The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
Join Bishop Robert Barron for a weekly podcast on faith and culture. Find more episodes at http://WordOnFireShow.com and submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.com.
In 1968, a book called The Population Bomb written by entomologist Paul Ehrlich helped spark panic in the west that the global population was reaching a breaking point, saying too many human beings would soon cause widespread famine and social chaos. ...
Sep 9, 2024
We are happy to share Bishop Barron’s keynote address at the historic 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Enjoy. Link: Word on Fire Institute: NOTE: Do you like this podcast? ! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry...
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 disturbing ways in recent years. Now, unfortunately, it is up for grabs. The Word on Fire Institute sought...
Recently, Bishop Barron traveled to the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. He gave a homily during a breakout session to all the priests present there, and now we are bringing it to you. Enjoy! Link: Word on Fire...
Aug 19, 2024
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 time, a number of high-profile cultural influencers—even some formerly hostile to the faith—have...
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 Notre Dame. In this engaging discussion, the two address topics relating to freedom, truth, and the...
Does being committed to social justice necessarily entail neglecting the liturgy? Conversely, do reverent liturgies entail downplaying or even ignoring the Church’s mission to care for the poor? The answer to both questions is a resounding, no. How...
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 Notre Dame. In the discussion, they touch on topics relating to freedom, truth, and the political order. ...
We bring to you the second part of Bishop Barron’s discussion with on the way a Catholic, and indeed all Christians, should approach the crossroads of Religion and politics. Enjoy! 00:00 | Intro 00:26 | The relationship between morality,...
We recently hosted a Word on Fire Institute member event in London. At the event, Bishop Barron reflected on five animating sensibilities for evangelization. Enjoy. Link: Word on Fire Institute: NOTE: Do you like this podcast? ! Word...
Today, we bring to you the first part of Bishop Barron’s discussion with on the way a Catholic should navigate the crossroads of religion and politics. Enjoy! NOTE: Do you like this podcast? ! Word on Fire is a non-profit...
Jul 1, 2024
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 endurance throughout the ages, and why Christianity is consistently a powerful cultural force. Enjoy. ...
Jun 24, 2024
Over 83 percent of Americans still believe in miracles, but what, specifically, are miracles? What are the grounds for believing in them, especially for non-eye witnesses? In the Catholic context, who has the authority to deem an event miraculous?...
Jun 17, 2024
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 beholds the divine glory of the beatific vision: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Bishop...
Jun 10, 2024
The atheist political commentator and television host Bill Maher has long been a bitter critic of Christianity. In additional to regular swipes at Christians on his shows, Maher also devoted an entire documentary film, sardonically entitled...
Jun 3, 2024
Our journey continues through Dante's poetic imagery of the seven deadly sins. As Bishop Barron describes them in order of their severity, we discover that in order to atone for each sin, those in purgatory are punished with the repetitive practice of...
May 27, 2024
Is Christianity a useful religion to the West? Atheist Richard Dawkins recently claimed that, while still an atheist, he considers himself a “cultural Christian” because of Christianity’s utility in supporting Western cultural and political...
May 20, 2024
Continuing the journey in the fourth lecture of Bishop Barron’s course, “,” we see notion that “we’re damned alone, but we’re only saved together” on full display as Dante climbs Mount Purgatory. While hell was a place of violence and...
May 13, 2024
Terms like “safe spaces,” “trigger warnings,” “harm reduction,” “micro-aggression,” “emotional wellbeing” and “fragility” are dominating the culture as well as the governance of many institutions. But by some measurements, our...
May 6, 2024
We continue with the third lecture of Bishop Barron’s course, “.” We uncover the horrors of hell as Virgil takes Dante on a journey to see the three levels of sin and their corresponding punishments. This ever-relevant course is available in its...
Most in contemporary secular culture have probably never heard of the name “Thomas Aquinas.” However, his thought remains more pertinent than ever—not only to theology and philosophy but also to current conversations on how to build a more...
Apr 22, 2024
We continue now with the next lecture from Bishop Barron’s popular course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute. We follow as Dante tries to go forward on his journey, but he is blocked by...
Apr 15, 2024
A magazine highlights the crisis of isolation befalling the United States. Americans have never been—or felt—more solitary, especially the younger generations. And the consequences are often fatal: loneliness is a major cause of the recent...
Apr 8, 2024
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 entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute. We hope you enjoy this deep dive into Dante’s...
Apr 1, 2024
Pope St. John Paul II used the term “culture of death'' in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae to capture the secular world’s dark confluence of poisonous ideas and practices that lead—directly and indirectly—to spiritual and physical ruin....
Mar 25, 2024
Today we bring you Bishop Barron's keynote address from the recent Good News Conference. In it, he speaks in depth about what it means to be a full witness to Jesus Christ. Enjoy! NOTE: Do you like this podcast? ! Word on Fire is a...
According to Fortune magazine, overall undergraduate enrollment experienced the steepest rate of decline on record from 2019 to 2022, and it has only worsened since then. There are several explanations, but one cause is entirely...
Mar 11, 2024
Today, we are bringing you a recent conversation from the “Bishop Barron Presents” series between Bishop Barron and Congressman Ro Khanna. Congressman Khanna represents California’s 17th Congressional District, best known as the home of Silicon...
Mar 4, 2024
Friends, the is one of the shortest books of the Bible, yet it’s packed with profound truths about hearing and obeying the voice of God. On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss this powerful little book....
Feb 26, 2024
Friends, what’s the proper relationship between liberal democracy and the Catholic Church? Many smart and reflective people, on either side of the Catholic/American divide, have felt that the two systems, democracy and Catholicism, were...
Feb 19, 2024
Friends, we are in the midst of a mental health crisis, with many calling it another pandemic. Record-high numbers of Americans are facing depression and suicide. Nearly half of young people report feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness....
Feb 12, 2024
Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s recent talk at the held in London, England. His talk was titled “What is the True Nature of Freedom?” As Bishop Barron explains, freedom for excellence is not...
Feb 5, 2024
Friends, the Catholic Church seems locked in constant disagreements, often between so-called liberal and conservative Catholics. But is there a third way to lead us out of this quagmire? Cardinal Francis George offers a compelling answer, which...
Friends, today we’re excited to share with you the newest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ. Fr. Fessio was formed by some of the greatest figures...
Jan 22, 2024
Friends, we all strive to be spiritually great. We want to be magnanimous, great-souled men and women. But how do we get there? The Church offers a concrete seven-fold path, and that’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire...
Jan 15, 2024
Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s recent talk at Harvard University titled “The Catholic Intellectual Tradition,” sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Forum. Bishop Barron explores some foundational themes in the...
Jan 8, 2024
Friends, each of us wants to be a good person. But how do we actually do that? How do we truly become a person of love? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode. A listener asks, if I did not inherit the...
Dec 25, 2023
Friends, the prologue of the Gospel of St. John is one of the richest and most densely textured writings in the scriptures as John expresses the very nature of God and the profundity of the Incarnation that we celebrate every Christmas. Merry...
Dec 18, 2023
Friends, is the Christmas story little more than a sweet, saccharine tale about a cute baby being born? Or do the Gospels present something more subversive and revolutionary, a battle between two great kings? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss...
Dec 11, 2023
Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s keynote talk from the conference, hosted by . “Wokeism” is arguably the most influential public philosophy in our country today. It has worked its way into the minds and...
Dec 4, 2023
Friends, can everything in the world be reduced to atoms bumping against each other, and chemical reactions in our brains? Or is there something more to reality than its material elements? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word...
Nov 27, 2023
Today, we’re excited to share with you a talk that Bishop Barron recently gave at the University of Notre Dame titled “What Makes a University Catholic?” The talk was cosponsored by the Notre Dame Student Government, the de Nicola Center for...
Nov 20, 2023
Friends, an exciting group of psychologists, scientists, and thought leaders are rediscovering the beauty and brilliance of the Bible. What’s causing so many of them to look at the Bible with fresh eyes? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on...
Today, we’re excited to share Fr. Robert Spitzer’s keynote talk from the on “The Evidence for God from Science.” Fr. Spitzer introduces a growing amount of evidence for God found in contemporary science, along with data...
Today, we’re excited to share with you the newest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with writer, filmmaker, and activist Chris Rufo. Chris is the author of a new book titled . He has...
Today, we share a discussion between Brandon Vogt and Fr. Steve Grunow, Word on Fire’s CEO and resident Halloween expert. Several years back, Fr. Steve wrote an article for Word on Fire’s website titled that went viral...
Oct 23, 2023
Friends, the New Atheism movement rose quickly in the early 2000s, led by vicious critics of religion such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. What made their polemics so popular and effective? And how did the New Atheist movement decline and...
Oct 16, 2023
Today, we share a fun discussion between Brandon Vogt and Haley Stewart, Editor of , our new imprint of books for young readers. Topics include: Were you a reader growing up? What were some of your favorite books? How would you assess...
Friends, five years ago, we started what has become the largest online community of Catholic evangelists: the . Where did this come from, what’s the purpose of the Institute, and what’s coming next? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on...
Today we share Bishop Barron’s keynote talk from the from July 27, 2023, in Minneapolis, MN. The theme of the conference was “Chesterton and St. Francis” as it is the 100th anniversary of the publication of , and Bishop...
Sep 25, 2023
Friends, why do we love being distracted from the important things of life? The great French philosopher Blaise Pascal observed, “The sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.” On today’s episode...
Today, we’re thrilled to share with you the newest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series. In this discussion, Bishop Barron talks with well-known Hollywood actors Ethan and Maya Hawke. Ethan has starred in many excellent movies...
Sep 11, 2023
Friends, why are we so tempted to scapegoat people, especially online? And how do we escape that trap? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the great Catholic philosopher René Girard and his theory of...
J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, is one of the best-selling books ever, selling over 150 million copies. In a 1999 poll of Amazon.com customers, The Lord of the Rings was judged to be their favorite “book of the...
