  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. 

WOF 438: Damned Alone—But Saved Together

Join Bishop Robert Barron for a weekly podcast on faith and culture. Find more episodes at http://WordOnFireShow.com and submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.com.

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  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/         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. 

WOF 439: Is Christianity Useful to the West?

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/   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.

WOF 437: Is Safety Culture Good for Us?

  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. 

WOF 436: Dante’s Poetic Vision of Hell

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 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. 

WOF 438: Damned Alone—But Saved Together

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