The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

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.

Episodes

June 16, 2025 37 mins

On May 8, 2025, the college of cardinals stunned the world by electing Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of the South Side of Chicago, as our new pope. What kind of papacy should we expect from this American pope? How should we interpret his papal name, Leo XIV, and his background as the former head of the Augustinian religious order? Are there any early signs of what his priorities will be? And how ...

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Today we bring you the first half of a conversation from earlier this year between Bishop Barron and biblical scholar, N.T. Wright, at Word on Fire’s Evangelisation & Culture Conference in London. The two discussed approaching the Bible as a bigger story—one that’s holistic, hopeful, and invitational. Enjoy. 

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The meaning and socio-political implementation of the term “multiculturalism” has become a flashpoint throughout the West. Supporters of multiculturalism argue that societies that embrace diverse norms and values are not only more dynamic and vibrant, they are also more just and represent the ideal form of the modern democratic state. On the other hand, critics of multiculturalism argue that permitting or de...

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In February 2025, Bishop Barron returned to the Palace of Westminster in London, UK, to address religious leaders and members of Parliament. The focus of his talk was the rhythm of divine mercy—the abounding love that arises within us when we accept the grace of Christ. Today we bring you the second half of that talk. Enjoy!

  • Word ...
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We continue celebrating twenty-five years of proclaiming the Gospel; evangelizing the culture; supporting the faithful; and inviting the disaffiliated, the forsaken, and those who have fallen away back to Christ and his church. However, over the years, attacks against Bishop Barron and Word on Fire have come from many sources, including online anti-evangelists who hate religion in general and Christianity in...

Mark as Played

In February 2025, Bishop Barron returned to the Palace of Westminster in London, UK, to address religious leaders and members of Parliament. The focus of his talk was the rhythm of divine mercy—the abounding love that arises within us when we accept the grace of Christ. Today we bring you the first half of that talk.

Mark as Played

Pope Francis passed away at the age of eighty-eight on Easter Monday. He was the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit pope, and the first pope to take the name “Francis,” after St. Francis of Assisi. What stood out in his twelve-year pontificate? How does his papacy compare with those of his immediate predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II? What should we continue to champion from Francis’ legacy as th...

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Today we conclude Bishop Barron’s lecture at Charles University in Prague. During the talk, he focuses on St. Thomas Aquinas’ distinctive notion of God as “ipsum esse” and its connection with some of the principal themes of Catholic social teaching. Enjoy!


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Word on Fire is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. That’s twenty-five years of proclaiming the Gospel, evangelizing the culture, and working hard to bring people to—or back to—Christ and his Church. It’s worth pausing to look back to remember where it all began and how the ministry has grown along the way. What is Word on Fire’s origin story? When, where, and why did Bishop Barron—then Fr. Barron—fi...

Mark as Played

Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron’s lecture at Charles University in Prague. In this talk, Bishop focuses on St. Thomas Aquinas’ distinctive notion of God as “ipsum esse” and its connection with some of the principal themes of Catholic social teaching. Enjoy!


Read more
Mark as Played

Today we’re bringing you the second half of a conversation between Bishop Barron and Brenden Thompson during a trip to London. Brenden is Programme Manager of the Word On Fire Institute in the United Kingdom where he works to promote the faith in a deeply secularized culture. In this conversation, they explore Bisho...

Mark as Played

Today we conclude Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. Throughout these lectures, we came to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy the final lesson!

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Mark as Played

Today we’re bringing you the first half of a conversation that Bishop Barron had with Brenden Thompson during a trip to London. Brenden is Programme Manager of the Word On Fire Institute in the United Kingdom where he works to promote the faith in a deeply secularized culture. In this conversation, they explore Bishop Barron’s unique methods for public speaking and preaching, among other related topics. Enjo...

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Here is the eleventh lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. As we journey through these lectures, we will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

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    Are Christians required to love everyone equally? This question has recently become a matter of public and even political debate. So how should we answer? It seems necessary to ask what “loving thy neighbor” means in practice; for example is the love between friends, the love between spouses, the love within a family, the love among compatriots, and even the love of an enemy all the same kind of love? Do the...

    Mark as Played

    We bring you the tenth lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    • Full lecture ser...
    Mark as Played

    Today we continue with lesson nine on our walk through Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

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    Depression and anxiety have exploded in the past decade in the United States, especially, though not exclusively, among young people. Tragically, anxiety and depression frequently contribute to suicide and suicide attempts, with young men in particular taking much of the brunt of this epidemic of self-harm. Many suffer in silence, with neither family members nor friends aware of their mental, spiritual, and ...

    Mark as Played

    We continue our walk through Bishop Barron’s lecture series with lesson eight on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!

    • Fu...
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    February 3, 2025 34 mins

    A debate has been raging on social media recently about the role work should play both in our individual and communal lives. One side argues that Americans are not only spending too few hours at work, but at a deeper cultural level, they believe the United States and much of the West has become lazy and prone to immediate gratification that undermines efficiency, personal wealth, and national power and prosp...

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