Aug 28, 2023
Friends, is work something good or bad? Is it central to being human, or a punishment resulting from sin? And how do we understand our work theologically, tying it to God? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss...
Aug 21, 2023
Today we share with you Bishop Barron’s keynote talk from the 2023 Wonder Conference, hosted by Word on Fire. His keynote addressed scientism, the view that authentic truth claims can be made only in regard to those matters treatable through the...
Aug 14, 2023
Friends, death is a topic most of us try to avoid. So, why does Catholicism teach we should meditate regularly on our death? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the ancient Christian practice of memento...
Aug 7, 2023
Today we share Bishop Barron’s 2023 Commencement Address at Hillsdale College, delivered on May 13, 2023. In his address, Bishop Barron examined not the question of what we are to do in life—important as that is—but rather what kind of person we...
Jul 31, 2023
Friends, what makes great leaders great? Why do certain men and women seem to lead with such effectiveness? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss several great leaders including Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Winston...
We know Church leaders need to be trained well in theology, morality, scripture, liturgy, and pastoral ministry. But if we want them to be able to wield those skills as effective leaders, they must also be great communicators. After all, sharing...
Jul 17, 2023
Friends, Christians often speak of “having a personal relationship with Christ” or “knowing Jesus personally,” but what does this actually mean? Is it possible? How do we go beyond knowing about Christ to truly knowing him?...
In this talk from the 2022 Good News Conference, Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla shares the story of her mother, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children. She also discusses her parents’ love through their many...
Jul 3, 2023
Friends, my favorite current TV show, “Mrs. Davis,” features an adventurous nun, a search for the Holy Grail, and an all-powerful algorithm. It also raises many interesting questions about artificial intelligence, God, free will, and our mystical...
In this talk from the 2022 Good News Conference, Fr. Paul Murray reminds us that the God whom we are seeking is endlessly seeking us. It is through beauty that our hearts can be pierced with the desire to know God more deeply, and it is often by...
Friends, an interesting article was published at The Gospel Coalition titled . The author observed how a growing number of young men are filling a moral and spiritual void in their lives by turning to modern self-help books based on ancient Stoic...
In this talk from the 2022 Good News Conference, Britt Fisk, shares her wisdom on what it means to hand over complete trust to the Lord, particularly in times of great suffering. Though we may feel like we’re at a loss when we are not in control,...
Jun 5, 2023
Friends, what fuels our modern “culture of contempt,” so prevalent online? And how can Catholics resist it? A helpful new book by John Allen, Jr., , seeks to answer those questions, and on today’s “Word on Fire Show” I discuss the...
May 29, 2023
Friends, in February 2023, at the Sharing the Church’s Story Conference in London, I reflected on the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and how these counsels can be lived out by the laity. Vatican II wanted great Catholic...
May 22, 2023
Friends, a found that nearly seven-in-ten Catholics (69%) believe that during Mass, the bread and wine used in communion “are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” Only one-third of U.S. Catholics believe in the doctrine of...
Friends, in February 2023, award-winning historian, author, and broadcaster Tom Holland and I discussed Western culture, the intellectual and moral aspects of Christianity, and the doctrine of original sin, among many other topics, at the Sharing the...
May 8, 2023
Friends, many people are familiar with the Thomistic tradition, following St. Thomas Aquinas, but what about the Franciscan intellectual tradition, following St. Francis? Who are some of the great Franciscan theologians, and what can they teach us...
Friends, does Christianity still have a place in the public square? What can it contribute to the broader culture? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss some of the unique ways that Christianity has shaped the...
Apr 17, 2023
Friends, in his talk at the 2022 Good News Conference, Fr. John Riccardo speaks about the unwavering trust and hope that Christians are called to. When tempted to despair, we are challenged to hope that the Lord is addressing the storms in our lives,...
Apr 10, 2023
Friends, what are the liberal arts, and why are so many schools getting rid of them? A recent article in The New Yorker titled revealed that during the past decade, the study of English and history at the collegiate level has...
Apr 3, 2023
In his keynote talk at the 2022 Good News Conference, Bishop Barron speaks on the evangelical power of beauty in the Catholic tradition. True beauty leads by steady steps to the ultimate source of beauty, Christ. To evangelize, we can show the Sistine...
Mar 27, 2023
Friends, one major theme appearing throughout the teachings of Pope Francis is the danger of technocracy. In his 2015 encyclical, , he coined the term “technocratic paradigm,” using the term five times in the encyclical. Should we be...
Friends, in this conversation at the 2021 Good News Conference, Bishop Robert Barron and Fr. Mike Schmitz share about their vocation stories. This is part of a much longer conversation the two shared. You can hear the full discussion...
Mar 13, 2023
Friends, today we share with you Chris Stefanick’s talk from the 2021 Good News Conference. In a world fraught with fear, anxiety, and denial, Chris explores the fundamental rules for living joyfully. Links
Friends, in today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” we share Lecture 1 from Peter Kreeft’s new 12-part video series on In this lecture series, Dr. Peter Kreeft examines key ideas in philosophy by comparing and contrasting two...
Feb 27, 2023
Friends, we often find two groups in the Church in tension with each other: those concerned with the liturgy and those concerned with social justice. On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss how to bridge this...
Friends, today we share Fr. Stephen Gadberry’s keynote talk from the recent Good News Conference in Orlando, Florida. As Fr. Gadberry explains, every baptized Christian shares in Jesus’ offices of priest, prophet, and king. In this talk, Fr....
Feb 13, 2023
Friends, there are thousands of religions out there. So, why think Christianity is the right one? And why Catholic Christianity in particular? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss these challenges which have...
Friends, when universities turn to the secular narrative of the ego drama, which views education as directed to self-advancement alone, they suffer a loss of identity. In her talk at the recent Good News Conference, Jessica Hooten Wilson offers a...
Jan 30, 2023
Friends, do we have a right to choose how and when we die? Should we be worried about the rapid rise of euthanasia, including in the United States? Euthanasia has been in the news lately thanks to reports out of Canada, where last year, over 10,000...
Friends, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. In the Mass, God is glorified and humans are sanctified. In his keynote address at the recent Good News Conference, Abbot Jeremy Driscoll walks us through the beauty and richness...
Jan 16, 2023
Friends, we just marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, the Second Vatican Council. Six decades later, can we say the Council was a success? A failure? Something in between? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,”...
Friends, how do we educate the whole person? Religious sister and mental health counselor Sr. Josephine Garrett talks about this question in her keynote speech at the recent Good News Conference. In her talk, Sr. Josephine shares how in order for the...
Jan 2, 2023
Friends, did you know that the birth rate in America is the lowest it’s ever been? Why have families stopped having so many kids, and what can we do about it? On today’s episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss a...
Dec 31, 2022
Friends, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 95 years old. In this special “Word on Fire Show” discussion, Brandon Vogt and I reflect on his life, impact, and key ideas and...
Friends, when society dismisses the natural law tradition, is it any wonder we see voluntarism take its place? I recently spoke with Ben Shapiro on his Daily Wire show about natural law, family, happiness and much more. Links NOTE: Do you...
Dec 19, 2022
Friends, many people in the Church, including the Holy Father, have been talking about “synodality.” But what is it? What does it mean? How can it help the Church, and what are possible dangers? That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on...
Friends, today we share Fr. Mike Schmitz’s keynote talk from the recent Good News Conference in Orlando, Florida. As Fr. Mike explains, joy is a choice, just like love. We can either chase the feeling or choose the reality. Joy comes from the fact...
Dec 5, 2022
Friends, why is art important? An uptick in vandalism against famous pieces of art, calling to mind outbreaks of iconoclasm throughout history, has raised questions about art’s value and purpose. On today’s “Word on Fire Show,” I discuss with...
Friends, today we share Bishop Barron’s 2022 Commencement Address at Benedictine College, which he offered on May 14, 2022. Well aware that he was on Benedictine ground, a place filled with the mind and spirit of St. Benedict, Bishop Barron shared...
Nov 21, 2022
Friends, in many parts of the world the Catholic Church is shrinking. Parishes are closing or merging, pastors are devising strategies of consolidation. But for the Church to flourish, we can’t just manage decline. We need strategies for growth....
Nov 14, 2022
A new Word on Fire book titled features essays by Catholic women who offer a call to pursue what is too often excluded from our picture of femininity: the intellectual life. Full of practical advice and personal testimonies, and featuring a...
Nov 7, 2022
Friends, what is the role of religion in civic life? Must we bracket religion from the political sphere? Those are pressing questions as we near the midterm elections. On today’s “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the relationship...
Oct 31, 2022
Friends, today we share a recent discussion between Bishop Barron and the theologian Larry Chapp about Vatican II. The conversation ranges over several topics, including: Why evangelize? Deification through the Cross The 20th-century Biblical Renewal...
Oct 24, 2022
Friends, Tertullian famously asked in the third century, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” What does philosophy have to do with theology, or reason with faith? However, on today’s “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss a...
Oct 17, 2022
Friends, today we share Lesson 1 from our new Word on Fire Institute course titled The course is taught by Andrew Petiprin, the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Fellow of Popular Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, also a former Episcopal...
Oct 10, 2022
Friends, what is a Holy Hour? How do you do it, and why should you start? On today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines you can adopt. A listener asks, if the Eucharist...
Oct 3, 2022
Friends, today we share a conversation I had with leaders at on proclaiming and encountering Christ. It was wonderful to sit down with our Protestant brothers and sisters to discuss the importance of evangelization in today’s culture. In...
Sep 26, 2022
Friends, on today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss some comments recently made by Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, about space and religion. What does Catholicism have to say about the universe and the...
Sep 19, 2022
Friends, today we share a talk I recently gave to the service men and women at the United State Air Force Academy. After previously speaking at the about three sailors from the Bible, then at about three soldiers from the Old...
Sep 12, 2022
Friends, on today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I recap two recent discussions I shared with and . With over two million views combined, these discussions struck a chord with people and I think they...
