What wisdom does the Roman Catholic Church hold for our modern world? Can it become more inclusive? Join us as we speak to Ruth Roth, a Roman Catholic Woman Priest, who was ordained by a Bishop of the Church as part of one such effort.
Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com.
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Jul 3
Richard K. Payne and Glen A. Hayes eds., "The Oxford Handbook of Tantric Studies" (Oxford UP, 2024)
Since the earliest encounters between tantric traditions and Western scholars of religion, tantra has posed a challenge. The representation of tantra, whether in Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Tibet, or Japan, has tended to emphasize the antinomian, decadent aspects, which, as attention-gra ... Show More
38m 48s
Jun 17
Isaac Portilla, "Interfaith Dialogue and Mystical Consciousness in India: Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, the Hari-Hara Mystery, and the Hindu-Christian Encounter" (Routledge, 2025)
Interfaith Dialogue and Mystical Consciousness in India: Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, the Hari-Hara Mystery, and the Hindu-Christian Encounter (Routledge, 2025) is a research inquiry in interfaith studies that uses hermeneutical phenomenology to address vexing issues arisi ... Show More
38m 37s
Jun 16
Brook Ziporyn, "Experiments in Mystical Atheism: Godless Epiphanies from Daoism to Spinoza and Beyond" (U Chicago Press, 2024)
A new approach to the theism-scientism divide rooted in a deeper form of atheism.Western philosophy is stuck in an irresolvable conflict between two approaches to the spiritual malaise of our times: either we need more God (the “turn to religion”) or less religion (the New Atheis ... Show More
2h 7m
May 2023
WOF 388: What Is the Laity’s Role in Evangelization?
Friends, in February 2023, at the Sharing the Church’s Story Conference in London, I reflected on the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and how these counsels can be lived out by the laity. Vatican II wanted great Catholic parents, great Catholic lawyers, ... Show More
43m 54s
Jan 2024
WOF 420: The Catholic Intellectual Tradition
Today, we’re excited to share with you Bishop Barron’s recent talk at Harvard University titled “The Catholic Intellectual Tradition,” sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Forum. Bishop Barron explores some foundational themes in the Catholic intellectual tradition, including God, t ... Show More
37m 27s
Jun 2023
WOF 389: Catholics and the Culture of Contempt
Friends, what fuels our modern “culture of contempt,” so prevalent online? And how can Catholics resist it? A helpful new book by John Allen, Jr., Catholics and Contempt, seeks to answer those questions, and on today’s “Word on Fire Show” I discuss the book with Brandon Vogt. A l ... Show More
29m 44s
Sep 2023
Preaching lessons from Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman
“I had the great privilege of never having a man formally teach me preaching,” boasts Manuel Williams about his training for the priesthood. One of his teachers was Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A.; the other was Joan Delaplane, an Adrian Dominican sister and the first ... Show More
34m 44s
Nov 2023
WOF 414: What Makes a University Catholic?
Today, we’re excited to share with you a talk that Bishop Barron recently gave at the University of Notre Dame titled “What Makes a University Catholic?” The talk was cosponsored by the Notre Dame Student Government, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, the McGrath Instit ... Show More
49m 48s
Nov 2022
WOF 359: Religion, Politics, and Intolerance
Friends, what is the role of religion in civic life? Must we bracket religion from the political sphere? Those are pressing questions as we near the midterm elections. On today’s “Word on Fire Show,” Brandon Vogt and I discuss the relationship between politics and religion and th ... Show More
28m 8s
Apr 2024
Episode #97- April 10, 2024: Snake Oil: Manifestation and Mindfulness with Special Guest Fr. Christopher Brashears
#97: Snake Oil: Manifestation and Mindfulness Slippery Cultural Myths Masquerading as Truth Today, we are joined again by Father Christopher Brashears from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Fr. Brashears is a parish priest, canon lawyer, and member of the Archdiocesan Tribunal. I ... Show More
34m 10s