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" described by philosopher René Girard. How do we avoid this scapegoating? How can we bring more light to t ...…

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.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek affirmation of a culture that puts tremendous emphasis on self, self-care, and self-display. Bishop Barron explores some of the dangerous outcomes of such a culture. A listene ...…

Ross Douthat recently published an op-ed in the New York Times titled "The Return of Paganism." He argues that maybe there actually is a genuinely post-Christian future for America, one that mixes pantheism with civic religion.Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt discuss the article. A listener asks why God needed a second coming of Christ and couldn ...…

Bishop Barron takes listener questions from all over the world, including: What are examples of popular films that convey the Gospel without being preachy or poorly produced? Which beings have souls, and where do we draw the line? If prayer doesn't change God's mind, then when we get what we pray for, would we have gotten it anyways? How can la ...…

According to data from BibleGateway.com and YouVersion, the popular Bible app, the most popular Bible verse of 2018 was Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear." Bishop Barron looks at several other verses that cracked the list and reveals the right (and wrong) ways to understand them. A listener asks for clarification on Bishop Barron's comments about the ...…

A recent Christianity Today article titled, “Christian, What Do You Believe? Probably a Heresy About Jesus, Says Survey” explores a State of Theology survey conducted in the United States by LifeWay Research, based on interviews with 3,000 Americans. Bishop Barron discusses the alarming results. A listener asks what it feels like for Bishop Bar ...…

How should Christians use social media? How can we escape its dangers (venomous rhetoric, echo chambers, etc.) and instead use these tools well? Bishop Barron offers his advice and shares how he personally uses these tools. A listener asks whether Bishop Barron is now part of the Intellectual Dark Web after speaking with Ben Shapiro and Dave Rubin.…

On Christmas Eve, the night before the great Solemnity of the Nativity of Jesus, Bishop Barron talks about the Incarnation. What do we mean by this? What do people often get wrong about the Incarnation? And how is the Incarnation extended throughout space and time? A listener asks about Buddha's famous maxim, "Life is suffering." NOTE: Click he ...…

According to Bishop Barron, we need more religious argument, not less. But how do we talk about religion productively? In today’s episode he offers several practical tips along with the fallacies you'll want to avoid. A listener asks how to engage relativistic friends. NOTE: Click here to get Bishop Barron’s newest book, Arguing Religion >> wor ...…

William Wordsworth called Mary, the mother of Jesus, "our tainted nature's solitary boast." Who was this extraordinary woman, and how should we understand the key dogmas about her life and nature? Bishop Barron offers a crash course on Mary in today's episode. A listener asks why God created us as humans instead of as angels. NOTE: Do you like ...…

Is the season of Advent just a cozy, sentimental period before Christmas? Or is it a time of spiritual revolution? Bishop Barron discusses this important period and shares some of his Advent recommendations. A listener asks how to make sense of slavery in the Bible. NOTE: Do you like this podcast, and Bishop Barron's other great work? Help supp ...…

John Henry Newman’s spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is widely recognized as a classic of religious literature. Chronicling his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism, it explores the arguments and discoveries that convinced the Anglican churchman to cross the Tiber. In today’s episode, we share the second half of talk Bishop ...…

John Henry Newman’s spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is widely recognized as a classic of religious literature. Chronicling his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism, it explores the arguments and discoveries that convinced the Anglican churchman to cross the Tiber. In today’s episode, we share the first half of talk Bishop ...…

This week, Bishop Barron answers questions from all over the world. If you have a question, be sure to visit AskBishopBarron.com.

In Stephen Hawking's new book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions, published just a few months after his death, the famed scientists suggests that God does not exist and the universe does not require an explanation. Is he right? Bishop Barron discusses those claims in today's episode.

As the Synod on Youth wraps up at the Vatican, Bishop Barron shares his final thoughts on the meeting.

Bishop Barron joins Word on Fire Producer, Joseph Gloor, at the North American College in Rome to discuss the Word on Fire Institute, the Word From Rome project, and the Canonization Mass of October 14, 2018.

