The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Bishop Robert Barron
  • 4.9 (5.4K)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
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.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    WOF 460: The Star of the North Congress Address: Part II

    Today we bring you the second half of Bishop Barron’s May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He concludes his discussion of Eucharistic Adoration, wisdom from saints and holy people, and the power of “staying close to the fire.” Enjoy! Show Notes: 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.

    24 min

  2. OCT 14

    WOF 459: Five Lessons to Learn from the African Church

    Parts of the global Church have a very different kind of challenge on their hands than we do in the West: how to handle explosive growth. In many parts of Africa, the Church is running out of room in their seminaries, convents, and monasteries because of rising vocations, and the laity are collectively practicing their faith in ways that put the Church in the West to shame. In Nigeria, upwards of 94 percent of Catholics go to Mass every week, while the U.S. can’t even reach 30 percent in weekly Mass attendance among Catholics. What explains this wide discrepancy? What are we in the West getting so wrong about evangelization, and what is the Church in Africa getting so right? A listener asks how she and her family can practice Sabbath rest.   00:00 | Intro 01:50 | DOWR Chancery dedication 03:00 | The African church as a robust exemplar 05:35 | Does Africa’s numerical strength translate to ecclesial strength? 07:12 | Lesson 1: Primacy of the supernatural 10:56 | Lesson 2: Hold fast to theological orthodoxy 12:08 | How the Church engages cultures 16:13 | Lesson 3: Commitment to evangelize the culture 17:49 | The rhythm between “hunkering down” and “diving in” 19:50 | Lesson 4: Praise in public, criticize in private 23:13 | Lesson 5: Courage in the face of opposition 25:19 | Counter-claims for Africa’s religious success 28:49 | Listener question 31:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute   Show Notes: Stats for Nigerian Church attendance: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253488/where-is-mass-attendance-highest-one-country-is-the-clear-leader Stats for American Mass attendance: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/12/9-facts-about-us-catholics/ National Catholic Register article: https://www.ncregister.com/news/same-sex-blessings-and-the-catholic-church-in-africa E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/pope-francis-isnt-actually-visiting-peripheries-hes-leaving-them-behind/ Crux article: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2023/01/running-the-numbers-africa-isnt-the-catholic-future-its-the-present Vatican News article: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-04/over-50000-christians-killed-in-nigeria-by-islamist-extremists.html Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

    32 min

  3. OCT 7

    WOF 458: The Star of the North Congress Address: Part I

    Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron’s May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He discusses Eucharistic Adoration, wisdom from saints and holy people, and the power of “staying close to the fire.” Enjoy! Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support o f 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.

    19 min

  4. SEP 30

    WOF 457: How to Resist Anti-Christian Bigotry

    How should we respond when the culture becomes inhospitable if not actively hostile to Christian values? Sadly, biblical and natural law points of view are unwelcome now in many of the institutions that constitute the core of our society, including corporations, public schools, higher education, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the legacy media, and even government entities themselves. What can Christians do to resist persecution by these secular powerhouses? How can we understand what it means to resist those who undermine Christians in light of Christ’s command to love our enemies? A listener asks how she can share the faith with her non-religious family members. 00:00 | Intro 01:48 | Matt Walsh’s recent “Am I Racist?” film 02:50 | Distinguishing bigotry from disagreement 03:56 | Distinguishing inhospitality from hostility 06:12 | Anti-Christian sentiment in history 08:43 | Taking opposition at its word 12:47 | How the Olympics opening ceremony provoked response 14:58 | Provocative acts of nonviolence 18:08 | Unpacking “turn the other cheek” 22:24 | Recent revival of religious interest 23:38 | Resistance as an act of love 25:07 | What’s to be done with anger? 26:22 | Pacifism and forceful resistance 28:51 | How the martyrs inform the Church 30:09 | Resistance to culture as a form of evangelization 31:11 | Listener question: How do I share my faith with non-religious family and friends? 32:49 | Join the Word on Fire Institute Links: Bishop Barron’s article in Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/olympics-anti-christian-display-reflects-cultural-decline-opinion-1933565   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.

