Evangelization & Culture Podcast

Catholic schools are indispensable to the proper formation of our young. Many are blessed with visionary leaders, devoted teachers, balanced budgets, and a heart for Christ. But many Catholic schools struggle with tepid leadership, burned-out teachers, rising debts, and a loss of Catholic identity. What can be done to reclaim Catholic identity and revive the success of Catholic schools? Join Michael Ortner and I as we explore insights from The Catholic School Playbook about how to make Catholic schools soar once again on The Evangelization & Culture Podcast. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of The Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.

When the madman from Friedrich Nietzsche's book The Gay Science burst into the marketplace declaring the murder of God, he concluded that he had arrived too soon, for those who had killed God were tragically unaware. What happens when we no longer shape our lives by the assurances and expectations, the wisdom and graces of God? Man and woman become desecrated. Join Dr. Carl Trueman and I as we explore our cultural calamity and the way to recovery in his gripping book The Desecration of Man on The Evangelization & Culture Podcast. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of The Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.

Operators. Manipulators. Cynical. Corrupt. Sadly, these are caustic terms forever used to describe politicians. But, in truth, are politicians entirely bad? Submerged in the incorrigible human condition, are they beyond all hope of authenticity, redemption, or goodness? Join Professor Charles Duffy of Providence College and me as we explore the complicated life of Irish machine politician Frank Skeffington in The Last Hurrah, one of the greatest political novels of the twentieth century, on The Evangelization & Culture Podcast. Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of The Evangelization & Culture Podcast biweekly on WordOnFire.org, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can get more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture.

Dr. Jennifer Frey, philosophy professor and former honors college dean known for her work on virtue and classical education, discusses why young readers are returning to Dostoyevsky and other great books. She explores storytelling’s role in shaping moral imagination. She defends liberal education against metric-driven trends and explains why a flexible literary canon and critics matter for forming thoughtful readers.

Dr. Christopher Kaczor, a philosophy professor and Catholic author, joins to tackle big questions about faith and reason. Short, sharp conversations cover why humans seek truth and how brokenness motivates growth. They discuss faith and science, the problem of evil, divine hiddenness, civil conversation across differences, and practical ways to cope with suffering.

Monsignor Robert Sarno, a Vatican canon law expert who worked on many causes of canonization. He recounts cures like Pier Giorgio Frassati’s, explains how causes begin and progress through tribunals and medical scrutiny, describes paths to sainthood (martyrdom, heroic virtue, offering of life), and outlines the dicastery’s inner workings and checks on veneration.

Fr. Steve Grunow, Chicago priest leading Word on Fire’s digital strategy, and Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire known for public theology, discuss social media’s promise and peril. They explore communication as the church’s mission. They talk about beauty and art in outreach, risks of online mobs and misinformation, AI and disembodied art, and practical formation for online ministry.

Join Dr. Adam Tomkins, John Millar Professor of Public Law at the University of Glasgow and author of On the Law of Speaking Freely, as he explores the rich history of free speech. He discusses its vital role in human flourishing and links it to the Reformation and freedom of conscience. Tomkins argues that without the ability to express beliefs, conscience loses its meaning. He highlights the tensions between free speech and modern regulations, advocating for well-defined laws against hate speech while warning about the dangers of overreach.

Join Dr. Christopher West, a scholar and author renowned for his insights on Theology of the Body, as he explores the deep connections between beauty and the divine. He discusses how encounters with beauty awaken our yearning for the eternal, and contrasts true eros with misguided desires. West emphasizes the sacramentality of creation, illustrating how the human body reveals God's mystery. He also reflects on suffering, the significance of the Eucharist, and the transformative journey from descent to ascent in our spiritual lives.

Fr. Gregory Pine, a Catholic priest and theologian, delves into the concept of Eucharistic identity, discussing how modern culture has forgotten its true nature. He explores identity as worship, tracing distortions to the fall and the breakdown of family and church. The conversation touches on God's hiddenness, the cost of discipleship, and the transformative power of the Eucharist. Fr. Pine emphasizes practical habits for a deeper Eucharistic life, ultimately showing how participation in the Eucharist helps us realize our fullest selves.