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One of the defining features of the Christian moral and spiritual life is the supernatural virtue of hope. What is hope? What makes hope more than a mere superstition? How does hope help us live both individually and in community? Can hope have negative consequences, like motivating people to remain passive in the face of injustice? And what, if any, evangelical significance does hope have? Bishop Barron gives us five reasons why we should be hopeful in the new year.
A listener asks how he can find the strength to pray again.
00:00 | Intro
Links: Article on Bible sales: https://www.foxnews.com/media/bible-sales-surge-thanks-fresh-editions-new-buyers-looking-things-feel-more-solid-report-finds Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:14 | Bishop Barron’s 2024 highlights
02:47 | The Christian concept of hope
04:15 | Hope’s relationship to reason
05:12 | Hope’s practical value in life
06:24 | Distinguishing hope from faith
08:27 | Distinguishing hope from optimism
10:21 | Responding to critiques of hope
15:37 | Reason 1: Bible sales increase while “nones” appear to have peaked
19:53 | Reason 2: Woke ideology is losing its grip on the culture
23:27 | Reason 3: Protestants and Catholics have increased cooperation
25:36 | Reason 4: The public response to the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral
30:01 | Reason 5: The Church continues to grow
31:27 | Listener question
33:53 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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We bring you the fourth lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!
Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? Article: “Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic” More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/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.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Despite the enduring, progressive narrative that society favors and privileges men, the sociological data reveals men have and continue to experience devastating declines in education, earning power, economic mobility, relationship stability, and physical and mental health. Often vilified by secular culture as “toxic” merely for existing, men are often far sicker, poorer, more addicted, more depressed, more incarcerated, and more likely to commit suicide than women.
However, more men than women now regularly go to church; numerous religious movements have been founded with the aim of helping men to overcome their spiritual, mental, and even physical weaknesses; and a new class of Christian men have been emerging on the political and cultural scene unapologetically calling for a return to traditional biblical values. How should we interpret this apparent masculinization of the faith and its effect on revitalizing the role of men in society? What insights does the Church offer, and what can we all learn from this to better evangelize both men and women?
A listener asks why—procreation aside—God created a woman for Adam as opposed to another man.
00:00 | Intro
Links: Article on book about issues facing men: https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/of-boys-and-men-by-richard-v-reeves-males-face-bigger-issues-than-toxic-masculinity/41990575.html E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/richard-v-reeves-and-jocko-willink-take-on-male-malaise/ NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/opinion/crisis-men-masculinity.html Prison Stats: https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_gender.jsp Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:49 | Bishop Barron back from Rome
02:25 | Assessing grim statistics about men
04:27 | Contributing cultural movements to masculine discouragement
11:04 | Channeling masculine aggression
14:47 | A complementary view of male and female
17:52 | The return of men to the Church
22:35 | Resources for recovering masculinity from its shadow side
25:21 | Holy male exemplars
27:15 | What the Church offers for masculine vision
28:49 | Listener question
30:53 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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Today we bring you the third lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!
Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? Article: “Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic” More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/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.
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After spending nearly a month in Rome, Bishop Barron has just returned from the concluding session of the Synod on Synodality. However, numerous basic questions remain among the faithful: What challenges were discussed during this synod and what solutions, if any, did the attendees reach? What impact, if any, does either the structure or content of the synod have on the Church’s ability to evangelize effectively both in the US and abroad?
A listener asks how parishes should adapt to today’s needs.
00:00 | Intro
Link: EWTN article: https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/synod-on-synodalitys-final-document-what-you-need-to-know-3645 E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/barron/some-thoughts-upon-returning-from-the-second-session-of-the-synod/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:27 | A visit to the Czech Republic
03:10 | What is synodality?
06:58 | The Instrumentum Laboris and its role in the synod
07:56 | Who attended the synod?
09:14 | Relating 2023’s synodal gathering to 2024’s
11:09 | Bishop Barron’s daily routine in Rome
16:20 | Communio theology as represented at the synod
19:27 | The teaching status of the recent synodal document
21:01 | Assessing the synod’s benefit to the Church
22:35 | Limitations of synodality as a ruling principle
25:23 | The question of women’s ordination
28:00 | Concerns for the authority of the local bishops’ conferences
29:41 | Has this synod perennially changed the Church?