Sep 5, 2022
Friends, today we share my recent . Shia is an actor famous for his roles in Transformers, Honey Boy, and Peanut Butter Falcon, among other films. His most recent role is as the young Padre Pio in a new biopic on the great saint, a...
Friends, today on the “Word on Fire Show,” we conclude our series of discussions called “Understanding the Present Moment.” Brandon Vogt and I have examined four massively influential figures who together help explain our present...
Aug 22, 2022
In this new “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, Bishop Barron sits down with bestselling author Luke Burgis to discuss his new book, . Why do we want what we want? And how do our desires shape us as people? How are desires related to freedom? In...
Friends, today on the “Word on Fire Show,” we continue our series of discussions called “Understanding the Present Moment.” Brandon Vogt and I are examining four massively influential figures who together help explain our present...
Aug 8, 2022
Friends, today we share the homily I gave for my installation Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Rochester, Minnesota. Celebrating the Feast of Sts. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, I correlated those three disciples to what Pope...
Friends, today on the “Word on Fire Show,” we continue our series of discussions called “Understanding the Present Moment.” Brandon Vogt and I are examining four massively influential figures who together help explain our present...
Jul 25, 2022
Today we share the second half () of Bishop Barron’s presentation titled “Breaking Through the Buffered Self,” which he offered for the prestigious 2022 Albert Cardinal Meyer Lecture series hosted at Mundelein Seminary back in March 2022. In the...
Jul 18, 2022
Friends, as you may have heard, Pope Francis recently appointed me the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota). I will be formally installed on July 29. On today's episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I...
Jul 11, 2022
Today we share Bishop Barron’s presentation entitled “Breaking Through the Buffered Self,” which he offered for the prestigious 2022 Albert Cardinal Meyer Lecture series hosted at Mundelein Seminary back in March 2022. In the talk, Bishop Barron...
Friends, today on the “Word on Fire Show,” we kick off a new series of discussions called “Understanding the Present Moment.” Brandon Vogt and I will look at four massively influential figures who together help explain our present...
In this new “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, Bishop Barron sits down with bestselling author Tara Isabella Burton to discuss her new book, . Burton argues that while younger generations are supposedly the most secular according to...
Jun 20, 2022
Friends, our culture is obsessed with self-determination: finding our own voice, setting our own agenda, doing things according to our own lights. But is this problematic? And what does the Bible have to say about self-determination? On today’s...
In this new “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, Bishop Barron sits down with evolutionary biologists Dr. Heather Heying and Dr. Bret Weinstein, the best-selling authors of . They discuss several topics, such as: Evolution, science, and...
Jun 6, 2022
Friends, what can St. Benedict, a sixth century monk, teach us about evangelization today? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss in today's episode of “The Word on Fire Show.” We explore several Benedictine principles including humility,...
May 23, 2022
Friends, in the book of Revelation, Jesus says, “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me.” But how does this work? How do we allow him into our...
May 9, 2022
Friends, did you know that nearly 60% of religious believers agree with the statement that “religion and science conflict with one another”? This tragic confusion is especially prevalent among young people. In today’s episode of “The Word on...
May 9, 2022
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from another great Word on Fire Institute course titled taught by Fr. Damian Ference. In this course, Fr. Damian Ference will take us through numerous examples from the Gospels, his own life, and the...
Apr 25, 2022
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from another great Word on Fire Institute course titled taught by Elizabeth Scalia. In this course, Elizabeth Scalia walks us through the five S's of effective evangelization: storytelling, Scripture,...
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 day, focusing especially on the Psalms. In today’s episode of the “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon...
Apr 11, 2022
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 News Conference, and our conversation ranged over a variety of topics, including our vocation...
Apr 4, 2022
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 Father send Jesus to be born if God could be born himself? 7:28 - How can you be happy in heaven if...
Mar 28, 2022
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled taught by Haley Stewart. In her course, Haley Stewart unpacks the treasures of the Liturgical Year and explores how liturgical living can strengthen the...
Mar 21, 2022
Friends, cynicism is on the rise. Our culture is increasingly pessimistic, characterized by a general distrust of others people's motives. So, how do we escape this decline? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss in today's episode of “The Word on...
Mar 14, 2022
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled taught by Dr. Arthur Brooks. Blending social science and Catholicism, this course combines cutting-edge research and top-notch scholarship with the lives of...
Mar 7, 2022
Bishop Barron recently had the experience of recording all 150 Psalms for the Catholic app . Listen as he shares about that experience, discusses his favorite Psalm, and helps us better understand this songbook of the Church. A listener asks, how do...
Feb 21, 2022
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 ruler of Egypt. How should we understand his sinking into slavery and prison? Or his gift for...
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron's new Word on Fire Institute course titled In this course, Bishop Barron introduces the spiritual dynamics of Biblical exegesis in Origen and St. Augustine of Hippo. The Church Fathers did...
Feb 7, 2022
Friends, today we discuss an interesting new book titled by Tara Isabella Burton. Burton argues that while younger generations are supposedly the most secular according to surveys, they’re actually notably religious—it’s just that they...
Jan 31, 2022
Friends, today we share a sample lesson from a new Word on Fire Institute course titled In this course, Dr. Matthew Nelson explains how to engage people who are confident in their nonbelief but willing to seriously consider reasons for believing in...
Jan 24, 2022
Friends, the long-awaited is now available! Today, we give you a peek inside. Brandon Vogt and I discuss what’s new about this volume and why it’s even better than Volume I. A listener asks, if God is full of love, does God love the...
Jan 17, 2022
Today we share Lesson 1 from Bishop Barron's latest Word on Fire Institute course titled Listen as Bishop Barron leads us on a journey through the life of Dante and his major work, The Divine Comedy, the great literary treasure dedicated to the...
Jan 10, 2022
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 on Fire Show.” We also recap my conversation with Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, and John...
Jan 3, 2022
Today we share a sample from our new Word on Fire Institute course titled taught by Dr. Christopher Baglow. Dr. Baglow considers the mysteries of the Catholic faith in dialogue with scientific discoveries, allowing us to avoid the shallowness that...
Dec 27, 2021
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 ancient Jews. How should we understand his early struggle with Esau, the famous "Jacob's ladder," and...
Dec 20, 2021
During the past five decades, the Second Vatican Council has been alternately celebrated or maligned for its supposed break with tradition and embrace of the modern world. But what if we’ve gotten it all wrong? Have Catholics—both those who...
Dec 13, 2021
Bishop Barron takes several questions from non-Catholics, including: How does the Catholic Church think about sola Scriptura and Bible interpretation? Since we can’t know beyond a reasonable doubt that Christianity is true, why should I become a...
Dec 6, 2021
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 asking about and discussing the big questions, from God’s existence, to how to be a good and...
Nov 29, 2021
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 two pivotal figures in salvation history. A listener asks, where can I learn more about God’s...
Nov 22, 2021
Friends, at the recent FOCUS SEEK, seminarians and young people discerning their vocation asked me range of questions about calling and vocations, including: Did Bishop Barron ever consider religious life? How should we use philosophy to approach and...
Nov 15, 2021
Modern psychiatry tends to downplay spirituality, but in today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss a new Scientific American article suggesting that The author explains how belief in God is associated...
Earlier this year, Bishop Barron joined Sal Di Stefano from Mind Pump Media for a great conversation. They discussed the great social upheaval and political division in our culture—including its intellectual, moral, and spiritual dimensions—and...
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 should we understand the creation of Adam and Eve? What actually happened at the Fall? Bishop...
Oct 25, 2021
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 questions, including: Did Adam love Eve for the sake of God? What is Mary’s role in...
Oct 18, 2021
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 he still matter? That's what Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss in today's episode. Topics include: ...
Oct 11, 2021
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 teachers to boldly proclaim the resurrection and lordship of Jesus, affirming that all Catholic teachers...
Oct 4, 2021
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 the first book in the Bible and perhaps the most foundational, but it’s also the source of so much...
C.S. Lewis wrote more than 30 books which have collectively sold over 100 million copies, including the Chronicles of Narnia series, Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters. But of those thirty books, there was only one which Lewis described...
Sep 20, 2021
Dr. Christian Smith has written a new book titled . It's based on new research about how parents successfully raise children to become religiously-practicing adults. In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt walk through his findings and discuss...
In this Q&A session with students at Yale University from February 2021, Bishop Barron answered a variety of questions from students, including: Do you think that the culture’s view of sex has kept people outside of the Church? How do we...
Sep 6, 2021
A from the Survey Center on American Life revealed that people are rapidly losing their close friends, especially men. The number of American men who view themselves as having "no close friends" quintupled over the last 30 years, increasing from 3...
Aug 30, 2021
Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring theologian and educator Dr. Larry Chapp. Larry and Bishop Barron discuss topics such as: Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement Traditionalism and liberalism in...
Aug 23, 2021
Today we continue our discussion of a recent article by Tim Keller, the popular Protestant pastor, titled We previously explored why forgiveness has faded in our culture. Today, we focus on the path forward, how we can practice and encourage more...
Aug 16, 2021
Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, this one featuring American legal scholar, political philosopher, and public intellectual Robert George. Robert and Bishop Barron discuss virtue, focusing on topics such as Natural...
Aug 9, 2021
Today we discuss a recent article by Tim Keller, the popular Protestant pastor, titled . Why are people increasingly skeptical about forgiveness? Keller proposes two reasons: a therapeutic culture, and religion without grace. A listener asks,...
Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, this one with author Dr. Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen. Jennifer and Bishop Barron discuss the history of ideas that shaped American culture, and her two books, and . Stay tuned for...
Jul 26, 2021
Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring author and political science professor Dr. Jason Blakely. In Jason's conversation with Bishop Barron and Jared Zimmerer, he discussed topics found in his new book, ,...
Jul 19, 2021
Today we share in interview about Brandon Vogt’s new book , recently published by Word on Fire. The book is full of concrete advice and practical strategies to help draw any loved one back to the Church. includes one of the best summations of why...
