Podcasts by The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

WOF 235: The Story of Salvation from 2020-06-08T09:00

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 Barron unveils the five acts of the biblical ...

WOF 234: Kids Q&A w/ Bishop Barron (June 2020) from 2020-06-01T14:30

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 death?
• Why did God make o...
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WOF 233: How to Disagree Well from 2020-05-25T09:00

An article by the Protestant pastor Timothy Keller offers “6 Principles for How to Argue When You Dis...

WOF 232: The Cataclysm Sentence from 2020-05-18T09:00

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 students: “If, in some cataclysm, all of scie...

WOF 231: Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing? from 2020-05-11T09:00

A recent New York Times story claimed to reveal “Why the Big Bang Produced Something ...

WOF 230: Understanding the Holy Spirit from 2020-05-04T09:00

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 the Son? In today's episode Bishop Barron refl...

WOF 229: Is the Nuclear Family a Mistake? from 2020-04-27T14:41:57

In a recent article for The Atlantic, David Brooks claims “The Nuclear Family Wa...

WOF 228: The Quest for the Historical Jesus from 2020-04-20T09:00

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 scholars describe as the “quest for the hist...

WOF 227: The Meaning of Easter from 2020-04-13T09:00

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 risen from the dead? That's what Bishop Barr...

SPECIAL: Bishop Barron's “Tre Ore” Reflections from 2020-04-10T09:00

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 (New York, NY).

The “Tre Ore,” or Three...

WOF 226: Stations of the Cross w/ Bishop Barron from 2020-04-06T09:00

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 approach the memorial of Christ’s Passion.

WOF 225: Non-Catholic Q&A w/ Bishop Barron from 2020-03-30T09:00

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 eternity of Hell?
• Why do...
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SPECIAL: Hope During the Coronavirus w/ Bishop Barron from 2020-03-24T17:11:36

Friends, the coronavirus outbreak has left countless people all over the world asking themselves: Why is God allowing this to happen? How do we respond? And where can we find hope? In this bonus...

WOF 224: Thomas Aquinas on the Real Presence (Part 2 of 2) from 2020-03-23T09:00

In last week's episode, we shared the first half of Bishop Barron's talk on “The Real Presence of Christ in ...

UPDATE: Join Bishop Barron for Mass Each Day from 2020-03-20T16:24:13

As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, Catholic dioceses throughout the United States have now suspended public Masses.

We know this is heartbreaking. The Catechism affirms tha...

WOF 223: The Eucharist in the Early Church (Part 1 of 2) from 2020-03-16T09:00

The fathers of the Second Vatican Council referred to the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life, that from which authentic Christianity flows and that toward which it tends. Y...

WOF 222: Gnosticism, the Enduring Heresy from 2020-03-09T12:50:36

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 by a small group of enlightened elites, as ...

WOF 221: When Church Leaders Fail from 2020-03-02T10:00

Just recently, Catholics were devastated to learn of another case of sexual abuse, this time involving Jean Vanier, the esteemed founder of L’Arche and a man once considered to be a living saint...

WOF 220: Entering the Desert of Lent from 2020-02-24T20:47:26

With the beginning of Lent right around the corner, Bishop Barron talks about this ancient period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter, and offer several recommendations ...

WOF 219: Stoicism and Christianity from 2020-02-17T10:00

Stoicism is experiencing a cultural moment, especially among Millennial techies. What is this ancient school of philosophy? Why is it experiencing a revival? And how does it compare to Christian...

WOF 218: The Intellectual Life from 2020-02-10T10:00

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 intellectual life and gives advice to aspiring intellec...

WOF 217: International Q&A w/ Bishop Barron from 2020-02-03T15:30

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 simple, and can’t even read the Bi...
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WOF 216: “1917,” War, and Faith from 2020-01-27T10:00

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 Great War, discussing its impact on tw...

WOF 215: When People Are Indifferent About God from 2020-01-20T10:00

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 an...

WOF 214: Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great (Part 3 of 3) from 2020-01-13T10:00

In this third and final part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to Part 1 and Part ...

WOF 213: More Church Fathers You Should Know (Part 2 of 3) from 2020-01-06T10:00

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 ...

WOF 212: Top 3 New Year’s Resolutions from 2019-12-30T10:00

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 spiritual resolutions should we make for 2020...

WOF 211: The Warrior King of Christmas from 2019-12-23T10:00

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 him. There, Jesus is presented as a warrior ...

WOF 210: Church Fathers 101 (Part 1 of 3) from 2019-12-16T10:00

Who were the Church Fathers, and why do they still matter today? Bishop Barron introduces these spiritual masters and shares their key contributions. In the first episode of our three-part serie...

WOF 209: 5 Ways to Draw Young People Back to God from 2019-12-09T10:00

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 God. Today, we discuss each way.

A li...

WOF 208: The Queen of the Sciences from 2019-12-02T10:00

Should theology be a core subject studied in universities? John Henry Newman certainly thought so. Today, we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron’s W...

WOF 207: Christ the King from 2019-11-25T10:00

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 the King, Bishop Barron explores three dimensions...

WOF 206: Listener Q&A w/ Bishop Barron from 2019-11-18T10:00

This week, Bishop Barron answers questions from listeners all over the world. These include:

• If animals have distinct personalities, then why does the Church teach they don’t have s...
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WOF 205: How to Discern the Spirits from 2019-11-11T10:00

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 St. Ignatius and offers practical ti...

WOF 204: Outgrowing Atheism (Part 2 of 2) from 2019-11-04T10:00

oday we discuss the second half of Joe Rogan’s interview with atheist Richard Dawkins about Dawkins’ new book, Listen