic beauty 09:40 | Increasing online Catholic presence 12:51 | Continuing to engage the culture 14:54 | Examining evangelical courage 16:32 | Listener question 18:43 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Links: Part 1 on The Word on Fire Show: WOF 506: Why Are So Many Young People Becoming Catholic? Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

For 1,700 years, the universal church has confessed the Nicene Creed. This anniversary year, Bishop Barron spoke at a Greek Orthodox church in Rochester, Minnesota, to reflect upon the creed's origins. Enjoy. Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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, secularism still dominates the culture, but the once common wisdom that an increasingly secular society would eventually lead to the death of Christianity and its evacuation from the public square doesn't seem so common anymore. What are the causes of this apparent religious revival among young people? What can we do as evangelists to maintain and build on the momentum? A listener asks about the most effective way to make an initial evangelical impact on young people. 00:00 | Introduction 01:20 | Concluding Bishop Barron's first diocesan synod 03:18 | Growing interest in Catholicism 08:45 | Men and Catholic interest 11:50 | Considering our recent isolations 14:08 | The rise and decline of wokeism 17:10 | Attraction to tradition 18:48 | Attraction to the liturgy 25:50 | The attraction of moral teachings 28:53 | Evangelical challenges 31:46 | Religious liberty 35:45 | Listener question: How do you best engage the young? 38:40 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Links: E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/its-true-young-people-are-seeking-the-faith/ New York Post article: https://nypost.com/2025/04/17/lifestyle/why-young-people-are-converting-to-catholicism-en-masse/ Fox News article: https://www.foxnews.com/media/catholicism-sees-major-resurgence-among-gen-z-young-men-leading-revival Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/   NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 variety of questions about faith, doubt, mission, happiness, and more. Enjoy. Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.    

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 Editor-in-Chief of Evangelization & Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, Dr. Tod Worner, and Bishop Barron. 00:00 | Introduction 00:38 | The deformation of beauty 08:23 | Does beauty civilize? 10:49 | Beauty and the Catholic faith 17:43 | The awesome nature of beauty 22:30 | Can you get stuck on beauty? 24:16 | Beauty within a challenging world 30:32 | Word on Fire and beauty 32:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Links: Full episode on the Evangelization & Culture Podcast:  https://www.wordonfire.org/videos/evangelization-and-culture-podcast/ep54-what-is-beauty-bishop-barron/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 looks like to be called out of one's self into radical self gift. Enjoy. Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 Worner, and Bishop Barron. The two discuss the meaning, purpose, and objectivity of beauty. 00:00 | Introduction 00:56 | What is beauty? 09:24 | What is a transcendental, and why does beauty qualify? 13:08 | What is it about beauty that quickens the heart? 16:54 | Is beauty a means to an end or an end in itself? 23:58 | Does beauty lie in the eye of the beholder and is it ephemeral or eternal? 36:05 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Links: Full episode on the Evangelization & Culture Podcast: https://www.wordonfire.org/videos/evangelization-and-culture-podcast/ep54-what-is-beauty-bishop-barron/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 Presence in the Eucharist. Enjoy. Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 remains whether the Catholic social thought of his predecessor Leo XIII's time is still applicable today given the radically different world we now live in—a world increasingly defined by the rise and possible dominance of artificial intelligence, robotics entering into mainstream life, the breakdown of regular physical contact among people, and the rise of transhumanism. Can Catholic social thought help us to navigate these uncharted waters? A listener asks: How does one respond to "Science doesn't care what you believe"? 00:00 | Introduction 01:45 | Episode 500! 02:51 | What is Catholic social thought? 03:59 | Pope Leo XIII and Catholic social thought 06:05 | The Catholic conception of human dignity 08:00 | How Catholics understand the common good 09:36 | Defining solidarity 11:39 | Understanding subsidiarity 13:45 | Factoring in the question of sin 17:19 | The significance of the name Leo XIV 18:08 | Examining the nature of artificial intelligence 23:23 | Humanity and the machine 29:09 | Limiting principles 31:35 | Virtual reality, avatars, and companions 35:38 | AI and the workforce 40:43 | AI and art 43:14 | Listener question: How does one respond to "science doesn't care what you believe"? 45:16 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Links: Goldman Sachs citation: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2023/03/31/goldman-sachs-predicts-300-million-jobs-will-be-lost-or-degraded-by-artificial-intelligence/ Word on Fire resources on artificial intelligence: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/artificial-intelligence/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.