31:15 | The possibility of future synods
32:01 | Listener question
34:04 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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Today we bring you the second lesson of Bishop Barron’s lecture series on one of the most important and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!
Links: Full lecture series available at the Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? Article: “Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic” More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/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.
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Through a litany of trials and grace, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. We bring you the second half of an hour-long conversation she had recently with Bishop Barron. The two explore transubstantiation, the power of prayer, grace in suffering, and more.
00:00 | Intro
Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
00:28 | Prayer as sustenance and as intercession across space and time
06:00 | What is transubstantiation?
11:50 | Praying Scripture
13:30 | Prayerful examination of a day
18:33 | Examining Dante’s Divine Comedy
20:08 | Dark nights of the soul
23:31 | Grace in suffering
31:27 | Remembering the body
32:58 | Singing and prayer
34:16 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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Today we bring you the first lesson of Bishop Barron's lecture series on one of the most important, intriguing, strange, and influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, Han Urs von Balthasar. We will come to understand his life, his theology, and his ongoing impact on the Church and our work to evangelize the culture. Enjoy!
Links: Podcast: WOF 149: Who Was Hans Urs von Balthasar? Article: “Just a Little Stone in God’s Mosaic” More Resources: https://www.wordonfire.org/topics/hans-urs-von-balthasar/ Full lecture series at the 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.
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Through a litany of trials and grace, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. Today we bring you the first half of an hour-long conversation she had recently with Bishop Barron. The two explore the call of God, the power of the Rosary, the wisdom of Thomas Merton, and more.
00:00 | Intro
Link: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:24 | Relating to God as a called child
06:25 | Attracting people into community
10:16 | Understanding true love
13:20 | Begin with prayer
14:19 | Prayer: sacred, centering, habitual, and “useless”
20:43 | The beauty of monastic life and practice
22:34 | The wisdom of Thomas Merton
24:18 | Distinguishing a natural spirituality from a properly supernatural one
28:05 | Learning to pray the Rosary
38:18 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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Today we bring you the second half of Bishop Barron’s May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He concludes his discussion of Eucharistic Adoration, wisdom from saints and holy people, and the power of “staying close to the fire.” Enjoy!
Show Notes:
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.
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Parts of the global Church have a very different kind of challenge on their hands than we do in the West: how to handle explosive growth. In many parts of Africa, the Church is running out of room in their seminaries, convents, and monasteries because of rising vocations, and the laity are collectively practicing their faith in ways that put the Church in the West to shame. In Nigeria, upwards of 94 percent of Catholics go to Mass every week, while the U.S. can’t even reach 30 percent in weekly Mass attendance among Catholics.
What explains this wide discrepancy? What are we in the West getting so wrong about evangelization, and what is the Church in Africa getting so right?
A listener asks how she and her family can practice Sabbath rest.
00:00 | Intro
Show Notes: Stats for Nigerian Church attendance: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253488/where-is-mass-attendance-highest-one-country-is-the-clear-leader Stats for American Mass attendance: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/12/9-facts-about-us-catholics/ National Catholic Register article: https://www.ncregister.com/news/same-sex-blessings-and-the-catholic-church-in-africa E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/pope-francis-isnt-actually-visiting-peripheries-hes-leaving-them-behind/ Crux article: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2023/01/running-the-numbers-africa-isnt-the-catholic-future-its-the-present Vatican News article: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-04/over-50000-christians-killed-in-nigeria-by-islamist-extremists.html Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:50 | DOWR Chancery dedication
03:00 | The African church as a robust exemplar
05:35 | Does Africa’s numerical strength translate to ecclesial strength?
07:12 | Lesson 1: Primacy of the supernatural
10:56 | Lesson 2: Hold fast to theological orthodoxy
12:08 | How the Church engages cultures
16:13 | Lesson 3: Commitment to evangelize the culture
17:49 | The rhythm between “hunkering down” and “diving in”
19:50 | Lesson 4: Praise in public, criticize in private
23:13 | Lesson 5: Courage in the face of opposition
25:19 | Counter-claims for Africa’s religious success
28:49 | Listener question
31:28 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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Today we bring you the first half of Bishop Barron’s May 2024 address at the Star of the North Eucharistic Congress in Bemidji, Minnesota. He discusses Eucharistic Adoration, wisdom from saints and holy people, and the power of “staying close to the fire.” Enjoy!
