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Evangelization & Culture Podcast

Word on Fire Institute

Tod Worner discusses the culture, faith, literature, philosophy, history, and more in stimulating conversations with renown intellectuals of our time on the Evangelization & Culture Podcast. Tod also shares a reflection of his own and a book recommendation in each episode.

Tod curates more content like this in the quarterly print journal of the Word on Fire Institute, Evangelization & Culture. Learn more and become a member at WordonFire.Institute.

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22 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 36 min
English

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#83
September 8 · 1 hr 25 min
The Wisdom of Michael Oakeshott w/ Elizabeth Corey
If philosophy is about the search for truth, what happens when the tool we use in the search — our very mind — is littered with abstractions, deformed by biases, and dismissive of experience? We will hardly arrive at the truth. In exploring our modes of experiences and the ways we think, philosopher Michael Oakeshott uncovered the popular mistakes and ideological misunderstandings that cloud instead of clarify, mislead instead of enlighten. Join Baylor University Professor Elizabeth Corey and me as we chat about the brilliant ideas of Michael Oakeshott and why he matters today 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.
#82
August 25 · 1 hr 51 min
The Genius of Donald Kagan w/ Paul Rahe
How did a poor immigrant boy from Brooklyn rise to become Yale's Sterling Professor of Classics and History, achieve fame as the world's greatest scholar on Thucydides, and find himself compared to none other than Herodotus? Even more, how did he cultivate the wisdom of a mentor, the devotion of a father, and the kindness of a friend? Join Hillsdale Professor Paul Rahe and me as we explore the incredible journey and unlikely genius of Donald Kagan 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.
#81
August 11 · 53 min
'Christian Persecution Today' w/ Bishop Robert Barron
Soviet tyrant Joseph Stalin purportedly quipped, "One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic." Why has the twentieth century seen more Christians martyred than all previous centuries combined? And why are we curiously unaware of or numb to it? Join Bishop Robert Barron and me as we discuss his troubling yet important new book, What Do Their Deaths Demand? Christian Persecution Today 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.
#80
July 28 · 2 hr
'American Odyssey' w/ Patrick Deneen
How and why has a nearly three-thousand-year-old story about a man trying to find his way home electrified the twenty-first-century world? And in revisiting this story, what lessons can we learn about the wonder and vexation of the human condition? Join Dr. Patrick J. Deneen of the University of Notre Dame and me as we explore American Odyssey: What an Ancient Story Reveals about Our Divided Souls, his new book tackling Homer's old one, 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.
#79
July 14 · 1 hr 49 min
Why I Am Not an Atheist w/ Christopher Beha
In his masterful book Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton writes of an English yachtsman who set off to find a new island in the South Seas and, through slight miscalculation, landed confused and red-faced in merry old England. Award-winning novelist Christopher Beha can relate to that man. Drawn from his Catholic roots into the heady philosophy of Locke and Hobbes, Kant and Rousseau, Nietzsche and Heidegger, he found brilliant thought but also a glaring incompleteness. Join Christopher Beha and I as we discuss his tumultuous journey home to Catholicism in his riveting book Why I Am Not an Atheist 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.
#78
June 30 · 1 hr 45 min
'The Making of the American Mind' w/ Matthew Spalding
Responding to an inquiry about writing the Declaration of Independence, an aging Thomas Jefferson answered, "Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind." When the founders signed the Declaration, what were the historical, philosophical, and religious influences that brought it into being? Join Dr. Matthew Spalding and I as we discuss The Making of the American Mind, his captivating book on the origins, meaning, and writing of the Declaration of Independence 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.
#77
June 16 · 1 hr 18 min
'Excellent Sheep' w/ William Deresiewicz
Is our system of American education forming young adults who can achieve nearly anything but discern almost nothing? Are we striving to create masters of facts and monsters of efficiency or men and women of wisdom and purpose? What happens when the "How" of education eclipses the "Why"? Join Yale professor William Deresiewicz and me as we discuss his classic book, Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life, 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.
#76
June 2 · 1 hr 59 min
'Great Power Diplomacy' w/ A. Wess Mitchell
French Foreign Minister Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord quipped, "A diplomat who says 'yes' means 'maybe,' a diplomat who says 'maybe' means 'no,' and a diplomat who says 'no' is no diplomat." President Harry Truman observed, "Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes." And Prime Minister Winston Churchill grumbled, "Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions." Thanks to diplomacy, unlikely nations have grown empires, prevented wars, forged friendships, and made peace. Its successful execution is rooted in a keen understanding of human nature. Join A. Wess Mitchell and me as we discuss his book Great Power Diplomacy 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.
#75
May 19 · 1 hr 30 min
The Jacques Maritain Center w/ Therese Cory & Christopher Enabnit