Today we share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring literary and theological scholar Jessica Hooten Wilson. Jessica recently sat down with Bishop Barron and Jared Zimmerer to discuss caring for the soul through human...
Jul 5, 2021
Is parenthood suffocating or liberating? Do children keep you from self-discovery, or can they facilitate you finding your identity? Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss those questions in light of two controversial articles about parenting, one in...
Jun 28, 2021
Today we share the latest episode in our “Bishop Barron Presents” series, featuring editor and author Sohrab Ahmari. Bishop Barron sits down to discuss Sohrab's new book, . Sohrab named his son after St. Maximillian Kolbe, and the book originated...
Jun 21, 2021
Bishop Barron recently joined Jordan Peterson for a second long discussion titled which has been viewed over 780,000 times. On today's episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” we revisit and reflect on some of the key moments in the dialogue. A...
Jun 14, 2021
Bishop Barron recently delivered the commencement address to the graduating class at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. The entire point of a Catholic intellectual formation is to produce great souls. A great soul doesn’t invent her own...
Jun 7, 2021
According to a recent Wall Street Journal headline, “Catholic Schools Are Losing Students at Record Rates, and Hundreds Are Closing.” Catholic schools peaked in the 1960s with about 5.5 million students in 11,000 schools. Today, Catholic schools...
May 31, 2021
Bishop Barron recently visited the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he had the great privilege of preaching at their baccalaureate Mass. In his homily, shared today on the podcast, he said we must remember that the primary purpose of a...
On today's episode, Brandon Vogt and I discuss my recent conversation with (aka @CosmicSkeptic), one of the most popular atheists in the world. We replay and unpack some of the most important clips from the dialogue. () A listener who was raised...
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 discussed three sailors from the Bible: the patriarch Noah, the prophet Jonah, and our Savior Jesus...
May 10, 2021
A found that the proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue, or mosque has dropped below 50% for the first time in American history. In 1999, around 70% of Americans attended a church, synagogue, or mosque--today...
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 discussed three sailors from the Bible: the patriarch Noah, the prophet Jonah, and our Savior Jesus...
Apr 26, 2021
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 where the idea came from and the future of the project. They also give you a sneak peek at...
Today we share Bishop Barron's talk at the 2021 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress titled “Catholics, Media Mobs, and the Culture of Contempt.” The talk focuses on how to address the swell of negative and nasty behavior we're seeing online,...
Apr 12, 2021
From politics to COVID, this past year has been filled with disagreement. That led Christian apologist Natasha Crain to write an article titled Bishop Barron and Brandon discuss the article, focusing on three of Crain's predictions for 2021: more...
Apr 5, 2021
Today we share Bishop Barron's talk from the conference. The talk is titled “The Identity of Jesus” and explores how Christ had the authority to fulfill the Law of the Old Testament and bring about the will of God through the Church. Links ...
Mar 29, 2021
What is the “dark night of the soul”? How does it differ from general depression, sadness, or confusion? Bishop Barron and Brandon explore this spiritual concept from St. John of the Cross, and discuss a famous saint from recent times who...
Today we share the second half of Bishop Baron's talk titled "Knocking Holes in the Buffered Self: Approaches to the Question of God." () He gave the talk at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary as part of their Kenrick Lecture series. Many—especially the...
Mar 15, 2021
Parts of the Old Testament depict God commanding the Israelites to massacre entire populations—every man, woman, child, and animal. How should Christians make sense of these passages? They seem to present God as angry, vindictive, and genocidal,...
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 talk at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary as part of their Kenrick Lecture series. Many—especially the...
Mar 1, 2021
Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade's spiritual classic, Abandonment to Divine Providence, taught that everything falls under God's will, from our delights to our challenges, and our happiness will only be fully realized in cooperating with that will. But...
Bishop Barron recently joined students from Princeton University in a virtual Q&A about God, faith, reason, and evangelization. The event was led by Leah Libresco Sargeant, a fellow of the Word on Fire Institute, and graciously hosted by The...
Feb 15, 2021
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 especially for parents who are brokenhearted about their own sons or daughters who have become...
Feb 8, 2021
Bishop Barron recently joined students from Princeton University in a virtual Q&A about God, faith, reason, and evangelization. The event was led by Leah Libresco Sargeant, a fellow of the Word on Fire Institute, and graciously hosted by The...
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 did God come to exist? How can God see us from up in heaven if we can't see him? Do you think animals...
Jan 25, 2021
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 that he valued nothing that smacked of the modern day. But in a groundbreaking new book...
Jan 18, 2021
According to YouVersion, the popular Bible app, was Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Bishop Barron...
Jan 11, 2021
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 of the New Evangelization.” The spiritual life is typically understood to begin in ascent....
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 videos, in particular, resonated with so many people. A listener asks, if Jesus already did what he...
Dec 28, 2020
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. NOTE: Do you like this podcast? and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus...
Dec 21, 2020
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. Bishop Barron discusses some of the film's insights and offers a Catholic perspective on social...
Today, we share the second half of Bishop Barron's recent discussion with Dave Rubin on the topic "Has Liberalism Failed?" (.) It's part of the "Bishop Barron Presents" series of conversations with various thinkers and cultural influencers. In this...
Dec 7, 2020
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 something nice about one particular aspect of their work, you’re necessarily endorsing everything...
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 Barron Presents" series of conversations with various thinkers and cultural influencers. In this...
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 favorite books at . A listener asks about Thomas Aquinas' views on women. NOTE: Do you like this podcast?...
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 unrest in our country stand ideas stemming from four influential thinkers: Karl Marx, Friedrich...
Nov 14, 2020
In this bonus “Word on Fire Show” episode, Bishop Barron discusses the long-awaited which the Holy See just released on Tuesday, November 10. This long and exhaustive report, spanning over 450 pages, shares the results of a two-year...
Nov 9, 2020
A new survey from Ligonier Ministries titled revealed lots of interesting things. But one finding that stood out, and generated lots of headlines, was that most Christians believe about Jesus. Nearly 70% of Catholics believe “Jesus is the...
In a recent talk given to the Knights of Malta, Bishop Barron addressed this convulsive time in our national history, demonstrated by the global pandemic, unstable politics, and outbursts of violence. What he shows is that behind much of the rioting...
Oct 26, 2020
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 God answer all our prayers at once? Did God like us better when we were cavemen? If Jesus walks on...
In this special episode, Word on Fire's John Barron interviews the design team responsible for the mesmerizing , including Rozann Lee, Michael Stevens, and Nic Fredrickson. Listen as they share the story behind its creation and the workings of...
Oct 12, 2020
With the presidential election around the corner, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt consider principles that should inform our voting decisions. They also discuss a recent Pew Research Center report titled and explore the voting guidance...
Oct 5, 2020
Listen to this sample lesson from Dr. Anthony Pagliarini's course for the titled “How Nones Can Misread the Bible.” To access the other six lessons in this course, join the today. You'll also receive a copy of Bishop Barron's new book, the...
Sep 28, 2020
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 Brandon discuss the postmodern turn and its results. A listener asks, is it impossible for some...
Sep 21, 2020
Listen to the second part of this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's study program, "Untold Blessing," which explores the three paths of holiness. This is from the third path, knowing that your life is not about you. Enjoy! (Want access to the rest of...
Sep 14, 2020
In his wildly popular book, A Manual for Creating Atheists, Peter Boghossian, a philosophy professor at Portland State University, outlines his process of “street epistemology,” which is intended to be a process of anti-evangelization, or talking...
Listen to this sample lesson from Bishop Barron's classic study program, "Untold Blessing," which explores the three paths of holiness. Today, we'll hear the first half of Bishop Barron's reflections on the third path, knowing that your life is not...
Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from several non-Catholics, including: How to foster unity between Protestants and Catholics? Why focus on Mary and the saints instead of the Trinity? I'm converting to Catholicism, but how will that affect my...
Aug 24, 2020
Listen to this sample lesson from Bishop Barron’s course inside the on “The Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar.” Then join the to get access to all twelves lessons in the course (along with all of Bishop...
Aug 17, 2020
Our culture holds many different concepts of morality. In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss three major theories–consequentialism, deontology/legalism, and virtue ethics–and how compatible each is with Catholicism. A listener...
Aug 10, 2020
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 . NOTE: Do you like this podcast? and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus...
It's an exciting day as we celebrate the launch of Bishop Barron's newest book, (CUA Press). The book pulls together 17 academic essays, talks, and papers that Bishop has composed over the past few years, and covers everything from...
Jul 27, 2020
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 constantly bombards us with the idea that the teachings of the Church are irrelevant, outdated, or...
Last month, Jon Steingard, frontman of the Christian rock group Hawk Nelson, revealed that after spending his life as a devout Christian. His prominent de-conversion was profiled by The TODAY Show, People Magazine, NPR, and numerous...
Jul 13, 2020
The narrative that science and Christianity are enemies is false. Not only are they not enemies but Christianity helped science develop beyond the limits imposed on it by ancient cosmologies. In this sample lesson from her Word on Fire Institute...
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 other with more exclusive love, such as the love between a husband and wife? Some Protestant...
Jun 29, 2020
Today we share a sample lesson from Fr. Stephen Gadberry’s course inside the titled “The People You Will Meet.” Knowing your audience is very important in effective evangelization. In this course, Fr. Gadberry distinguishes the different types...
Jun 22, 2020
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 alerts. Why do we put up with all these distractions? How can we avoid them? Bishop Barron shares...
Jun 15, 2020
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 for $99) are both out of stock. Both should be available to order again in September when the second...
Jun 8, 2020
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 drama: Creation, the Fall, the formation of Israel, Jesus...
Jun 1, 2020
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 other planets that people can’t live on? Where does God sleep? Will you have...
May 25, 2020
An article by the Protestant pastor Timothy Keller offers Bishop Barron and Brandon walk through the article and discuss how we can have better conversations with people who hold very different views than us. A listener asks if, as a...
May 18, 2020
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 scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one...
