The Word On Fire Show - Catholic Faith And Culture

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 beauty and joy of Catholicism. In Part One of the Bishop's great talk we hear him discuss three of his "7 Keys to the New Evangelization". Bonus Resources  Study Program Catholicism: The New Evangelization Leader's Kit (Bishop Barron) Articles A Strategy for the New Evangelization (Bishop Barron) The New Evangelization and Seminaries (Bishop Barron) Effective Evangelization Commences with Joy (Bishop Barron) Practical Strategies of the New Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Videos Bishop Barron on New Media and Evangelization Bishop Barron on Effective Evangelization Bishop Barron on Confirmation and Evangelization Bishop Barron on Evangelizing with the Heart of a Shepherd Bishop Barron on Theology and the New Media Books  The Priority of Christ: To

After perusing the latest Pew Study 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 evangelist worth his salt should be able easily to answer these objections to faith and hopefully encourage the youngster to reconsider the Truth of the Church. With this in mind for today's episode, Bishop offers smart, passionate responses to the common misconceptions and objections that continue to lure young people away from God. The listener question asks which books are best for evangelizing atheists from both a rational and emotional standpoint. Topics Discussed 0:17  - Introduction, Bishop's trip to Lake Placid and current reading list 3:25 - Bishop's reaction to young people leaving the church? 5:15 - Should we avoid pressuring them and let young people return on their own? 7:48 - Some common objections: Is religion the opiate of th

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, G.K. Chesterton. A larger-than-life figure, Chesterton charmed his way into the heart of the modern culture and illuminated the dull philosophy of the age with his clever, Catholic brilliance. Our listener question asks Bishop Barron about praying for intercession from those souls who've not yet been named saints. *In this episode we include a limited time Word on Fire Show discount on CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players with Coupon Code: FrBrown Visit PivotalPlayers.com to purchase and act now because this offer expires soon! Topics Discussed 1:30  - Bishop Barron discusses the Pivotal Players World Premier Party 2:40 - Who was G.K. Chesterton? 5:03 - What is G.K. Chesterton's impact on modern evangelism? 6:10 - What inspiration can married laypeople find in Chesterton?

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 beguiling figures in Church history, St. Catherine had a profound connection to the Lord that was displayed by her miraculous mysticism, her impact on the papacy, and her love for the poor. Our listener question asks Bishop Barron how he chose the Pivotal Players and what's next on the horizon for Word On Fire. *In this episode we include a limited time Word on Fire Show discount on CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players with Coupon Code: SIENA33 Click on www.PivotalPlayers.com to purchase and act now because this offer expires soon! Topics Discussed 1:15  - Bishop Barron discusses his upcoming trip to Rome 2:44 - Who was Saint Catherine of Siena? 7:33 - How does St. Catherine represent the power of women in the Church? 10:20 - What is found in St. Catherine's "Dialogues with God"

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 Teresa of Calcutta. Globally recognized as Mother Theresa, this diminutive Albanian nun was widely considered the greatest living saint during the latter half of the 20th century. Now, nineteen years after her death, she will be officially canonized, "Saint Teresa of Calcutta" by Pope Francis. In this episode Bishop Barron discusses her life, her faith, and why, according to Fr. Paul Murray, she's a saint who "loved Jesus in the night." Our listener question wonders how it's possible to unite our suffering with Jesus on the cross. Click on www.PivotalPlayers.com to get your copy of this film series right now! Topics Discussed 0:18  - Bishop Barron's Pivotal Players Premier 1:10 - Bishop Barron's friend, Father Paul Murray 3:29 - Who is Mother Teresa? 9:00 - How does

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 of the greatest minds in the history of Western Civilization, Thomas angelically and definitively articulated our Catholic understanding of God in his famous Summa Theologica. Our listener question asks about Thomas' argument of God as the "unmoved mover." *In this episode we include a limited time Word on Fire Show discount on Catholicism: The Pivotal Players with Coupon Code: DumbOx  Click on www.PivotalPlayers.com to purchase and act now because this offer expires soon! Topics Discussed 1:30  - Bishop Barron discusses his meetings with local ministries 2:47 - Who was Saint Thomas Aquinas? 5:16 - Why was Saint Thomas nicknamed Dumb Ox? 6:50 - What can Thomas teach us about who God is? 11:16 - How does a misunderstanding of God form modern atheism? 12:3o - What lig