Today we share a sample lesson from Bishop Barron's flagship course inside our new Word on Fire Institute. His 12-part course is on Hans Urs von Balthasar, and it explores Balthasar's impact, his major works, and his key ideas. This first lesson covers Balthasar's life and times. Enjoy! NOTE: To get the other 11 lessons from the course, sign up ...…

A few days before leaving for the 2018 Synod on Youth in Rome, Bishop Barron hosted a listening session with a group of young people at Villanova Preparatory School in his region. The goal was to invite the kids to share their ideas, desires, and concerns, so that Bishop Barron could bring those insights with him to the Synod discussions. Today ...…

Today marks the grand opening of the Word on Fire Institute! It's one of the pillars of our Word on Fire Movement, and it's a place where you'll find online training in evangelization, theology, and the spiritual life. You'll get courses taught by Bishop Barron, his Word on Fire team, and world-class professors. In today's episode, we get more ...…

This week, we're sharing the second half of Bishop Barron's keynote talk at the recent 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland. His talk was titled "Pope Francis on the Gospel of the Family." Enjoy!

This week, we're sharing the first half of Bishop Barron's keynote talk at the recent 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland. His talk was titled "Pope Francis on the Gospel of the Family." We'll share the second half in next week's episode. Enjoy!

Bishop Barron has set out on a missionary journey to the UK! In this episode of the Word on Fire Show, Bishop discusses this great adventure while on the road with Word on Fire Producer, Joseph Gloor. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction 3:30 - What were the grave sites like in Scotland? 10:00 - What is the Catholic take on Adam Smith's market ...…

Bishop Barron was recently appointed as a representative of the U.S. Bishops for the upcoming Synod in Rome on "Youth, Faith, and Vocational Discernment." In this episode, he shares why he thinks this Synod is more important that other recent gatherings, and some of the main reasons why people become "nones" and leave the Church. He also explai ...…

Friends, in light of the recent scandals, I know many people are wondering whether they should remain in the Catholic Church. And I totally get that; the outrage is warranted. But in this time of crisis, I beg you not to flee, but to fight--not violently, with the weapons of the world, but with the weapons of the Spirit. We need you.…

Many of you have asked for Bishop Barron's thoughts on the McCarrick abuse crisis, the Pennsylvania grand jury report, and the recent report from Archbishop Viganò. We're all devastated by the horrific suffering of these many victims, and we're all wondering what to do next. Bishop Barron shared some thoughts a couple weeks ago, in an article, ...…

The first annual Word on Fire Conference for Priests brought 300 Catholic priests to Huntington Beach, CA, for a three day reflection on the art of preaching. Bishop Barron delivered four talks, in addition to a talk by Dana Gioia, California's state Poet Laureate, and the conference closed with a lively Q&A where priests asked Bishop Barron wh ...…

In this episode you'll hear the full Episode 1 from Bishop Barron's new film series, The Mass. Listen as Bishop Barron explains why the Mass is so important, and why it's not just a lecture or performance but a continual response between Christ and his people. Be sure to visit Mass.WordOnFire.org, where you can pick up the new special edition s ...…

Ten years ago, Bishop Barron and his Word on Fire team set out to create something the world had never seen: a large-scale film series about the Catholic faith that put the intelligence and beauty of Catholicism on full display. The resulting CATHOLICISM series has touched millions of people, becoming one of the most effective evangelistic reso ...…

Pope Francis has encouraged priests to "get out of the sacristy into the streets," to find the Church's lost sheep and evangelize them. Bishop Barron agrees with this advice, and in this episode, he offers his take on the best ways to do that. A listener asks why we need to repent if God's love is unconditional. Topics Discussed 04:00 - Bishop ...…

What do we mean by religious liberty? Why should all people, including non-religious people, care about protecting religious liberty? Bishop Barron recently joined the U.S. Bishop's Committee for Religious Liberty, and has been thinking about these questions more deeply. Today, he gives an overview of the topic, including a look at John Courtne ...…

Listen to tales from the road as Bishop Barron discusses his recent film trip with Word on Fire Producer, Joseph Gloor. The team just wrapped production on the next two episodes of CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, which feature Ven. Fulton Sheen and Flannery O'Connor. In today's episode you'll hear some anecdotes and insights Bishop Barron gat ...…

Join Bishop Barron in the production van as he travels from New York City to Yaddo, an artist community in Saratoga Springs. Bishop is currently filming the next two episodes of his epic film series, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, which feature Ven. Fulton Sheen and Flannery O'Connor. Today's episode gives you behind-the-scenes access as Bis ...…

In this episode Bishop Barron answers Questions about the Mass. Go to ReasonScienceFaith.com to get your free Catholic scientist posters!

