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

Latest Episodes:

WOF 219: Stoicism and Christianity Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

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 episode of the "Word on Fire Show."

A listener asks if the word "holy" means set apart for a particular purpose, what exactly does it mean when we say God himself is holy?

Links/Books

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
The Porch and the Cross by Dr. Kevin Vost

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WOF 218: The Intellectual Life Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

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 would recommend for a Catholic high school English class.

WOF 217: International Q&A w/ Bishop Barron Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

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 response to worry and anxiety?
Was Purgatory divinely revealed or just a human invention?
How to evangelize young people about hot-button issues without sounding preachy and condemnatory?
When praying, should we always go to God with requests or can we sometimes just praise him?
How can God be outside the universe but still have an effect on it?
Can you talk about Rabbi Wolpe's argument against the Trinity, that if God is perfect, how could there be three persons in the Trinity?

WOF 216: "1917," War, and Faith Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

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 the Catholic Church's relationship to the world.

A listener asks why Jesus chose to live a quiet, mostly obscure life.

WOF 215: When People Are Indifferent About God Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

Today, we share a sample lesson from a course inside our Word on Fire Institute 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 rest of the course, along with 10 other full courses and all sorts of bonuses, join the Institute at https://wordonfire.institute.

WOF 214: Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great (Part 3 of 3) Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

In this third and final part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to Part 1 and Part 2), Bishop Barron examines four influential Fathers from the post-Nicene period:

John Chrysostom (349 – 407)
Jerome (347 – 420)
Augustine (354 – 430)
Gregory the Great (540 – 604)

A listener asks whether to pray for people who are sick or simply accept pain and suffering as part of God's plan.

Links + Book Recommendations

Websites
- ChurchFathers.org
- Church Father writings online (New Advent)
Church Father books mentioned
- Clement (35 – 99)
  - Letter to the Corinthians
- Ignatius (35 – 108)
  - Epistles of Ignatius
- Polycarp (69 – 155)
  - The Martyrdom of Polycarp
- Justin Martyr (100 – 165)
  - First and Second Apologies
- Irenaeus (130 – 202)
  - Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies)
- Origen (184 – 253)
  - De Principiis (On First Principles)
  - Biblical Commentaries
- Athanasius (292 – 373)
  - On the Incarnation of the Word
- Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395)
  - Life of Moses
- John Chrysostom (349 – 407)
  - On Wealth and Poverty
  - On Marriage and Family Life
- Jerome (347 – 420)
  - Letters
- Augustine (354 – 430)
  - Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition)
  - De Civitate Dei (The City of God)
  - De Trinitate (On the Trinity)
- Gregory the Great (540 – 604)
  - Pastoral Rule
Church Father collections
- Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers
- Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series
- Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens
Church Father commentaries/introductions
- The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina
- The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI
- The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI
- The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin
- Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett
- When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D'Ambrosio

WOF 213: More Church Fathers You Should Know (Part 2 of 3) Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

In this second part of our series on the Church Fathers (listen to Part 1), 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)
Origen (184 – 253)
Athanasius (292 – 373)
Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395)

A listener asks how we can understand Purgatory and Heaven in relation to time.

Links + Book Recommendations

Websites
- ChurchFathers.org
- Church Father writings online (New Advent)
Church Father books mentioned
- Clement (35 – 99)
  - Letter to the Corinthians
- Ignatius (35 – 108)
  - Epistles of Ignatius
- Polycarp (69 – 155)
  - The Martyrdom of Polycarp
- Justin Martyr (100 – 165)
  - First and Second Apologies
- Irenaeus (130 – 202)
  - Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies)
- Origen (184 – 253)
  - De Principiis (On First Principles)
  - Biblical Commentaries
- Athanasius (292 – 373)
  - On the Incarnation of the Word
- Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395)
  - Life of Moses
- John Chrysostom (349 – 407)
  - On Wealth and Poverty
  - On Marriage and Family Life
- Jerome (347 – 420)
  - Letters
- Augustine (354 – 430)
  - Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition)
  - De Civitate Dei (The City of God)
  - De Trinitate (On the Trinity)
- Gregory the Great (540 – 604)
  - Pastoral Rule
Church Father collections
- Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers
- Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series
- Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens
Church Father commentaries/introductions
- The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina
- The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI
- The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI
- The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin
- Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett
- When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D'Ambrosio

WOF 212: Top 3 New Year's Resolutions Dec 30, 2019

Show notes

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 suggestions.

WOF 211: The Warrior King of Christmas Dec 23, 2019

Show notes

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 the dark powers of the world.

In this episode, excerpted from Bishop Barron's CATHOLICISM film series, discover the real meaning of Christmas, and the extraordinary infant king at its center.

Click here to watch the video version of this episode!

WOF 210: Church Fathers 101 (Part 1 of 3) Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

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:

Clement (35 – 99)
Ignatius (35 – 108)
Polycarp (69 – 155)

A listener asks about the difference between faith and hope.

Links + Book Recommendations

Websites
- ChurchFathers.org
- Church Father writings online (New Advent)
Church Father books mentioned
- Clement (35 – 99)
  - Letter to the Corinthians
- Ignatius (35 – 108)
  - Epistles of Ignatius
- Polycarp (69 – 155)
  - The Martyrdom of Polycarp
- Justin Martyr (100 – 165)
  - First and Second Apologies
- Irenaeus (130 – 202)
  - Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies)
- Origen (184 – 253)
  - De Principiis (On First Principles)
  - Biblical Commentaries
- Athanasius (292 – 373)
  - On the Incarnation of the Word
- Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395)
  - Life of Moses
- John Chrysostom (349 – 407)
  - On Wealth and Poverty
  - On Marriage and Family Life
- Jerome (347 – 420)
  - Letters
- Augustine (354 – 430)
  - Confessions (Word on Fire Classics edition)
  - De Civitate Dei (The City of God)
  - De Trinitate (On the Trinity)
- Gregory the Great (540 – 604)
  - Pastoral Rule
Church Father collections
- Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers
- Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series
- Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set by William Jurgens
Church Father commentaries/introductions
- The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina
- The Fathers (Volume 1) by Pope Benedict XVI
- The Fathers (Volume 2) by Pope Benedict XVI
- The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church by Jimmy Akin
- Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett
- When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D'Ambrosio

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

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