May 11, 2020
A recent New York Times story claimed to reveal Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the article and whether science is capable of answering this classic philosophical question. A listener asks about the fear of God, and whether...
May 4, 2020
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 reflects on the Holy Spirit and explains how to grow closer...
Apr 27, 2020
In a recent article for The Atlantic, David Brooks claims He contends that the model of a married couple with 2.5 kids was an anomaly in the 1950s and 1960s, and that this nuclear family model is no longer working for many Americans,...
Apr 20, 2020
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 historical Jesus.” Bishop Barron provides an overview of...
Apr 13, 2020
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 Barron answers in today's episode. NOTE: Do you like this...
Apr 10, 2020
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 Hours’ Agony, is a liturgical service held on Good...
Apr 6, 2020
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. NOTE: Do you like this podcast? and get...
Mar 30, 2020
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 priests have to be celibate? What's the difference between the Jewish Bible,...
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 episode of “The Word on Fire Show,” we discuss these...
In , we shared the first half of Bishop Barron's talk on “The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.” It focused on the Biblical and patristic basis for the doctrine. This week, we hear the second half of his talk which looks at the Eucharistic...
Mar 20, 2020
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 that "the Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist is at the...
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. Yet a recent Pew Forum study found that only 30% of...
Mar 9, 2020
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 well as a sharp division between spirit and matter, with...
Mar 2, 2020
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. Vanier, who passed away last year, was accused of...
Feb 24, 2020
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 on how to have a more spiritually powerful Lent. A...
Feb 17, 2020
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 Christianity? Bishop Barron discusses all that and more in today's...
Feb 10, 2020
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 intellectuals. A listener asks which literature books Bishop...
Feb 3, 2020
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 Bible, without dumbing down the message? What’s the Catholic...
Jan 27, 2020
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 twentieth-century theology and philosophy, the Pope, and...
Jan 20, 2020
Today, we share a sample lesson from a course inside our on “Reaching the Different.” The course is taught by Dr. Matt Nelson and teaches how to evangelize friends and family who are apathetic about God and don't care about religion. To get the...
In this third and final part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to and ), Bishop Barron examines four influential Fathers from the post-Nicene period: John Chrysostom (349 – 407) Jerome (347 – 420)...
In this second part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to ), Bishop Barron takes a look at some important Church Fathers from the pre-Nicene and Nicene periods, including: Justin Martyr (100 – 165) Irenaeus (130 – 202)...
Dec 30, 2019
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? In this short episode, Bishop Barron offers three...
Dec 23, 2019
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 king, who came with a heavenly army to battle against...
Dec 16, 2019
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 series, he also discusses the three main Apostolic Fathers: ...
Dec 9, 2019
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 listener asks which books Bishop Barron would recommend to counter...
Dec 2, 2019
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 course on Newman, titled “The Queen of the Sciences.” It focuses on Newman’s...
Nov 25, 2019
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 of his unique kingship. A listener asks if God is...
Nov 18, 2019
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 souls? What is being conveyed by identifying Jesus as the New Adam...
Nov 11, 2019
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 tips on how to discern God’s will in your life. A...
Nov 4, 2019
oday we discuss the second half of about Dawkins’ new book, . (If you missed the first half, check out !) A listener asks whether Bishop Barron has considered making Word on Fire into a religious order. Links (full video)...
Joe Rogan, host of the one of the world’s most popular podcasts, about Dawkins’ new book, . It’s a follow-up book to Dawkins’ bestselling The God Delusion, although this one is aimed at younger readers. The Rogan/Dawkins...
Oct 21, 2019
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 episode, Bishop Barron reflects on this problem (including his own smartphone use), offering guidance...
Oct 14, 2019
Last month, Bishop Barron visited Reddit for another #AMA (ask me anything). Over 15,000 comments poured in from young skeptics around the world, making it the third most-commented on #AMA of the year, and the ninth most popular in Reddit history....
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 how have they shaped today’s Catholic Church? Bishop Barron explains. A listener asks why secular...
Sep 30, 2019
A recent article in The Atlantic claimed . It focused on a famous experiment during the 1980s that seems to show our brain "decides" on our behavior before we actually make particular choices. Many believed this confirmed we don't have free will, that...
Sep 23, 2019
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 week, so be sure to listen to that first. The Grammar of Assent concerns question about how...
Sep 16, 2019
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 belief–how we come to believe in God–and is widely considered his most important text....
Sep 9, 2019
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 Heaven have night time? How is St. Michael an angel and a saint? How does a family with young...
Sep 2, 2019
The annual United Nations World Happiness Report, which measures the happiness of different countries, is always dominated by Scandinavian nations. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland have always been in the top ten. But what’s striking is...
Aug 26, 2019
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 consciousness to a computer and attain immortality? Why was Christianity started in the West? If humans are...
Aug 19, 2019
A recent revealed that “just one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ.” What’s the cause of this? And moving forward, how do we fix the problem? Bishop Barron discusses in today’s...
Aug 12, 2019
Today, we discuss a recent article in Teen Vogue titled which shows how many teens and teachers have begun dabbling in Marxism. There have been a slew of other articles noting the rise of Millennials supporting socialism. Having done his masters work...
Aug 5, 2019
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 "Does God...". Does God love everyone? Does God change his mind? Does God have a name? Listen and find...
Jul 15, 2019
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 classic study programs, The clip focuses on the sin of pride and the corresponding...
Jul 8, 2019
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 this episode. Bishop also responds to some of the criticisms he’s received for his...
Jun 28, 2019
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 talk and discuss some of the criticism he’s received about his presentation, particularly his...
Jun 24, 2019
As the launches a new course by Dr. Christopher Kaczor on “Myths of the Catholic Church,” Bishop Barron and host Jared Zimmerer talk about seven of the most common misunderstandings people have about Catholicism. A listener asks how Catholics...
Jun 17, 2019
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 Faith through the lens of Israel. How do we do this? That’s what he and host Jared Zimmerer...
Jun 10, 2019
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"? How are Adam and Eve guilty of disobedience if they had no knowledge of good/evil until after they...
Jun 3, 2019
Several recent bestselling books have focused on the Enlightenment, including Stephen Pinker's . But what was the Enlightenment, and how should we view its effects? Bishop Barron offers his take today. A listener asks how Christians determine which...
May 27, 2019
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 film, titled Tolkien. But in today’s episode, Bishop Barron talks about Tolkien’s...
May 20, 2019
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 the seal of Confession. Bishop Barron speaks about the sacredness of this sacrament and what the...
Today we discuss Bishop Barron's new book, titled . In light of this current crisis, many Catholics are understandably asking, “Why should I stay? Why not abandon this sinking ship before it drags me or my children under?" This book explains why...
In today's episode, we share the second half of a talk Bishop Barron gave on John Henry Newman's famous book, . If you missed the first, Also, be sure to pick up your , which includes a Foreword by Bishop Barron! NOTE: Do you like this podcast?...
Apr 29, 2019
In March 2019, Bishop Barron was interviewed by Dr. Jordan Peterson for the Jordan B. Peterson Podcast. To say the discussion was highly anticipated is an understatement. Fans of both Dr. Peterson and Bishop Barron have asked for these two great minds...
Apr 22, 2019
Recently, The New York Times featured , who tried to show that the idea of God is incoherent. Bishop Barron responds to Atteton's points and shows how there are no logical problems with believing in God. A listener asks whether Catholic universities...
Apr 16, 2019
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 most important and magnificent religious sites in the world. Bishop Barron shares his close ties to...
Apr 15, 2019
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. NOTE: Do you like this podcast? and get some great perks for...
Apr 1, 2019
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 when Jesus died on the Cross. NOTE: Do you like this podcast? and get some great perks for helping,...
Mar 25, 2019
Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt record live from Rome, where they visited for Bishop's reception of an honorary doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (aka The Angelicum.) NOTE: Do you like this podcast? and get some great...
Mar 18, 2019
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 million downloads, we're ready for the next phase. But to get there, we need your help! Learn about the...
Mar 11, 2019
John Henry Newman's classic book, , shows how doctrine isn't stagnant but in fact develops over time, much like an acorn grows into a sprouting oak tree. In today's episode, we share the first half of a talk Bishop Barron gave on the book and its...
Mar 4, 2019
What's actually happening when we pray? In this episode, Bishop Barron answers the deepest questions about prayer, not necessarily how to pray but what is prayer? A listener asks about the Rosary prayer and how it operates....
Feb 25, 2019
Bishop Barron recently visited the headquarters of Amazon, in Seattle, WA, to take part in a "Fishbowl" discussion about his new book, . Around 200 Amazon employees were in attendance. Listen to the whole conversation in today's episode. Pick up...
Feb 18, 2019
Recently, Bishop Barron watched several YouTube conversation between Sam Harris, a well-known atheist, and Dr. Jordan Peterson, one of the most prominent and beguiling intellectuals today. We've talked in past episodes about Dr. Peterson's...
Feb 11, 2019
The recent confrontation between a grinning young high school student and a Native American elder has led to much anger and vitriol, especially on social media. But as Bishop Barron suggests, it also exemplified the "scapegoating mechanism" described...
Feb 4, 2019
In this episode, Bishop Barron discusses a recent New York Times article by David Brooks titled It’s a tongue-in-cheek affirmation of a culture that puts tremendous emphasis on self, self-care, and self-display. Bishop...
Jan 28, 2019
Ross Douthat recently published an op-ed in the New York Times titled He argues that maybe there actually is a genuinely post-Christian future for America, one that mixes pantheism with civic religion.Bishop Barron and...
Jan 21, 2019
Bishop Barron takes listener questions from all over the world, including: What are examples of popular films that convey the Gospel without being preachy or poorly produced? Which beings have souls, and where do we draw the line? If prayer doesn't...
Jan 14, 2019
According to data from BibleGateway.com and YouVersion, the popular Bible app, was Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear." Bishop Barron looks at several other verses that cracked the list and reveals the right (and wrong) ways to understand them. A...
