The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

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 values, which he laments are under attack. Former atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali also recently shared that she became a Christian upon realizing that Christianity is necessary to preserve Western political norms.

There are some complex and even troubling underlying questions about making the connection between Christianity and utility, especially as it relates to contemporary “Western values.” How is the utility defined and in response to what specific societal goals? Is Christianity’s utility limited to the West alone? Aren’t there some “Western values” that are antithetical to Christianity?

A listener asks how to respond to the common criticism from atheists that Christians only believe in God because they are scared of death.

00:00 | Intro
01:32 | Bishop Barron’s recent farm visit
03:00 | Recapping Richard Dawkins and the New Atheism
07:14 | Unpacking Richard Dawkins as a “cultural Christian”
12:38 | Can Christianity be culturally useful without a fixed cultural aim?
14:13 | Making moral judgments without a fixed standard
16:43 | The fundamentality of Christian thought in the West
19:51| Remembering the doctrinal dimension of Christianity
21:51 | Other influences in Western thought
25:16 | Is linking Christianity and Western thought evangelically helpful?
27:23 | Listener question
29:44 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

Show Notes:

• Article: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/257276/famous-atheist-richard-dawkins-says-he-considers-himself-a-cultural-christian
• Article: https://unherd.com/2023/11/why-i-am-now-a-christian/
• Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Continuing the journey in the fourth lecture of Bishop Barron’s course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination,” we see notion that “we’re damned alone, but we’re only saved together” on full display as Dante climbs Mount Purgatory. While hell was a place of violence and self absorption, purgatory is a place of charity, hope, and faith.

This timeless and ever-relevant course is available in its entirety in the Word on Fire Institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 more physically compromised and mentally delicate than ever. Today, we discuss the contemporary embrace of “safety” and whether it overlaps with a Catholic understanding of the individual and common good.

A listener asks, can a priest ever deny absolution during confession?

00:00 | Intro
01:51 | Bishop Barron’s Confirmation season
02:30 | Understanding the contemporary use of “safety”
07:45 | The relationship between risk, safety, and flourishing
12:23 | The emotional life and its role
16:14 | Physical safety as the highest good
21:36 | Speech as a form of violence
24:04 | The spiritual works of mercy vs. coddling
25:16 | Safety and the cardinal virtues
26:42 | Christ crucified and the value of safety
27:58 | Listener question
30:03 | Word on Fire Institute

Links:

• Learn about the Word on Fire Institute:https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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We continue with the third lecture of Bishop Barron’s course, “Dante’s Catholic Imagination.” We uncover the horrors of hell as Virgil takes Dante on a journey to see the three levels of sin and their corresponding punishments. This ever-relevant course is available in its entirety inside the Word on Fire Institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 stable, just, and prosperous political order. Today, we discuss the evergreen genius of St. Thomas Aquinas and how his legacy continues in the life and work of the contemporary Dominican theologian, Fr. Paul Murray.

A listener asks, does the devil know that his rebellion is ultimately futile?

00:00 | Intro
01:12 | Bishop Barron in Rome
02:01 | Aquinas’ impact on Bishop Barron’s formation
03:56 | Why medieval thinkers like Aquinas still matter
06:18 | The relationship between metaphysics and ethics
07:29 | God as Being itself rather than as the greatest of beings
12:43 | How God can be both transcendent and immanent
15:58 | God’s non-competitive relationship with Creation
21:29 | Defining true human and social goods
23:00 | Does metaphysical speculation have a role in politics?
25:45 | Fr. Paul Murray, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Dominican charism
29:54 | Listener question
31:49 | Word on Fire Institute

Show Notes:

• Learn about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

NOTE:Do you like this podcast?Become aWord on Fire IGNITEmember! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission andjoin IGNITE todayto become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 by the beasts of sin. Enjoy this further glimpse into Dante’s evergreen, always-relevant poetic, moral, and theological genius.

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Arecent article in The Atlantic magazine highlights the crisis of isolation befalling the United States. Americans have never been—or felt—more solitary, especially the younger generations. And the consequences are often fatal: loneliness is a major cause of the recent spikes in depression, anxiety, and suicide, which are at unprecedented levels. Today, we discuss the loss of our social bonds and how Catholic thought can help heal and re-unite us.

A listener asks, given free will, does God know what choices we will make?

00:00 | Intro
01:23 | Bishop Barron’s recent USCCB and diocesan work
02:22 | Why should a person’s chosen isolation matter to anyone else?
04:34 | Individuality vs. the Catholic conception of the individual
09:11 | Distinguishing between solitude and isolation
12:43 | Why in-person communities matter
14:00 | The role of unchosen communities in an individual’s development
16:09 | How to view the company of others
17:34 | Can one adequately substitute animal companionship for community?
22:06 | New media, smart devices, and screen time
26:45 | Advice to encourage more in-person gatherings
27:53 | Listener question
29:32 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

Show Notes:

• “Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out” article in The Atlantic
• Screen time stats: https://www.harmonyhit.com/phone-screen-time-statistics/?clreqid=a5b99b78-5919-4ddd-a2d7-5cb3c4e66e6d&kbid=58587
• Learn about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

NOTE:Do you like this podcast?Become aWord on Fire IGNITEmember! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission andjoin IGNITE todayto become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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 evergreen, always-relevant poetic, moral, and theological genius.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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.

Sadly, we’ve seen the the culture of death advance on many fronts. Today, we focus on the increasing legalization of suicide in the United States and abroad. Listen as we discuss the issue and how Catholics can and should respond to it.

A listener asks why we pray for the dead, and can we pray for the souls on atheists and non-Catholics?

00:00 | Intro
01:18 | Bishop Barron's recent diocesan work
02:34 | The role of euphemism in the euthanasia debate
06:39 | Unpacking "autonomy" and "compassion"
12:31 | Responding to critics of the slippery slope argument
20:56 | The State's role in moral disputes
24:40 | How can Catholics positively respond to euthanasia?
26:50 | Listener question
28:15 | Word on Fire Institute

SHOW NOTES:

• Evangelium Vitae
• “It’s Not Your Life, It’s Not Your Death, It’s Not Your Choice” article by Bishop Barron
• https://www.compassionandchoices.org/resource/states-or-territories-where-medical-aid-in-dying-is-authorized
• https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254197/assisted-suicide-in-the-united-states-where-is-it-legal
• Learn more about the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

NOTE:Do you like this podcast?Become aWord on Fire IGNITEmember! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission andjoin IGNITE todayto become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.

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!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join us today!