In this episode, Bishop Barron answers questions from the Word on Fire Community. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction 1:45 - Why have my emotions cooled off after my conversion? 6:30 - What should we tell people who think religion is superstition? 10:36 - How should we respond to people who claim to be "spiritual but not religious"? 14:30 - Do ...…

In this episode, Bishop Barron discusses the content of his great book, And Now I See. A listener asks about the role of our conscience in relation to Church teaching. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop Barron's trip to the National Eucharistic Congress in Atlanta. 2:15 - What is the central crux of And Now I See? 5:30 - Why is the id ...…

Nearly every day we hear about natural disasters, school shootings, and profound tragedies. Each of us experiences pain and suffering. So why does God allow it? Why doesn't he just prevent all evil from occurring? That's what Bishop Barron discusses in today's episode. A listener asks Topics Discussed o:04 - Introduction, Bishop Barron talks ab ...…

In this episode, we discuss a recent article in GQ magazine which described the Bible as overrated, along with a new report from Barna titled State of the Bible 2017: Top Findings. We explore whether people are reading the Bible, how much they're doing it, and how we can all read the Bible better. Topics Discussed 0:04 - Introduction, Bishop's ...…

Bishop Barron was recently invited to speak at the Google headquarters (aka the Googleplex) in Mountain View, CA. He addressed a room full of Google and YouTube employees on how religion doesn't shut down the questing intellect, but in fact opens up our minds, causing us to seek the fulfillment of our deepest longings. We shared the first half ...…

Bishop Barron was recently invited to speak at the Google headquarters (aka the Googleplex). in Mountain View, CA. He addressed a room full of Google and YouTube employees on how religion doesn't shut down the questing intellect, but in fact opens up our minds, causing us to seek the fulfillment of our deepest longings. NOTE: This episode inclu ...…

Bishop Barron answers several questions from young listeners, ranging from three-year-olds to eight-year-olds, about God, Adam and Eve, and robbers. Enjoy this kids Q&A episode! Be sure to record your questions—or your kids' questions—at AskBishopBarron.com. Topics Discussed 2:20 - Update about Word on Fire Institute video recording 4:00 - Did ...…

The new film Avengers: Infinity War, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, has already grossed over $1 billion worldwide and had the highest-grossing opening in film history. In this episode, Bishop Barron and Jared Zimmerer explore some of the movie's philosophical and spiritual themes. *SPOILER ALERT!* This episode contains ...…

Part two of Bishop Barron’s talk on Catholicism and beauty from the 2018 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.

Part One of Bishop Barron's talk on Catholicism and beauty.

Bishop Barron answers several listener questions during this episode, ranging from classic education to the Great Story of Israel to living the faith while under persecution. Enjoy this listener Q&A episode! Topics Discussed 0:04 - Updates about Confirmation season 2:00 - Video made by students at Bishop Sullivan High School (Virginia Beach, VA ...…

John Krasinski's new film, A Quiet Place, which he both directs and stars in, may at first seem like a typical thriller, with lurking monsters threatening to kill everyone in their path. But it's actually a surprisingly religious movie, as Bishop Barron explains, witnessing to the monastic response to evil, the dignity of life, and the sacrific ...…

In this episode, Bishop Barron recounts his visit to the headquarters of both Google and YouTube. He was there to deliver a talk to Catholic Googlers on "Religion and the Opening of the Mind." He reflects on the hungering intellect and why wealth, power, pleasure, and honor all fail to satisfy its restless longings. A listener asks why Jesus di ...…

This week we enjoy a live recording of Bishop Barron's inspiring Easter homily.

In this week’s episode Bishop Barron discusses an intrinsic aspect of evangelization; community. Not only is there an intrinsic need of mankind to have a community, which the Church teaches is part of man’s nature, but also the need to have a certain kind of community within the Christian life. A listener asks how we ought to distinguish betwee ...…

In this episode, Bishop Barron and Brandon Vogt record live from the L.A. Congress, discussing Bishop Barron's keynote talk on beauty and interacting with visitors at the booth. Enjoy!