Link: 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 o f 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.
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How should we respond when the culture becomes inhospitable if not actively hostile to Christian values? Sadly, biblical and natural law points of view are unwelcome now in many of the institutions that constitute the core of our society, including corporations, public schools, higher education, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the legacy media, and even government entities themselves. What can Christians do to resist persecution by these secular powerhouses? How can we understand what it means to resist those who undermine Christians in light of Christ’s command to love our enemies?
A listener asks how she can share the faith with her non-religious family members.
00:00 | Intro
Links: Bishop Barron’s article in Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/olympics-anti-christian-display-reflects-cultural-decline-opinion-1933565 Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:48 | Matt Walsh’s recent “Am I Racist?” film
02:50 | Distinguishing bigotry from disagreement
03:56 | Distinguishing inhospitality from hostility
06:12 | Anti-Christian sentiment in history
08:43 | Taking opposition at its word
12:47 | How the Olympics opening ceremony provoked response
14:58 | Provocative acts of nonviolence
18:08 | Unpacking “turn the other cheek”
22:24 | Recent revival of religious interest
23:38 | Resistance as an act of love
25:07 | What’s to be done with anger?
26:22 | Pacifism and forceful resistance
28:51 | How the martyrs inform the Church
30:09 | Resistance to culture as a form of evangelization
31:11 | Listener question: How do I share my faith with non-religious family and friends?
32:49 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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Today we bring you Bishop Barron’s lecture from the 2023 New Ressourcement Conference. The New Ressourcement is a quarterly journal of theology and philosophy published by Word on Fire Academic. It serves the Church and the academy by publishing scholarly articles that demonstrate the depth and relevance of the Catholic tradition.
In the talk, Bishop Barron explains the roots of this theological movement, his own coming-of-age experience in a postconciliar Church, and the particular concerns this movement aims to address. Enjoy!
Links: The New Ressourcement: https://newressourcement.wordonfire.org/ 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.
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In 1968, a book called The Population Bomb written by entomologist Paul Ehrlich helped spark panic in the west that the global population was reaching a breaking point, saying too many human beings would soon cause widespread famine and social chaos.
This view that a growing human population is an existential threat to humanity remains widespread to this day. For example, University of Chicago political philosopher Martha Nussbaum recently stated that given the world’s current population, “no one should be having any children.” Contemporary empirical evidence, however, points in exactly the opposite direction. Deaths are already outpacing births in many regions of the world, resulting in precipitous declines in national populations. Is this good news for humanity? Are public policies aimed at population control justified? Is there such a thing as an ideal population size? Should anyone care about whether others choose to have children or not?
A listener asks whether we should continue going to confession if we keep committing the same sin over and over again.
00:00 | Intro
Links: Data for “Population Bomb”: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/book-incited-worldwide-fear-overpopulation-180967499/ Article on Martha Nussbaum: https://www.opindia.com/2024/05/india-has-too-many-people-they-dont-have-enough-to-eat-philosopher-martha-nussbaum-makes-drastic-claims-population-reduction/ Quote citation: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/apr/16/bill-maher-inflames-abortion-debate-by-saying-its-/ Abortion statistic: https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide Pew Research citation: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/07/25/the-experiences-of-u-s-adults-who-dont-have-children/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:49 | Seminarians kick off school year
03:00 | Assessing population decreases across the globe
05:36 | Increased attitudes against having children
08:24 | Unpacking “culture of death,” ego-drama, and theo-drama
11:33 | Childbearing as a societal good
12:35 | Population capping through public policy
14:07 | Human population and the environment
17:03 | Utilitarianism as a faulty moral theory for addressing population concerns
18:51 | Foregoing childbirth to spare potential children pain
21:20 | Foregoing childbirth to favor economic security
22:33 | Foregoing childbirth for lack of desire
24:55 | Old age without children
28:00 | The centrality of fruitfulness
29:14 | Pope St. Paul VI’s prophetic ban on artificial contraception
30:57 | How does the Church look forward?