Jan 7, 2019
A recent Christianity Today article titled, “” explores a State of Theology survey conducted in the United States by LifeWay Research, based on interviews with 3,000 Americans. Bishop Barron discusses the alarming...
Dec 31, 2018
How should Christians use social media? How can we escape its dangers (venomous rhetoric, echo chambers, etc.) and instead use these tools well? Bishop Barron offers his advice and shares how he personally uses these tools. A listener asks whether...
Dec 24, 2018
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? What do people often get wrong about the Incarnation? And how is the Incarnation extended throughout...
Dec 17, 2018
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 several practical tips along with the fallacies you'll want to avoid. A listener asks how...
Dec 10, 2018
William Wordsworth called Mary, the mother of Jesus, "our tainted nature's solitary boast." Who was this extraordinary woman, and how should we understand the key dogmas about her life and nature? Bishop Barron offers a crash course on Mary in today's...
Dec 3, 2018
Is the season of Advent just a cozy, sentimental period before Christmas? Or is it a time of spiritual revolution? Bishop Barron discusses this important period and shares some of his Advent recommendations. A listener asks how to make sense of...
John Henry Newman’s spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is widely recognized as a classic of religious literature. Chronicling his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism, it explores the arguments and discoveries that convinced...
Nov 19, 2018
John Henry Newman’s spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is widely recognized as a classic of religious literature. Chronicling his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism, it explores the arguments and discoveries that convinced...
Nov 12, 2018
This week, Bishop Barron answers questions from all over the world. If you have a question, be sure to visit .
Nov 5, 2018
In Stephen Hawking's new book, , published just a few months after his death, the famed scientists suggests that God does not exist and the universe does not require an explanation. Is he right? Bishop Barron discusses those claims in today's...
Oct 29, 2018
As the Synod on Youth wraps up at the Vatican, Bishop Barron shares his final thoughts on the meeting.
Oct 15, 2018
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 Balthasar, and it explores Balthasar's impact, his major works, and his key ideas. This first lesson...
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 Preparatory School in his region. The goal was to invite the kids to share their ideas,...
Oct 1, 2018
Today marks the grand opening of the ! It's one of the pillars of our Word on Fire Movement, and it's a place where you'll find online training in evangelization, theology, and the spiritual life. You'll get courses taught by Bishop Barron,...
Sep 24, 2018
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 was titled "Pope Francis on the Gospel of the Family." Enjoy!
Sep 17, 2018
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 titled "Pope Francis on the Gospel of the Family." We'll share the second half in next week's...
Sep 3, 2018
Bishop Barron was recently appointed as a representative of the U.S. Bishops for the upcoming Synod in Rome on "Youth, Faith, and Vocational Discernment." In this episode, he shares why he thinks this Synod is more important that other recent...
Aug 29, 2018
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; the outrage is warranted. But in this time of crisis, I beg you not to flee, but to fight--not...
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 Archbishop Viganò. We're all devastated by the horrific suffering of these many victims, and...
Aug 27, 2018
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 preaching. Bishop Barron delivered four talks, in addition to a talk by Dana Gioia,...
Aug 20, 2018
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 important, and why it's not just a lecture or performance but a continual...
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 Catholic faith that put the intelligence and beauty of Catholicism on full display. The...
Aug 6, 2018
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 agrees with this advice, and in this episode, he offers his take on the best ways to do that. A...
Jul 30, 2018
What do we mean by religious liberty? Why should all people, including non-religious people, care about protecting religious liberty? Bishop Barron recently joined the U.S. Bishop's Committee for Religious Liberty, and has been thinking about...
Jul 9, 2018
In this episode Bishop Barron answers Questions about the Mass. Go to to get your free Catholic scientist posters!
In this episode, Bishop Barron answers questions from the Word on Fire Community. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction 1:45 - Why have my emotions cooled off after my conversion? 6:30 - What should we tell people who think religion is...
Jun 25, 2018
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 to Church teaching. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop Barron's trip to the...
Jun 18, 2018
Nearly every day we hear about natural disasters, school shootings, and profound tragedies. Each of us experiences pain and suffering. So why does God allow it? Why doesn't he just prevent all evil from occurring? That's what Bishop Barron...
Jun 11, 2018
In this episode, we discuss a recent article in GQ magazine which described the Bible as overrated, along with a new report from Barna titled We explore whether people are reading the Bible, how much...
Bishop Barron was recently invited to speak at the Google headquarters (aka the Googleplex) in Mountain View, CA. He addressed a room full of Google and YouTube employees on how religion doesn't shut down the questing intellect, but in fact opens...
Bishop Barron was recently invited to speak at the Google headquarters (aka the Googleplex). in Mountain View, CA. He addressed a room full of Google and YouTube employees on how religion doesn't shut down the questing intellect, but in fact opens up...
May 21, 2018
Bishop Barron answers several questions from young listeners, ranging from three-year-olds to eight-year-olds, about God, Adam and Eve, and robbers. Enjoy this kids Q&A episode! Be sure to record your questions—or your kids'...
May 14, 2018
The new film Avengers: Infinity War, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, has already grossed over $1 billion worldwide and had the highest-grossing opening in film history. In this episode, Bishop Barron and Jared...
May 7, 2018
Part two of Bishop Barron’s talk on Catholicism and beauty from the 2018 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.
Apr 30, 2018
Part One of Bishop Barron's talk on Catholicism and beauty.
Apr 23, 2018
Bishop Barron answers several listener questions during this episode, ranging from classic education to the Great Story of Israel to living the faith while under persecution. Enjoy this listener Q&A episode! Topics Discussed ...
Apr 16, 2018
John Krasinski's new film, A Quiet Place, which he both directs and stars in, may at first seem like a typical thriller, with lurking monsters threatening to kill everyone in their path. But it's actually a surprisingly religious movie, as...
Apr 9, 2018
In this episode, Bishop Barron recounts his visit to the headquarters of both Google and YouTube. He was there to deliver a talk to Catholic Googlers on "Religion and the Opening of the Mind." He reflects on the hungering intellect and why...
Apr 2, 2018
This week we enjoy a live recording of Bishop Barron's inspiring Easter homily.
Mar 26, 2018
In this week’s episode Bishop Barron discusses an intrinsic aspect of evangelization; community. Not only is there an intrinsic need of mankind to have a community, which the Church teaches is part of man’s nature, but also the need to have a...
Mar 19, 2018
In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt record live from the L.A. Congress, discussing Bishop Barron's keynote talk on beauty and interacting with visitors at the booth. Enjoy!
Mar 12, 2018
In last week's episode, we discussed the Jordan Peterson phenomenon, wondering how the Canadian clinical psychologist exploded so quickly in popularity. In this week's episode, we continue the discussion as Bishop Barron reflects...
Mar 5, 2018
Dr. Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist and mythology enthusiast, has exploded onto the scene, becoming the world's most popular intellectual figure in just a few short months. Who is he and what should know about him? And why have his ideas...
The Academy Awards are just around the corner and nine films have been nominated for Best Picture. Bishop Barron has seen seven of them, and in this episode, he shares his thoughts on each. A listener asks whether free will is essential to...
Feb 19, 2018
The Eucharist is at the foundation of the Word On Fire Institute. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses what it means to be grounded in the Eucharist and how all Catholics can draw closer to the Blessed Sacrament as meal,...
Feb 12, 2018
At Mundelein Seminary you'll find a statue of St. George slaying a dragon below which reads, "Athleta Christi Nobilis" —The Noble Athlete of Christ. As we head into the spiritual desert of Lent, we benefit by examining the lives of those saints who...
On January 13, 2018, Bishop Barron joined Dr. William Lane Craig, the esteemed Protestant apologist, for an evening of dialogue at Claremont McKenna College. On today's episode, we recap both the afternoon session, which was an academic symposium...
On January 13, 2018, Bishop Barron joined Dr. William Lane Craig, the esteemed Protestant apologist, for an evening of dialogue at Claremont McKenna College. On today's episode, we recap both the afternoon session, which was an academic symposium...
Jan 29, 2018
The Second Vatican Council called for a more active collaboration between the ordained and lay people. In this episode of The Word on Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses the proper roles of the laity and the clergy in our evangelization efforts and how...
Jan 22, 2018
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae, the controversial encyclical by Pope Paul VI which defended the classic sexual framework and prophesied the devastating consequences that would result upon its...
Jan 16, 2018
On January 13, 2018, Bishop Barron joined Dr. William Lane Craig, the esteemed Protestant apologist and evangelist, for a dialogue event at Claremont McKenna College. The event was hosted by the Claremont Center for Reason, Religion, and Public...
Jan 15, 2018
What does Bishop Barron have in store for 2018? Find out in this episode where he talks through several exciting new projects, talks, and initiatives. A listen asks how to choose good books, ones that help your faith rather than harm it....
Jan 8, 2018
Since Bishop Barron is out of town this week, we decided to share his talk from the FOCUS Student Leadership Summit in Chicago. Over 8,000 young Catholic leaders gathered to hear Bishop Barron speak about the Acts of the Apostles and our summons to...
Jan 1, 2018
How is beauty a route of access to God? In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron explains how leading with beauty is the best way to evangelize. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction, Thomas Fire continues to blaze 3:15 - What...
Dec 25, 2017
Merry Christmas! In today's episode, Bishop Barron walks us through the second chapter of Luke's Gospel, which recounts the birth of Jesus. As we see, this story is far from a safe, charming fairy tale. It tells the story of a new king, one who rivals...
Dec 11, 2017
Today we hear from some of our youngest listeners, as kids from all over the world ask Bishop Barron their most pressing theological questions. The kids are cute, but their questions are deep! Topics Discussed 0:04 - Bishop Barron's birthday...
Dec 4, 2017
If you've listened to any number of Bishop Robert Barron's homilies or lectures, you've likely heard him use sports analogies to create a vision of the spiritual life. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses how the world of...
Nov 27, 2017
Have you ever wondered why there is a Christmas Season? Like no other holiday, Christmas carries with it an intense period of anticipation, in which our hearts are readied with hope and love. Christians call this waiting time "Advent", and Bishop...