    33 min

  5. SEP 23

    WOF 456: Bishop Barron at the New Ressourcement Conference

    Today we bring you Bishop Barron’s lecture from the 2023 New Ressourcement Conference. The New Ressourcement is a quarterly journal of theology and philosophy published by Word on Fire Academic. It serves the Church and the academy by publishing scholarly articles that demonstrate the depth and relevance of the Catholic tradition. In the talk, Bishop Barron explains the roots of this theological movement, his own coming-of-age experience in a postconciliar Church, and the particular concerns this movement aims to address. Enjoy!   Links: The New Ressourcement: https://newressourcement.wordonfire.org/ 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.

    51 min

  6. SEP 16

    WOF 455: Should We Worry About Declining Birth Rates?

    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. This view that a growing human population is an existential threat to humanity remains widespread to this day. For example, University of Chicago political philosopher Martha Nussbaum recently stated that given the world’s current population, “no one should be having any children.” Contemporary empirical evidence, however, points in exactly the opposite direction. Deaths are already outpacing births in many regions of the world, resulting in precipitous declines in national populations. Is this good news for humanity? Are public policies aimed at population control justified? Is there such a thing as an ideal population size? Should anyone care about whether others choose to have children or not? A listener asks whether we should continue going to confession if we keep committing the same sin over and over again. 00:00 | Intro 01:49 | Seminarians kick off school year 03:00 | Assessing population decreases across the globe 05:36 | Increased attitudes against having children 08:24 | Unpacking “culture of death,” ego-drama, and theo-drama 11:33 | Childbearing as a societal good 12:35 | Population capping through public policy 14:07 | Human population and the environment 17:03 | Utilitarianism as a faulty moral theory for addressing population concerns 18:51 | Foregoing childbirth to spare potential children pain 21:20 | Foregoing childbirth to favor economic security 22:33 | Foregoing childbirth for lack of desire 24:55 | Old age without children 28:00 | The centrality of fruitfulness 29:14 | Pope St. Paul VI’s prophetic ban on artificial contraception 30:57 | How does the Church look forward? 34:05 | Listener question: Does repeating sins disqualify me from Confession? 36:35 | Join the Word on Fire Institute   Links: Data for “Population Bomb”: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/book-incited-worldwide-fear-overpopulation-180967499/ Article on Martha Nussbaum: https://www.opindia.com/2024/05/india-has-too-many-people-they-dont-have-enough-to-eat-philosopher-martha-nussbaum-makes-drastic-claims-population-reduction/ Quote citation: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/apr/16/bill-maher-inflames-abortion-debate-by-saying-its-/ Abortion statistic:  https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide Pew Research citation: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/07/25/the-experiences-of-u-s-adults-who-dont-have-children/ 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.

    37 min

  7. SEP 9

    WOF 454: Bishop Barron’s NEC Keynote Address

    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: 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.

    31 min

  8. SEP 2

    WOF 453: Nature & the Human Body—Recapping Wonder 2024

    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 to address this confusion surrounding the body at our recent Wonder Conference, “Nature and the Human Body.” Drawing on rich theological, philosophical, scientific, medical, moral, political, technological, and artistic resources, the conference sought to reclaim an authentic understanding and deep appreciation for the body—its resilience and fragility, its joys and its sufferings, its transcendence and its temporality, and, above all, its wonder. A listener asks how Catholics should think about near-death experiences and stories.   00:00 | Intro 01:23 | Hosting the Wonder Conference in Bishop Barron’s own diocese 02:25 | Why we needed Wonder 03:50 | Understanding the false dichotomy of faith and science 06:20 | Addressing the question of body/soul unity 12:38 | Inherent dangers in dividing body and soul 15:36 | Can Catholic ministries give platforms to evolutionary biologists? 17:11 | Highlights from Dr. Heather Heying’s Wonder talk 18:45 | Beginning with the logos and intelligibility 20:04 | The human difference 21:04 | Bishop Barron Presents: liturgical artist Jonathan Pageau 23:06 | Materialism as an incoherent philosophy vs. scientific worldview 26:30 | The intelligibility of creation 27:36 | Fr. Robert Spitzer and the transcendent body 33:46 | Hope for reconciling faith and science in the public square 35:16 | Listener question 37:54 | Join the Word on Fire Institute   Links: Interview with Selmer Bringsjord: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/selmer-bringsjord-on-life-and-logic/ Interview with Charles Camosy: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/charles-camosy-sounds-the-alarm/ 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.

    39 min
See All (452)

Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
5,355 Ratings

About

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.

Information

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada