Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The United States is celebrating its 250th birthday, marking two and a half centuries since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That a country as expansive and diverse as ours has remained united under a single Constitution for two and a half centuries—passing through multiple existential wars, including a civil war, and numerous periods of traumatic political and economic upheaval—is a monumental achievement by any historical standard. How might we assess this moment from a Catholic perspective? What is it about the United States of America that is politically and morally distinctive? What binds us together as a people? Is it accurate to say that we are a Christian nation? If not, what conception of "God" is operative in the founders' references to the divine? If so, what should we make of the future of America given the dramatic decline of Church attendance among both Catholics and Protestants in recent decades? Perhaps most importantly for this moment, what can we learn from our collective past as Americans to guide us into the future? Here to address these questions, and to share his experience participating in the recent Rededicate 250 event on the National Mall in Washington, DC, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:28 | Bishop Barron visits Orlando (The US bishops consecrate the nation to the sacred heart of Jesus 02:50 | Rededicate 250 in Washington DC 04:01 | Is this a Christian nation? 07:10 | How did the Founding Fathers view God? 08:51 | Mere Christianity or Protestant theology? 12:30 | The founding documents and God 14:38 | The Declaration of Independence: a declaration of dependence on God 16:07 | Connecting freedom with human dignity 22:33 | Relating equality with freedom 24:21 | Can patriotism and piety agree? 27:04 | Responding to the post-liberal critique of the American experiment 34:01 | Evangelism and the American Republic 35:28 | Listener question: Is praying for politicians effective? 37:49 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Bishop Robert Barron has long defended religious freedom as a universal human right. As part of his ongoing advocacy—which includes a new book on how to confront persecution against Christians—he has recently completed serving on a presidential religious liberty commission charged with ensuring that people of all faiths can participate fully in society without fear of violence or unjust discrimination. One of the few Catholic ecclesial voices on the commission, his work addressed multiple abiding and practical questions. For example, at the conceptual level, what is religious freedom, and what role should the government play in protecting it? How can we define religious freedom in a way that prevents one religion's exercise of their freedom from infringing upon the freedom of other religions, or on those who claim no religion at all? And at the more concrete level, where, right now, are the greatest threats to religious freedom and what can we do both legislatively and individually to combat them? Here to address these and related questions, and to discuss his experience serving on the presidential commission, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:16 | Bishop Barron visits diocesan schools 02:26 | How Bishop Barron came to join the Religious Liberty Commission 04:03 | The makeup of the Religious Liberty Commission 05:00 | Basic structure of the meetings 07:38 | Being a Catholic bishop on the commission 09:51 | The privatization of religion 10:36 | Where does religious liberty originate? 12:36 | The public nature of religious liberty 13:51 | Why religious liberty is the first freedom 15:11 | Is religious liberty just religious license? 16:36 | The role of government in religious liberty 18:00 | Separation of church and state? 22:33 | Principal threats to religious liberty 26:26 | Testimonies shared with the Commission 27:30 | How we move forward 28:18 | The question of religious exemptions 30:53 | Religious liberty and evangelization 32:17 | Listener question: To what extent do denominations matter? 35:07 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. A wave of fresh converts has entered the Catholic Church in the United States, Australia, and parts of Europe. The evidence for this surge is far from anecdotal; even secular media outlets that are historically inclined to downplay positive stories about Catholicism widely reported packed sanctuaries this past Easter, the day those who have been preparing to enter the Catholic Church typically receive their first sacraments. This is welcome news for a Church that has grown accustomed to a half-century narrative of religious disaffiliation and cultural decline. So what's behind this uptick in conversions? What factors are leading young people—and young men in particular—to buck the trend of secularization and become Catholic? What is happening both in the world and within the Church that is making the faith become so attractive? Perhaps most importantly, what can and should Catholics, clergy and laity alike, do to both continue the momentum and help new converts to stick with faith? Here to offer his insights on what's driving this new growth and why, now more than ever, we should double our efforts to proclaim Christ in the culture is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:34 | Bishop Barron's recent confirmation season 04:34 | Recent growth in Catholicism 06:13 | What cultural factors are contributing to these numbers? 19:11 | How the liturgy and a renewed interest in the Mass attract members 23:08 | Mysticism and attraction to the Church 24:27 | Is "modernizing" the Church necessary for growth? 26:08 | Evangelical efforts to support 30:20 | How we maintain momentum without perpetuating a trend 31:09 | Advice for new converts 32:48 | Listener question: Should I baptize my kids before myself? 34:24 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Although not widely reported in legacy media outlets, Christianity is, by far, the most persecuted religion in the world. From the Middle East and Africa to India, China, North Korea, and elsewhere, Christian communities regularly experience widespread humiliation, imprisonment, kidnappings, expulsions, and even murderous mob violence. While not as severe, Christians in parts of Europe and even right here at home, in the US, also often endure discrimination, exclusion, and ridicule. There is no ambiguity about who is carrying out these attacks or what motivates them. Like the martyrs of past centuries, millions of our Christian brothers and sisters are currently suffering because they profess faith in Jesus Christ. In response to this ongoing outrage, Bishop Robert Barron has released a new book called What Do Their Deaths Demand? Christian Persecution Today. Intended for widespread distribution, the book spotlights heartbreaking stories of the continued targeting of Christian communities throughout the world, offers a theological explanation for why Christianity has been under assault since its inception, and, most importantly, provides actionable ideas for what all of us can do to respond. Here to discuss the book—and why its message is more urgent than ever—is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:38 | The final meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission 02:51 | Why this book, and why now? 05:16 | Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa's foreword 06:46 | Aid to the Church in Need 07:47 | Why Christian persecution is largely ignored 09:00 | Part 1: The Most Persecuted Religion 15:36 | Part 2: Why the Persecution of Christians? 22:41 | The fundamental quandary 25:09 | Part 3: So What Can We Do? 32:09 | Listener question: Should we present the crucifixion more positively? 34:38 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The faithful recently rejoiced at the news that Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the great American evangelist who lived from 1895 to 1979, has moved forward in the canonization process. The Vatican recently announced that he will soon be beatified, which is one step away from being declared a saint. This is an especially happy development for Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, which, as an apostolate dedicated to evangelization, has a special devotion to Archbishop Sheen; in fact, his portrait hangs just beyond the studio doors where we are recording this show, next to our other patrons, St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Pope St. John Paul II. Looking back, what kind of enduring impact has Fulton Sheen had on evangelization and the Church? Looking forward, what can we continue to learn from him today, especially given the fact that the evangelical landscape has so drastically changed, both culturally and technologically, since Sheen's time? Here to celebrate Sheen's legacy, and how the great communicator continues to shape Word on Fire's own evangelical mission, is Bishop Robert Barron.

Topics Covered

00:00 | Introduction 01:22 | Winona-Rochester's confirmation season 02:19 | What is beatification? 04:44 | Who was Fulton Sheen? 07:15 | Sheen's theology of the Church as mystical body of Christ 11:38 | Sheen's theology of grace 15:10 | The quiet influence of Fulton Sheen in Bishop Barron's life 20:44 | The Pivotal Players: Fulton Sheen 21:59 | Examining Sheen's universal appeal 26:22 | Fulton Sheen and social media 29:49 | Word on Fire and Fulton Sheen 30:20 | Listener question: How do I best use social media to evangelize? 32:23 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The Old Testament is about three-quarters of the Bible. It is theologically and morally impossible for Christians to understand God's relationship with the world, the nature and purpose of human beings, original sin, salvation history, the person of Jesus Christ, and the foundation of the Church without it. Indeed, as far back as the second century AD, the Church condemned the heresy of Marcionism, which sought to distinguish the God of the Old Testament from the God of the New Testament and to lop off the Old Testament from the biblical canon. There is and never has been, in short, Christianity without the Old Testament. Nevertheless, much of the text remains difficult for the faithful to understand and, even more so, to explain to others, especially to those who know nothing about it. To make matters more complicated, secular critics of the faith often try to use the Old Testament against it, arguing—like the Marcionites of the past—that belief in the Old Testament is both irrational and immoral. So how should Catholics respond? What are some strategies we can employ not only to make the Old Testament accessible but also evangelically compelling? Here to help us understand the Old Testament and its enduring evangelical power, especially in a highly secularized culture, is Bishop Robert Barron.

00:00 | Introduction 01:33 | Bishop Barron visits Washington 03:38 | How many Catholics read the Bible 09:37 | Understanding the Bible through the interpretive tradition of the Church 11:13 | The historical critical method of the Old Testament 13:10 | The influence of Joseph Ratzinger on Bishop Barron's biblical approach 16:00 | The otherness of God 20:28 | Why God's self-sufficiency matters for reading the Old Testament 22:57 | God as radically transcendent and personally involved 25:25 | God, creator of all people and the father of Israel 26:43 | Critique #1: The Old Testament God is violent 30:09 | Critique #2: The Old Testament God is a moody, jealous diva 32:52 | Critique #3: The Old Testament God is not the New Testament God 34:53 | Critique #4: The Old Testament is just a collection of myths 37:23 | Advice for evangelists regarding the Old Testament 39:34 | Listener Question: What is the Bible's role for Catholics 40:45 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Hollywood is not known for being friendly to Christianity in general or Catholicism in particular, especially nowadays; unfortunately, there is no shortage of storylines and characters that mock and even demonize believers. At the same time, however, whenever the film industry wishes to depict a "religious looking" scene or add a transcendent element to the plot, it frequently employs Catholic architecture, Catholic sacramentals, and even Catholic priests to do so. What should we make of this ambivalence to the faith? What does Hollywood get wrong, and what, perhaps to our surprise, does Hollywood get right about Catholicism and the priesthood? What do these portrayals tell us more broadly about potential openness within the entertainment industry to God's existence, the divinity of Christ, good and evil, and life after death? Here to take a look at some pivotal classic and contemporary films that prominently feature Catholicism and Catholic priests, with an eye to unpacking their significance for the wider entertainment culture, is Bishop Robert Barron.