34:05 | Listener question: Does repeating sins disqualify me from Confession?
36:35 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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We are happy to share Bishop Barron’s keynote address at the historic 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Enjoy.
Link: 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.
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The nature and purpose of the human body was once considered obvious. But it has come under attack from secular culture in some strange and even disturbing ways in recent years. Now, unfortunately, it is up for grabs. The Word on Fire Institute sought to address this confusion surrounding the body at our recent Wonder Conference, “Nature and the Human Body.” Drawing on rich theological, philosophical, scientific, medical, moral, political, technological, and artistic resources, the conference sought to reclaim an authentic understanding and deep appreciation for the body—its resilience and fragility, its joys and its sufferings, its transcendence and its temporality, and, above all, its wonder.
A listener asks how Catholics should think about near-death experiences and stories.
00:00 | Intro
Links: Interview with Selmer Bringsjord: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/selmer-bringsjord-on-life-and-logic/ Interview with Charles Camosy: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/charles-camosy-sounds-the-alarm/ Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:23 | Hosting the Wonder Conference in Bishop Barron’s own diocese
02:25 | Why we needed Wonder
03:50 | Understanding the false dichotomy of faith and science
06:20 | Addressing the question of body/soul unity
12:38 | Inherent dangers in dividing body and soul
15:36 | Can Catholic ministries give platforms to evolutionary biologists?
17:11 | Highlights from Dr. Heather Heying’s Wonder talk
18:45 | Beginning with the logos and intelligibility
20:04 | The human difference
21:04 | Bishop Barron Presents: liturgical artist Jonathan Pageau
23:06 | Materialism as an incoherent philosophy vs. scientific worldview
26:30 | The intelligibility of creation
27:36 | Fr. Robert Spitzer and the transcendent body
33:46 | Hope for reconciling faith and science in the public square
35:16 | Listener question
37:54 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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Recently, Bishop Barron traveled to the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. He gave a homily during a breakout session to all the priests present there, and now we are bringing it to you. Enjoy!
Link: 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.
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Some recent polling suggests that the number of those who identify with no religion has hit a ceiling, and it may even be declining. At the same time, a number of high-profile cultural influencers—even some formerly hostile to the faith—have either converted to Christianity or announced that they now identify as “cultural Christians.” Moreover, religion and politics, once considered verboten to mix, now seem to find themselves deeply intertwined.
How do we assess these cultural and political developments from an evangelical perspective? Is it really the case that society is becoming more receptive to Christianity? Are all these developments positive for the Church, or should we take a more cautious approach to evaluating what all this means for the future?
A listener asks what he can share with non-Catholics to perhaps change their minds.
00:00 | Intro
Links: Pew Research Data: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/24/has-the-rise-of-religious-nones-come-to-an-end-in-the-us/ Data on Women Leaving the Church: https://www.americansurveycenter.org/newsletter/young-women-are-leaving-church-in-unprecedented-numbers/ Washington Examiner: “Faith and flag: Trump allies push for deeply conservative second term” Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
01:32 | Bishop Barron’s update on the diocesan pastoral center
02:24 | Tracing the decline of Christianity in the West
06:07 | Assessing the decline of “nones” today
09:59 | Men, women, and trends of religious disaffiliation
13:45 | Public conversions and the indispensability of Christianity in culture
18:46 | Christianity, moral principles, and the legal system
23:09 | Is there broader cultural significance for the National Eucharistic Revival?
24:26 | Hopeful signs for Christianity in conversation
27:54 | Is interest in a broad Christianity simply good?
28:59 | What we can learn from the African and Eastern Churches
30:42 | Listener question
33:00 | Join the Word on Fire InstituteNOTE: 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.
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Today, we bring you the latter half of Bishop Barron's conversation with Patrick J. Deneen, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. In this engaging discussion, the two address topics relating to freedom, truth, and the political order.
Links: Part I of this discussion: WOF 448 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.
- Visa fler