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 reformer of the Church from the early 13th century who truly embodied the life of Christ through his radical ministry of mercy and love. Our listener question asks about mysticism in the Church today. *In this episode we include a limited time Word on Fire Show discount on Catholicism: The Pivotal Players with Coupon Code: Fran1226   Click on www.PivotalPlayers.com to purchase and act now because this offer expires soon! Topics Discussed 0:19  - Bishop Barron discusses his trip to Poland for World Youth Day 3:00 - Intro about Pivotal Players and St. Francis in particular 6:23 - Why is Saint Francis so universally revered? 8:18 - What's the most misunderstood element of Francis? 10:17 - How did Saint Francis come to faith? 12:25 - How did the Franciscan order come to fruit

"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 film series, focuses on bringing Christ's radical distinctiveness and the Tradition's beautiful vibrancy back into our understanding of the Church. In this episode Bishop Barron details the problems with beige Catholicism as well as the path to a solution. Finally, a listener asks about the Benedict Option for Catholics struggling to keep the faith alive in contemporary culture. Topics Discussed 0:17  - Bishop Barron discusses the new Word On Fire office and studio 2:32 - What is beige Catholicism? 4:45 - What is the history of beige Catholicism? 6:48 - What is the problem with accommodating the culture? 9:30 - What does it mean to domesticate Jesus? 11:45 - Why should we see Jesus as "dangerous and strange"? 13:55 - How the hit show Vikings illustrates the strangenes

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 talk on evangelizing the culture. Bonus Resources Videos Bishop Barron on Evangelizing Through Beauty (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on Effective Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on the Seven Great Qualities of a New Evangelist (Bishop Barron) DVD's CATHOLICISM: The New Evangelization (Word On Fire)  Faith Clips (Word On Fire)  Articles   The Joy of Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Practical Strategies of Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Books Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture (Bishop Barron) Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ (Bishop Barron)   Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.

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 postmodern age, Bishop Robert Barron, as we listen to Part One of his popular keynote talk on evangelizing the culture. Bonus Resources Videos Bishop Barron on Evangelizing Through Beauty (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on Effective Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Bishop Barron on the Seven Great Qualities of a New Evangelist (Bishop Barron) DVD's  Catholicism: The New Evangelization (Word On Fire)  Faith Clips (Word On Fire)  Articles   The Joy of Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Practical Strategies of Evangelization (Bishop Barron) Books Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture (Bishop Barron) Word On Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ (Bishop Barron)     Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sur

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 some simple steps as well as some more advanced techniques to help us all grow in intimacy with God. With this goal in mind, Bishop Barron leads listeners down five different avenues of prayer that range from informal dialogue to the mass itself. Finally, the listener question comes from a seminarian in Phoenix who wonders where Catholics should draw the line when it comes to the teachings of a notable 21st-century Christian writer. Topics Discussed 0:18  - Bishop Barron discusses his upcoming trip to World Youth Day 4:00 - What is prayer and how does conversational prayer begin? 8:42 - How does God speak to us in prayer? 10:58 - What is "Lectio Divina" and how do we pray it? 14:45 - What are some forms of rote prayers and what is their benefit? 20:40 - What is the

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 Barron answers several questions, rapid fire, on many different topics. Topicss Discussed 0:24  - Intro: Bishop Barron talks about his recent work and vacation plans 4:17 - How should Catholic school teachers evangelize their pupils? 5:19 - Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God? 9:28 - Has the Church ever changed its doctrine? 13:10 - How does one evangelize the culture and not be corrupted by it? 20:22 - How do we encourage young people to engage in philosophy? 26:00 - What is the difference between faith and belief? 31:30 - What book is Bishop Barron currently reading? Bonus Resources Books Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (Bishop Barron) The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ (Fleming Rutledge) Seeds of the Word: F

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' encounter with the woman at the well. From this account, he distills four major lessons on divine mercy. The listener question comes from a practicing Catholic in London who wonders whether a vigorous spiritual life is necessary if we are ultimately reconciled to God. Topics Discussed 0:17  - Bishop Barron goes to Rome to talk about divine mercy 3:03 - How is God's mercy relentless? 5:28 - How does the story of the woman at the well dismantle religious mythology? 8:01 - How is God's mercy divinizing? 11:40 - Connections to marriage and the Old Testament 13:14 - What does "God became man that man might become God" actually mean? 16:11 - How is God's mercy demanding? 20:01 - The vibrant paradox of extreme demands, extreme mercy 22:34 - How is God's mercy a summons