WOF 533

00:00 | Introduction

01:19 | Bishop Barron's recent watchlist

02:44 | What movies have meant to Word on Fire

04:06 | Artificial intelligence and cinema

05:10 | Hollywood and the Catholic priesthood

07:06 | Examining the evangelical strategies of Christian studios

08:43 | Boys Town (1938)

12:10 | The Exorcist (1973)

21:13 | True Confessions (1981)

24:42 | The Mission (1986)

29:07 | Calvary (2014)

32:51 | How best to portray Catholicism and the priesthood in movies

34:17 | How best to watch movies depicting the priesthood

36:04 | Listener question: How did St. Thérèse help on CATHOLICISM?

38:26 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, Senior Director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. Marxism, unfortunately, seems to be making a comeback. Despite its economically disastrous, politically oppressive, and horrifically inhumane track record, the atheistic philosophy that produced the Communist revolution and eventually led to the deaths of tens of millions of people has wheedled its way back to the center of our political culture. On the surface, this may sound surprising: Since the fall of the Berlin Wall over three decades ago, few public figures have openly identified as Marxist, and Communist political parties have typically occupied the outermost fringes of political influence. However, Marxist ideas–especially in the form of contemporary identity politics–have not only continued gathering momentum beneath the surface in universities, NGOs, the media, corporate HR departments, and government bureaucracies; high profile politicians, including the mayor of New York, Zohran Mandami, and Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, now seem to be openly advocating for Marxist policies. So how did this morally and historically discredited ideology remerge in mainstream politics? Equally important, how should Christians and all people concerned with basic human rights and the common good respond? Here to discuss the dark history of Marxism, its contemporary forms, and how the Catholic Church has, and always will, stand against it, is Bishop Robert Barron.

00:00 | Introduction 01:48 | Winona-Rochester's record catechumen year 02:53 | A brief overview of Karl Marx 04:55 | What is dialectical materialism? 06:40 | Class conflicts in Marx's day 08:01 | Marx's early critique of capitalism 10:55 | Marx's critique of religion 17:12 | Marxism's pursuit of Utopia 20:06 | Rerum Novarum: Pope Leo XIII responds 23:08 | Reducing history to an economic substructure 24:20 | The legacy of Marxism 26:16 | Shared views between Marxism and contemporary identity politics 28:52 | Why harmful ideas take fair guises 31:23 | Critiquing collectivism 33:08 | US politicians and Marxist ideas 36:03 | Weren't early Christians fundamentally communist? 38:08 | Shouldn't we just try Marxism? 39:26 | Thomas Merton responds to Marxism 41:07 | Is it partisan to critique Marxism? 42:51 | Listener question: How do we respond to "my truth"? 45:12 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. For the last two episodes, Evangelization & Culture Podcast host Tod Worner has been having a conversation with Word on Fire's founders about social media—a phenomenon that has certainly played a prominent role in the life of our own ministry. But what about its shadow side? How might faithful Catholics engage in social media? How might the Church? How do we cultivate a rich spiritual life in this ever-unfolding age of social media? Here to discuss this with Tod Worner and Fr. Steve Grunow is Bishop Robert Barron.

00:00 | Introduction 00:49 | Examining social media's shadow side 14:32 | Can teachers of the faith use social media without oversight 22:18 | How we prepare for online ministry 27:58 | Join the Word on Fire Institute

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

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.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. In our last episode, Evangelization & Culture Podcast host Tod Worner began a conversation with Word on Fire's founders about social media, in which they explored the art and means of communication. In this next segment, we'll continue that conversation, now examining Catholic ministry and social media. What, if anything, does social media have to do with Pope St. John Paul II? How does it fit into Word on Fire's own principles? How would one even define social media? Here to discuss these things with Tod Worner and Fr. Steve Grunow is Bishop Robert Barron.

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

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.