The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture Bishop Robert Barron

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 values, which he laments are under attack. Former atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali also recently shared that she became a Christian upon realizing that Christianity is necessary to preserve Western political norms.

There are some complex and even troubling underlying questions about making the connection between Christianity and utility, especially as it relates to contemporary “Western values.” How is the utility defined and in response to what specific societal goals? Is Christianity’s utility limited to the West alone? Aren’t there some “Western values” that are antithetical to Christianity?

A listener asks how to respond to the common criticism from atheists that Christians only believe in God because they are scared of death.

00:00 | Intro
01:32 | Bishop Barron’s recent farm visit
03:00 | Recapping Richard Dawkins and the New Atheism
07:14 | Unpacking Richard Dawkins as a “cultural Christian”
12:38 | Can Christianity be culturally useful without a fixed cultural aim?
14:13 | Making moral judgments without a fixed standard
16:43 | The fundamentality of Christian thought in the West
19:51| Remembering the doctrinal dimension of Christianity
21:51 | Other influences in Western thought
25:16 | Is linking Christianity and Western thought evangelically helpful?
27:23 | Listener question
29:44 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

Show Notes:
Article: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/257276/famous-atheist-richard-dawkins-says-he-considers-himself-a-cultural-christian Article: https://unherd.com/2023/11/why-i-am-now-a-christian/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Continuing the journey in the fourth lecture of Bishop Barron’s course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” 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 self absorption, purgatory is a place of charity, hope, and faith.

This timeless and ever-relevant course is available in its entirety in the Word on Fire Institute.


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

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 society is more physically compromised and mentally delicate than ever. Today, we discuss the contemporary embrace of “safety” and whether it overlaps with a Catholic understanding of the individual and common good.  
A listener asks, can a priest ever deny absolution during confession?
00:00 | Intro
01:51 | Bishop Barron’s Confirmation season
02:30 | Understanding the contemporary use of “safety”
07:45 | The relationship between risk, safety, and flourishing
12:23 | The emotional life and its role
16:14 | Physical safety as the highest good
21:36 | Speech as a form of violence
24:04 | The spiritual works of mercy vs. coddling
25:16 | Safety and the cardinal virtues
26:42 | Christ crucified and the value of safety
27:58 | Listener question
30:03 | Word on Fire Institute
Links: Learn about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

We continue with the third lecture of Bishop Barron’s course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination.” 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 entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute.


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

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 stable, just, and prosperous political order. Today, we discuss the evergreen genius of St. Thomas Aquinas and how his legacy continues in the life and work of the contemporary Dominican theologian, Fr. Paul Murray.   
A listener asks, does the devil know that his rebellion is ultimately futile?
00:00 | Intro 
01:12 | Bishop Barron in Rome 
02:01 | Aquinas’ impact on Bishop Barron’s formation 
03:56 | Why medieval thinkers like Aquinas still matter 
06:18 | The relationship between metaphysics and ethics 
07:29 | God as Being itself rather than as the greatest of beings 
12:43 | How God can be both transcendent and immanent 
15:58 | God’s non-competitive relationship with Creation 
21:29 | Defining true human and social goods 
23:00 | Does metaphysical speculation have a role in politics? 
25:45 | Fr. Paul Murray, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Dominican charism 
29:54 | Listener question 
31:49 | Word on Fire Institute
Show Notes:
Learn about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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

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 the beasts of sin. Enjoy this further glimpse into Dante’s always-relevant, poetic, moral, and theological genius. 



NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your g