Episodes
532 Episodes
WOF 181: J.R.R. Tolkien, Master Evangelist
The great novelist, J.R.R. Tolkien, has enchanted generations of readers with his *Hobbit*and *Lord of the Rings*, and is the subject of a new feature film, titled *Tolkien*. But in today's episode, Bishop Barron talks about Tolkien's Catho
WOF 180: Priests, Confessions, and Prison
A recent bill proposed in the California Senate will force priests to report any crimes of sexual abuse they hear about in the confessional, breaking the seal of Confession. Bishop Barron speaks about the sacredness of this sacrament and wh
WOF 179: Bishop Barron's New Book on the Sexual Abuse Crisis
Today we discuss Bishop Barron's new book, titled *[Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis](https://wordonfireshow.com/letter)*.
WOF 178: Can Doctrine Really Develop? (Part 2 of 2)
In today's episode, we share the second half of a talk Bishop Barron gave on John Henry Newman's famous book, *[An Essay on the Development of Doctrine](http://wordonfireshow.com/newman)*.
WOF 177: Thoughts on the Jordan Peterson Interview
In March 2019, Bishop Barron was interviewed by Dr. Jordan Peterson for the Jordan B. Peterson Podcast. To say the discussion was highly anticipated is an understatement. Fans of both Dr. Peterson and Bishop Barron have asked for these two
WOF 176: A God Problem in "The New York Times"
Recently, *The New York Times* featured [an op-ed by philosophy professor Peter Atteton](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/opinion/-philosophy-god-omniscience.html), who tried to show that the idea of God is incoherent. Bishop Barron respo
BONUS: Notre Dame on Fire
We record this episode the day after a tragic fire at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris has destroyed the spire, roof, and interior of one of the most important and magnificent religious sites in the world. Bishop Barron shares his close
WOF 175: Stations of the Cross with Bishop Barron
As Holy Week begins, listen to Bishop Barron's reflections on the 14 stations of the Cross. Stream it all at once, or throughout the week, as we approach the memorial of Christ's Passion.
WOF 173: Kids Q&A with Bishop Barron
Kids from around the world ask Bishop Barron their burning questions about God's favorite food, whether heaven has an edge, and why the ground shook when Jesus died on the Cross.
WOF 172: Adventures in Rome
Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt record live from Rome, where they visited for Bishop's reception of an honorary doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (aka The Angelicum.)
WOF 171: The Future of the Word on Fire Show
We started the Word on Fire Show back in 2015, right after Bishop Barron was consecrated bishop. Now, three years later, after 170 episodes and 6 million downloads, we're ready for the next phase. But to get there, we need your help! Learn
WOF 170: Can Doctrine Really Develop? (Part 1 of 2)
John Henry Newman's classic book, *[An Essay on the Development of Doctrine](http://wordonfireshow.com/newman)*, shows how doctrine isn't stagnant but in fact develops over time, much like an acorn grows into a sprouting oak tree. In today'
WOF 169: The Metaphysics of Prayer
What's actually happening when we pray? In this episode, Bishop Barron answers the deepest questions about prayer, not necessarily *how* to pray but what *is* prayer? A listener asks about the Rosary prayer and how it operates.
WOF 168: Bishop Barron at Amazon's HQ
Bishop Barron recently visited the headquarters of Amazon, in Seattle, WA, to take part in a "Fishbowl" discussion about his new book, [Arguing Religion](http://wordonfireshow.com/religion). Around 200 Amazon employees were in attendance. L
WOF 167: Jordan Peterson's Next Step
Recently, Bishop Barron watched several YouTube conversation between Sam Harris, a well-known atheist, and Dr. Jordan Peterson, one of the most prominent and beguiling intellectuals today. We've talked in past episodes about Dr. Peterson's
WOF 166: Scapegoating on Social Media
The recent confrontation between a grinning young high school student and a Native American elder has led to much anger and vitriol, especially on social media. But as Bishop Barron suggests, it also exemplified the "scapegoating mechanism"
WOF 165: The Gospel of Saint You
In this episode, Bishop Barron discusses a recent *New York Times* article by David Brooks titled ["The Morality of Selfism: The Gospel of Saint You."](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/opinion/self-care-individualism.html) It's a tongue-i
WOF 164: The Return of Paganism
Ross Douthat recently published an op-ed in the *New York Times* titled ["The Return of Paganism."](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/opinion/christianity-paganism-america.html) He argues that maybe there actually is a genuinely post-Chris
WOF 163: International Q&A w/ Bishop Barron
Bishop Barron takes listener questions from all over the world, including:
WOF 162: The Most Popular Bible Verses
According to data from BibleGateway.com and YouVersion, the popular Bible app, [the most popular Bible verse of 2018](https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/december/most-popular-bible-verse-2018-youversion-app-bible-gateway.html) was