Nov 20, 2017
Today we continue our discussion of the eight principles of the Word on Fire Movement by focusing on the fifth principle, "Affirmative Orthodoxy." This term, originating with John Allen, Jr., refers to a positive presentation of what the Church...
Nov 13, 2017
We just passed the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a Wittenberg church, and initiated a massive split of the Christian community. What should Catholics make of this...
Nov 6, 2017
Today we celebrate the hundredth episode of “The Word on Fire Show”! It's hard to believe we've reach that mark. But to celebrate, we decided to focus on you, our listeners, and your wonderful questions. Bishop Barron answers several listener...
Oct 30, 2017
This week, Bishop Barron is giving the annual “Erasmus Lecture” for First Things, where he'll speak on “Evangelizing the ‘Nones’.” That's the them of this episode, which explores why young people are becoming disconnected to religion,...
Oct 23, 2017
In his new book, , Bishop Barron shares the story of his own spiritual formation as a young man coming of age after Vatican II, who is then called to preach to a secular world. Thankfully, the bishop was guided by great men who, despite the tide...
This is the second part of a series responding to a viral YouTube video titled (750,000+ views), which claims that Thomas Aquinas' arguments for God have been decisively refuted. But have they? Bishop Barron responds to the video and shows...
A viral YouTube video titled (750,000+ views) claims that Thomas Aquinas' arguments for God have been decisively refuted. But have they? Bishop Barron responds to the video and shows that when properly understood, Thomas' arguments are as...
Oct 2, 2017
Listen to Bishop Barron's talk at the Facebook HQ, which has already been heard over 275,000 times. Every day, millions of people argue about religion on social media. The comboxes of religious and atheist sites are among the most visited and the most...
Bishop Barron has a new book coming out titled . It's a book-length conversation between Bishop Barron and John Allen, Jr., the award-winning Vatican journalist, and touches on a wide range of subjects including God, atheism, social media,...
Sep 18, 2017
Today (September 18), Bishop Barron will be speaking to Facebook employees at their headquarters in Menlo Park, CA, on "How to Have a Religious Argument." (The talk will be livestreamed on from 6:00pm-7:00pm ET.) Every day, millions of...
Sep 11, 2017
There seems to be a divide in the Catholic Church between so-called “pro-life” Catholic and so-called “social justice” Catholics. Where did this come from? How do we heal this split? That's what Bishop Barron discusses in this episode. A...
Every now and then, articles and surveys pop up suggesting that religious people are, by whatever criteria, dumber than then general population—or at least dumber than atheists. Today Bishop Barron responds to this and the charge that religion has a...
Aug 28, 2017
What is beauty? Is beauty undefinable and entirely relativistic? Or is beauty an objective reality, backed by reason and understanding? How do Catholics define beauty, and how has Catholic Church evangelized through beauty over the centuries? In this...
Aug 21, 2017
What really happens when we die? In a recent with Larry King, popular astro-physicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, offers a scientifically reduced answer to this philosophically rich question. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop...
Aug 14, 2017
Normally, in each episode we take one listener question. But we've received such a large number of outstanding questions from around the globe that we’ve decided to devote another episode to answering a range of questions from listeners like you....
Aug 7, 2017
Bishop Barron is flying back from Europe after his recording trip, so instead of a live show, we’re bringing you a special excerpt from his upcoming “David the King” series. Learn about Hannah and the “law of the gift” in this stirring...
Jul 31, 2017
Bishop Robert Barron and his Word on Fire production are in Italy, filming the next round of . Be sure to take advantage of special behind the scenes access from the Pivotal Players film trip! Sign-up for exclusive footage...
Jul 24, 2017
Bishop Robert Barron and his Word on Fire production team have just set off to Europe to film two brand new episodes for the hit television film series: CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players. This second volume of biographical documentaries features...
Jul 17, 2017
Have you ever had an opportunity to share your faith but opted to remain quiet? There are several reasons why we might shy away from these grace-filled moments. In this episode of the Word On Fire Show, Bishop Barron teaches us how to overcome the...
Jul 10, 2017
Do you ever wish you could read more books? Have you ever thought about writing articles at the professional level or authoring your own book? Bishop Robert Barron has read a library's worth of texts, written fifteen books, and composed thousands of...
Jul 3, 2017
In 2015 Bishop Robert Barron gave the opening keynote speech at the famous World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. In front of this massive crowd of Catholics, Bishop Barron explained how Christianity is the greatest form of humanism because of its...
Jun 26, 2017
In 2015 Bishop Robert Barron gave the opening keynote speech at the famous World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. In front of this massive crowd of Catholics, Bishop Barron explained how Christianity is the greatest form of humanism because of its...
Jun 12, 2017
Marriage has been one of the most talked about topics in the news over the past decade. Despite all the interest surrounding the institution of marriage, the numbers of people actually getting married has dwindled. In this episode Bishop Barron...
Jun 7, 2017
Word on Fire Show host Brandon Vogt stopped into the Santa Barbara studio with his five children while on a cross-country road trip. The Vogt children were given the chance to ask Bishop Barron about God, Mary, and bananas in this special bonus...
Jun 5, 2017
The best theological movements present the Church as an organism, not an organization. In this episode of our new series on the eight principles of Word on Fire, Bishop Barron explains how how the Communion of Saints works in and through the...
May 29, 2017
Statistics show that more people own a smartphone (4 billion) than own a toothbrush (3.5 billion). In this episode of our new series called The Eight Principles of the Word on Fire Ethos, Bishop Barron discusses how readily available...
May 23, 2017
Joel and Ethan Coen, more famously known as the Coen brothers, are arguably the greatest filmmakers of our time. In this follow-up episode on the Coen brothers, Bishop Barron illuminates the Biblical motifs present in three of the Coen brothers' most...
May 9, 2017
"The Church exists to evangelize.” These words from express the very nature of our mission. But what is evangelization? And how ought we to express Christ in the culture around us? In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron answers these questions and...
May 2, 2017
Jesus boldly proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. In order to be His disciple, one must make Jesus Christ the foundation of life and proclaim His Lordship in every area of life. Much like the rose window in Chartres Cathedral, a...
Apr 25, 2017
Rod Dreher’s has certainly emerged as the most talked-about religious book of 2017. There is a widely-felt instinct that something has gone rather deeply wrong with the culture and that classical Christianity, at least in the West, is in a bit of a...
Apr 18, 2017
is a film adaptation of Lee Strobel’s best-selling book of the same name, one that has made an enormous splash in Evangelical circles and beyond. It is the true story of a young, ambitious (and atheist) reporter for the Chicago Tribune, who...
Apr 11, 2017
The Netflix original series , which has to do with the last months of the reign of King George VI and the first years of the reign of his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, demonstrates how societies must be grounded in God-given moral values for...
Apr 4, 2017
Thomas Joseph White's book discusses the importance of Jesus' identity. The classical tradition of Christology understood Jesus ontologically, that is to say, in terms of his fundamental being or existential identity; whereas modern and...
Mar 21, 2017
Truth, beauty, and goodness are the three transcendentals that draw people to belief in God. As important as rational arguments and beautiful artwork are for preserving and sharing the faith, Christian goodness has proven to be an explosively powerful...
Mar 7, 2017
Is it ever necessary to label ourselves? Is it ever ok to label anyone else? Not according to internet celebrity and spoken-word poet, Prince Ea, whose viral video entitled "I Am Not Black, You Are Not White" claims that labels are the root of all...
Feb 28, 2017
The Religious Education Congress, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Office of Religious Education, is America's largest annual gathering of Roman Catholics, bringing together nearly 40,000 every year for a four-day event! 2017 marked the...
Does God exist? That is the question Catholic comedian and television host, Stephen Colbert, debated with his Late Show guest, the popular actor and outspoken atheist, Ricky Gervais. The YouTube video clip of the two men going "head to head on...
Feb 14, 2017
Normally, in each episode we take one listener question. But we've received such a large number of outstanding questions from around the globe that we’ve decided to devote another episode to answering a range of questions from listeners like you....
Feb 7, 2017
Are you saved? This is a question we have heard from our Protestant friends regarding the state of grace for individual souls. In this episode of the Word on Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses the Catholic response to this question and in doing so...
Jan 31, 2017
Bishop Robert Barron is a bona fide bibliophile. Any quiet moment outside his holy hours, he can be found at his workbench writing a book or on his patio reading one. In this episode of the Word on Fire Show, Bishop Barron discusses some new and...
Jan 24, 2017
The much-anticipated “Silence”, based upon the Shusaku Endo novel of the same name, is a worthy addition to the Scorsese oeuvre. It is marked by gorgeous cinematography, outstanding performances from both lead and supporting actors, a gripping...
Jan 17, 2017
In this episode of the Word on Fire Show we hear one of the world's great theologians unpack one of the richest texts in all of ancient scripture. Thomas Aquinas College hosts Bishop Robert Barron, as he speaks on "David Dancing Before the Ark: The...
Jan 10, 2017
In this episode of the Word on Fire Show we hear one of the world's great theologians unpack one of the richest texts in all of ancient scripture. Thomas Aquinas College hosts Bishop Robert Barron, as he speaks on "David Dancing Before the Ark: The...
Jan 3, 2017
The Internet has produced the most profound shift in communications since the printing press, and many in the Church are using it to spread the Gospel. But how best to do it? How do we share our faith online without succumbing to the toxicity and...
Dec 27, 2016
On the first day of the calendar year, the Church celebrates The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. This day honors the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus. With her great "yes" to the Divine Will, Mary effectively...
Dec 20, 2016
St. Luke’s telling of the Christmas story, which is read at Midnight Masses all over the Catholic world, commences by invoking the first-century’s most powerful man: “In those days Caesar Augustus published a decree ordering a census of the...
Dec 13, 2016
The most recent meeting of the ended with a prayer service and a sermon by Archbishop Peter Sartain, wherein his excellency referenced the mystical prayers of St. Catherine of Siena. In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron recounts this...
