Episodes
536 Episodes
WOF 443: How Should We Understand Miracles?
Over 83 percent of Americans still believe in miracles, but what, specifically, are miracles? What are the grounds for believing in them, especially for non-eye witnesses? In the Catholic context, who has the authority to deem an event mira
WOF 442: Dante Ascends the Paradiso
We have arrived at the end of our journey with Dante. At the top of Mount Purgatory, Dante ascends the *Paradiso* and in the highest heaven, he beholds the divine glory of the beatific vision: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
WOF 441: Did Bill Maher Become an Ally?
The atheist political commentator and television host Bill Maher has long been a bitter critic of Christianity. In additional to regular swipes at Christians on his shows, Maher also devoted an entire documentary film, sardonically entitled
WOF 440: Atoning for the Seven Deadly Sins
Our journey continues through Dante's poetic imagery of the seven deadly sins. As Bishop Barron describes them in order of their severity, we discover that in order to atone for each sin, those in purgatory are punished with the repetitive
WOF 439: Is Christianity Useful to the West?
Is Christianity a useful religion to the West? Atheist Richard Dawkins recently claimed that, while still an atheist, he considers himself a "cultural Christian" because of Christianity's utility in supporting Western cultural and political
WOF 438: Damned Alone—But Saved Together
Continuing the journey in the fourth lecture of Bishop Barron's course, "[Dante's Catholic Imagination](https://community.wordonfire.org/c/dantes-catholic-imagination)," we see notion that "we're damned alone, but we're only saved together"
WOF 437: Is Safety Culture Good for Us?
Terms like "safe spaces," "trigger warnings," "harm reduction," "micro-aggression," "emotional wellbeing" and "fragility" are dominating the culture as well as the governance of many institutions. But by some measurements, our society is mo
WOF 436: Dante's Poetic Vision of Hell
We continue with the third lecture of Bishop Barron's course, "[Dante's Catholic Imagination](https://community.wordonfire.org/c/dantes-catholic-imagination)." We uncover the horrors of hell as Virgil takes Dante on a journey to see the thr
WOF 435: The Enduring Relevance of St. Thomas Aquinas
Most in contemporary secular culture have probably never heard of the name "Thomas Aquinas." However, his thought remains more pertinent than ever—not only to theology and philosophy but also to current conversations on how to build a more
WOF 434: Blocked by the Beasts of Sin
We continue now with the next lecture from Bishop Barron's popular course, "Dante's Catholic Imagination," available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute. We follow as Dante tries to go forward on his journey, but he is blocked
WOF 433: Healing Antisocial America
A [recent article in The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/america-decline-hanging-out/677451/) magazine highlights the crisis of isolation befalling the United States. Americans have never been—or felt—more solita
WOF 432: Who is Dante Alighieri?
Today we are excited to bring you the first lecture from Bishop Barron's popular course, "Dante's Catholic Imagination," which is available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute. We hope you enjoy this deep dive into Dante's eve
WOF 431: Euthanasia & the Culture of Death
Pope St. John Paul II used the term "culture of death'' in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae to capture the secular world's dark confluence of poisonous ideas and practices that lead—directly and indirectly—to spiritual and physical ruin
WOF 430: A Full Witness to Jesus Christ
Today we bring you Bishop Barron's keynote address from the recent Good News Conference. In it, he speaks in depth about what it means to be a full witness to Jesus Christ. Enjoy!
WOF 429: Is There a Catholic Antidote to the Crisis in Higher Education?
According to *Fortune* magazine, overall undergraduate enrollment experienced the steepest rate of decline on record from 2019 to 2022, and it has only worsened since then. There are several explanations, but one cause is entirely self-impo
WOF 428: Talking Politics & Religion w/ Ro Khanna
Today, we are bringing you a recent conversation from the "Bishop Barron Presents" series between Bishop Barron and Congressman Ro Khanna. Congressman Khanna represents California's 17th Congressional District, best known as the home of Sil
WOF 427: Hearing the Voice of God
Friends, the [Book of Jonah](https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jonah/0) is one of the shortest books of the Bible, yet it's packed with profound truths about hearing and obeying the voice of God. On today's episode of "The Word on Fire Show," B
WOF 426: Democracy and the Catholic Church
Friends, what's the proper relationship between liberal democracy and the Catholic Church? Many smart and reflective people, on either side of the Catholic/American divide, have felt that the two systems, democracy and Catholicism, were inc
WOF 425: Understanding the Mental Health Crisis
Friends, we are in the midst of a mental health crisis, with many calling it another pandemic. Record-high numbers of Americans are facing depression and suicide. Nearly half of young people report feelings of persistent sadness or hopeless
WOF 424: Freedom and the Disciplining of Desire
Today, we're excited to share with you Bishop Barron's recent talk at the [2023 Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) Conference](https://www.arcforum.com/) held in London, England. His talk was titled "What is the True Nature of Freed