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 listener wonders if Bishop Barron has any tips on how to evangelize in a secular workspace. Topics Discussed 0:17  - Bishop Barron at the Bob Dylan concert last weekend 2:40 - Can Bob Dylan serve as a gateway to God? 4:45 - Who is Bob Dylan? 8:32 - Why Bob Dylan is best read as a spiritual poet 10:11 - Bob Dylan's religious views 12:17 - Biblical elements of Blowin' in the Wind 15:39 - Bishop Barron on Like a Rolling Stone 21:41 - Bob Dylan and the Resurrection 22:10 - All Along the Watchtower and the Book of Isaiah 26:41 - Finding Jesus in Dylan's Make You Feel My Love 28:43 - Question from listener: How can we evangelize in a secular workspace? Bonus Resources Videos Reflections on Bob Dylan (Bishop Barron) Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" (Bishop Barron) Reflections on Bob Dy

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 Catholic Church rejects socialism and embraces a nuanced, careful endorsement of the market economy. Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron

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 reflects on Sheen's legacy and the lessons he offers us. A deacon listener asks how Bishop Barron prepares his own homilies each week. Topics Discussed 0:56  - Bishop Barron's summary of the New Evangelization Conference in Latrobe, PA 1:45 - Who was Archbishop Fulton Sheen? 4:54 -  One thing we must do before we evangelize 6:42 - The significance of a Catholic priest on primetime, network TV 8:47 -  How Sheen reached 30 million viewers through his TV show 11:02 - Sheen's strategy for evangelizing a broad audience 13:05 - Would Fulton Sheen be on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram? 14:32 - The importance of Sheen's book, The Mystical Body of Christ 17:29 - The common thread connecting Ronald Knox, G.K. Chesterton, and Fulton Sheen 18:26 - How Sheen's "Holy Hour" ground

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 to those who suffer, mourn, and express purity of heart. Bishop Barron walks through each beatitude and unveils its deeper meaning. A listener asks whether, according to Thomas Aquinas, God loves everyone the same or has a special hatred for sinners. NOTE: Click here to donate to our new Pivotal Players series and receive your free gifts! Topics Discussed 0:26  - Bishop Barron's new film series, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players 1:34 - What does "beatitude" mean? 4:35 - How the beatitudes of Jesus are different than other religious teachings 6:25 - How can the "poor in spirit" be blessed? 7:32 - How will those who mourn be comforted? 9:15 - The future promise of comfort for those who mourn 10:06 - What does it mean to be "meek"? 11:21 - How will the meek "inherit the land"?

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 with how the Catholic Church responds. A listener asks about the relationship between God's providence and our free will. Topics Discussed 0:14  - The power of spiritual fatherhood 2:44 - Father Barron, Bishop Barron, or Grandpa Barron? 2:54 - Question #1 - Does God exist? 6:19 - The big "why?" question 8:40 - Question #2 - Who am I? 12:05 - What about those who reduce all life to "genetic machines"? 13:11 - Question #3 - What is the meaning of life? 17:21 - Do we just make up meaning for ourselves? 18:54 - Question #4 - What is moral? 23:00 - How do we discover what's right and wrong? 26:18 - Question #5 - What happens after death? 30:22 - Bishop Barron's one-sentence answer to each Big Question 31:27 - Question from listener: Where does God's providence end and our

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 how we should manage the relationship between Church and state. Topics Discussed 1:05 - The most surprising part about being a bishop 2:29 - How do people often misread Genesis? 5:01 - Why the Genesis narratives cannot be scientific 6:23 - What genre is Genesis 1-2? 7:43 - The main theological insights in Genesis 1-2 9:41 - How Genesis 1-2 points forward to the non-violence of Jesus 11:29 - The objects of creation are not worshiped 14:39 - Why it's important that the world is created, not divine 16:49 - What it means that man was made in God's "image and likeness" 18:25 - The first man as the first philosopher 20:24 - How the Church Fathers read Genesis 21:58 - What Genesis 1-2 is ultimately trying to teach us 23:16 - Question from listener: how do we balance the relat

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 energy of each opposing element remains in place. In this episode, Bishop Barron explores several examples of this both/and embrace. A listener asks about the difficult passage in Acts 5 involving Ananias and Sapphira. Topics Discussed 0:22 - Exciting upcoming events for Bishop Barron 2:04 - What does it mean to say Catholicism is "both/and" 5:29 - G.K. Chesterton on red, white, and the Church's healthy hatred of pink 7:42 - Why Catholics "want it all" 8:38 - The extreme demands of sin and mercy 11:25 - Why reason and faith are no mutually exclusive 15:58 - Faith/reason in the realm of science 17:59 - Bruce Jenner and the dichotomy of matter and spirit 21:59 - How discipline leads to real freedom 25:53 - The path from suffering to joy 27:59 - Question from listener: how can we