How did a young agnostic wracked with doubt and contemplating suicide become one of the greatest Catholic philosophers of the twentieth century? Join me as I talk with Therese Cory and Christopher Enabnit of the University of Notre Dame's Jacques Maritain Center about the life, impact, and continuing relevance of Jacques Maritain 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.
#74
May 5 · 1 hr 45 min
How to Save Catholic Schools w/ Michael Ortner
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.
#73
April 21 · 1 hr 24 min
'The Desecration of Man' w/ Dr. Carl Trueman
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.
#72
April 7 · 1 hr 10 min
Machine Politics & "The Last Hurrah" w/ Charles Duffy
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.
#71
March 17 · 1 hr 34 min
The Virtue of Reading Classic Literature w/ Dr. Jennifer Frey
"When you read Shakespeare," Justice Antonin Scalia's high school English teacher thundered, "Shakespeare's not on trial, you are." What are we to do about college students purportedly incapable of reading, much less finishing, great novels? We are to double down and put in front of them what Matthew Arnold called, "the best which has been thought and said." Join Professor Jennifer Frey and me on The Evangelization & Culture Podcast as we discuss the virtue and necessity of reading classic literature and encouraging its meaningful consumption among the young. 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.
March 3 · 1 hr 53 min
Is Belief Believable? w/ Dr. Christopher Kaczor
Imagine you had ninety minutes to sit with an eminent philosopher who is also a devout Catholic and ask the most vexing questions about our faith. What would you ask? Does science disprove God? Are faith and reason opposed? Why isn't God's existence obvious? Does any evil disprove God's existence? These questions and many more inform Dr. Christopher Kaczor's excellent book, Is Belief Believable? Join Christopher Kaczor and me on The Evangelization & Culture Podcast as we explore the questions that lurk in the back of our minds but can be approached through sound philosophy and intelligent theology. 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.
#69
February 17 · 2 hr 10 min
The Making of a Saint w/ Monsignor Robert Sarno
What goes into the making of a saint? How does it feel to listen to testimonies, investigate miracles, and explore the lives of Mother Teresa and Padre Pio, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Fr. Damien of Molokai? What are the inner workings of the Holy See that usher some from servant of God to venerable to blessed to saint? Join Msgr. Robert Sarno, a key player in the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, and me as he reveals the fascinating and wondrous way that a person becomes a canonized saint 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.
#68
February 3 · 1 hr 19 min
The Promise and Peril of Social Media w/ Bishop Barron & Fr. Steve Grunow
Few phenomena have ushered in a greater sea change in mass communication and human relations than social media. What at once allows us to connect with family, meet new friends, and engage with (not simply observe) the world around us can also create enormous tensions, foster disinformation, and cultivate loneliness. Is social media a blessing or a curse? And how can Catholics tap into its evangelizing power without losing their own souls? Join Bishop Robert Barron, Fr. Steve Grunow, and me as we explore the promise and peril of social media 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.
#67
January 20 · 1 hr 55 min
On the Law of Speaking Freely w/ Dr. Adam Tomkins
Where does the notion of "free speech" come from? Why does it matter? How have powers attempted to suppress free speech and how have individuals sought to abuse it? Even more, where does "freedom of speech" fit into the life of the Catholic Church? Join Professor Adam Tomkins and me on The Evangelization & Culture Podcast for a riveting conversation about ideological times and his captivating book On the Law of Speaking Freely. 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.
#66
January 6 · 1 hr 47 min
Eating the Sunrise w/ Dr. Christopher West
What happens when we forget that behind the gorgeous redbud tree, the mesmerizing sunrise, and the exquisite infant child cradled in our arms is an ineffable God who loved them all into existence? We miss the sacramental in our lives and chase after honor, power, pleasure, and wealth, which are false infinites and sorry substitutes for God. Join Dr. Christopher West and me as we explore his book Eating the Sunrise, an examination of our hunger for beauty and the God who alone will satisfy it 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.
#65
Dec 23, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Your Eucharistic Identity w/ Fr. Gregory Pine
G. K. Chesterton asserted, "We have all forgotten our names. We have all forgotten what we really are." Is this true? In an age of identity politics and identity confusion, are we defined solely by race or sex, nationality or disability? Or are we something infinitely more? Join Fr. Gregory Pine and me as we explore our truest nature and our greatest selves in his new book, Your Eucharistic Identity, 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.
#64
Dec 9, 2025 · 1 hr 37 min
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol w/ Dwight Lindley
We are all familiar with Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, featuring Ebenezer Scrooge and Marley's Ghost, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. And yet, even so, every year, millions eagerly read the story, watch the film, or attend the play. Why does a 182-year-old English ghost story still captivate us today? In what way are we ourselves haunted by the temptation to selfishness in a world hungry for kindness and generosity? Join Professor Dwight Lindley and me as we explore the soaring heights and the profound depths found in A Christmas Carol 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.

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