Dec 6, 2016
“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” is the simplest form of the Jesus Prayer. Bishop Robert Barron has professed the spiritual power of this short prayer for decades and was recently reintroduced to The Way of a Pilgrim, a short book, which...
Nov 29, 2016
One of the most popular forms of content at continues to be Bishop Robert Barron's theological commentaries about movies. In fact, the very first Youtube video Word On Fire ever produced was a commentary on Martin Scorsese's Oscar-Winning film,...
Nov 22, 2016
Bishop Robert Barron recently had the privilege of speaking to around nine thousand students from the Catholic middle schools and high schools of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Encouraged by their enthusiasm, he invited them to internalize three...
Nov 15, 2016
Normally, in each episode we take one listener question. But we've received such a large number of outstanding questions from around the globe that we’ve decided to devote another episode to answering a range of questions from listeners like you....
Nov 8, 2016
October 31st, 2016 marked the beginning of the 500th year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, which is decidedly the greatest split in Christian Church history. Pope Francis traveled to Sweden that Halloween weekend to meet with Lutheran Church...
How do we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in today's culture? In a talk he gave at the Religious Education Congress, Bishop Barron offers recommendations for effective evangelization, aimed to permeate our densely secularized society with the...
How do we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in today's culture? In a talk he gave at the Religious Education Congress, Bishop Barron offers recommendations for effective evangelization, aimed to permeate our densely secularized society with the...
Oct 18, 2016
After perusing on why young people are leaving the active practice of Christianity, Bishop Barron noticed that (once again) the reasons they offer for abandoning Christianity are entirely not compelling. That is to say, any theologian, apologist, or...
Sep 20, 2016
We are taking the next few episodes of the show to discuss each of the great men and women featured in Word on Fire's epic new film series, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players. Today we're focusing on the joyful English journalist and evangelist,...
Sep 6, 2016
We are taking the next few episodes of the show to discuss each of the great men and women featured in Word on Fire's epic new film series, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players. Today we're focusing on St. Catherine of Siena. One of the most...
Aug 30, 2016
We have been taking the past few episodes of the show to discuss each of the great men and women featured in Word on Fire's epic new film series, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players. Today we're focusing on a pivotal player of our own time, Blessed...
Aug 23, 2016
We are taking the next few episodes of the show to discuss each of the great men and women featured on Word On Fire's epic new film series, Catholicism: The Pivotal Players. The focus of this episode is Saint Thomas Aquinas. Widely considered one...
Aug 16, 2016
We are taking the next six episodes of the Word on Fire show to discuss each of the great men and women featured on Word On Fire's epic new film series, Catholicism: The Pivotal Players. The focus of this episode is Saint Francis, the great...
Aug 2, 2016
"Beige Catholicism" is a phrase Bishop Barron coined early in his career as a way of describing the Church's lackluster adoption of the post-conciliar movement. Much of Bishop Barron's evangelical work, including his famous Catholicism book and...
Jul 26, 2016
How should we go about evangelization? Especially for those of us living in a highly-secularized society, what techniques should we employ and what pitfalls ought we avoid? Bishop Robert Barron shares his advice in Part Two of his popular keynote...
Jul 19, 2016
How should we go about evangelization? Especially for those of us living in a highly-secularized society, what techniques should we employ and what pitfalls ought we avoid? In this episode we get advice from one of the greatest evangelists of the...
Jul 12, 2016
Whenever there's a survey asking Christians, "What's one area in your spiritual life you'd like to improve?", the answers almost inevitably center around prayer. In today's episode, Bishop Barron explains what precisely prayer is and then offers...
Jul 5, 2016
Normally, in each episode we take one listener question. But we've received such a large number of outstanding questions from around the globe that we’ve decided to devote this entire episode to answering questions from listeners like you. Bishop...
Jun 28, 2016
Pope Francis recently invited Bishop Barron to speak to hundreds of English-speaking priests at a gathering in Rome for the Jubilee Year of Mercy. In today's episode, Bishop Barron reflects on the talk he shared with his fellow clergymen about Jesus'...
Jun 21, 2016
Bob Dylan is one of the most spiritually interesting songwriters of our generation. In today's episode, Bishop Barron reflects on some of Dylan's best-known hits to show how they subtlety put Biblical themes on display. A...
Jun 14, 2016
What is Catholic social teaching and what does it have to say about the economy, business, and our everyday work lives? That's what Bishop Barron explains in this episode. Surveying the insights of popes and saints, he shows why the...
Jun 7, 2016
Venerable Fulton Sheen is remembered as one of the greatest Catholic evangelists of the twentieth century. A master of both television and radio, he shared the Gospel with millions using his unique blend of wit, humor, and insight. Bishop Barron...
May 31, 2016
It's been widely hailed as the greatest sermon ever preached and a masterpiece of religious and social ethics. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7, commences with the "beatitudes", a series of eight blessings that Jesus gives...
May 24, 2016
We all face the Big Questions of life—it doesn't matter whether we're religious or not. We wonder about God, identity, meaning, morals, and death. Bishop Barron tackles some of the Big Questions and compares how the world generally answers them...
May 17, 2016
There's a common tendency to read the opening chapters of Genesis as scientific texts. But is this the best way? Or even the right way? Bishop Barron offers guidance on how to properly understand the Biblical creation story. A listener wonders...
May 10, 2016
As Bishop Barron shows in his new book, Vibrant
Paradoxes, Catholicism is both/and, not either/or. It
celebrates the union of contraries—grace and nature, faith and
reason, Scripture and tradition, body and soul—in a way that the
full...
May 3, 2016
Thomas Aquinas not only shaped the Church, but influenced
much of Western civilization. Who was this great saint? What
are some of his important writings? And how should we begin to read
his masterful Summa theologiae? Bishop...
Apr 26, 2016
Normally, in each episode we take one listener question. But
today, we've devoted the entire episode to questions from listeners
like you. Bishop Barron answers several questions, rapid fire, on
many different topics.
Find bonus links and resources...
Apr 19, 2016
What does God want me to do with my life? And how can I
discern God's will for my day-to-day decisions? We all ask these
questions and today Bishop Barron offers his advice. A listener
also asks how Bishop Barron discerned his own call to...
Apr 12, 2016
How did God use a little-known seminary professor to launch a worldwide evangelization ministry? Bishop Barron shares the story behind his Word on Fire ministry, including the many twists and turns along the way. A Protestant...
Apr 5, 2016
During this Easter season, when Christians around the world celebrate the rising of Jesus from the dead, Bishop Barron looks reflects on the evidence for this extraordinary event and what it means for us today. A listener asks, in response...
Mar 29, 2016
Today we discuss a viral video from Bill Nye the Science Guy, a pop-science leader, who wonders whether philosophy can provide any real answers to the questions of life. A listener asks whether Bishop Barron would accept an invitation to appear...
Mar 22, 2016
Today we're sharing the second part of a talk Bishop Barron recently gave titled "Against the YouTube Heresies." (If you missed the first part, be sure to !)
Modeled after St. Irenaeus' classic work from the second century, Against the...
Mar 15, 2016
Today we're sharing the first part of a talk Bishop Barron recently gave titled "Against the YouTube Heresies." Modeled after St. Irenaeus' classic work from the second century, Against the Heresies, Bishop Barron identifies the most common...
Mar 8, 2016
This week, Baker Academic released a new hardcover edition of Bishop Barron's book, . Bishop Barron discusses the book's main ideas including the problem with liberalism, how Jesus Christ is the proper foundation of knowledge and ethics, and...
Mar 1, 2016
Bishop Barron recounts his time at the annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress held from February 25-28, 2016. He shares about his talk on 1 and 2 Samuel, having breakfast with philosopher-priest Fr. Robert Spitzer, and the best...
Feb 23, 2016
As we move deep into Lent, the liturgical season of “going into the desert”, Bishop Barron explains why these 40 days are needed and meaningful. He unveils the season's biblical basis and offers practical advice...
Feb 16, 2016
Bishop Barron recently celebrated his first Confirmations as bishop, confirming several people at Holy Cross Parish in Moore Park, CA. He shares about that, and also discusses the purpose of Confirmation and the gifts of the Holy it...
Bishop Barron is back from the Philippines and catches us up on what's been going on, including his recent interfaith dialogue event on Pope Francis and the environment. He also reflects on why so many Evangelicals are drawn to the Pope, and...
Feb 2, 2016
What is the Eucharist? How do Catholics understand it as meal, sacrifice, and Real Presence? In this episode, we share Bishop Barron's full keynote talk on the Eucharist from the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in the Philippines.
Find bonus...
Jan 26, 2016
How can we share our faith more effectively with friends and family? That's what the New Evangelization is all about, and in this episode, Bishop Barron details his seven qualities of a New Evangelist. He also answers a question from a listener who...
Jan 19, 2016
What does it mean to be a saint? Bishop Barron shares the three-fold path to holiness, which involves finding the center, knowing you're a sinner, and discovering that your life is not about you. This week, Bishop Barron also answers a question...
Jan 12, 2016
In this episode, Bishop Barron shares about the week-along silent retreat he just returned from, and also looks ahead to his visit to the Philippines from January 24-31, 2016 for the International Eucharistic Congress. He and Brandon Vogt...
Jan 5, 2016
Atheism is on the rise, especially among young people and notably on the Internet. Bishop Robert Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the most popular atheist arguments and how to respond. They also talk about Bishop Barron's new study program, "The...
Dec 29, 2015
What makes for a good homily or sermon? How can all people, including laypeople, improve the quality of church preaching? Bishop Robert Barron and Brandon Vogt walk through five specific qualities of good preaching that result in true...
Dec 22, 2015
Bishop Barron reflects on the basic message of Christianity. Is it just about justification or how we are saved? Or is there much more to it than that?
Dec 15, 2015
Bishop Barron reflects on Pope Francis' speech to Congress, in which the Pope mentioned Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton.
