The Word on Fire Institute

Why should you be Catholic, and what does the Catholic faith have to say about the ultimate value and purpose of your life? Although many of us can intellectually defend important doctrines or quickly recount the stories of great saints, it is often more difficult to situate our own everyday lives within the grand scheme of salvation history.

In this new course, Rediscovering the Catholic Narrative, Dr. Tod Worner seeks to give viewers a clearer understanding of both the universal validity and individual uniqueness of the Catholic story. Focusing on the four key aspects of dignity, calling, suffering, and grace, he makes a case for Catholicism rooted in our everyday experiences of God.



Tod Worner is a husband, father, practicing internal medicine physician, Managing Editor of the Evangelization & Culture journal, and host of the Evangelization & Culture Podcast. His writing can be found at Word on Fire, Aleteia, Patheos, National Catholic Register, and @thinkercatholic. 

To many, the biblical book of Genesis seems mysterious and confusing. At best, it contains ancient stories that are irrelevant to the modern reader; at worst, it forces upon Christians irrational beliefs that have been disproven by scientific findings. What value does Genesis truly hold for us today, and how are we to properly read it so as to avoid such pitfalls?

In this Word on Fire Institute course, Dr. Christopher Kaczor argues that Genesis provides perennial wisdom for human living, urging viewers to familiarize themselves with the pivotal text. Working through its first eleven chapters—which cover creation, the fall, the flood, and more—he both demonstrates how to interpret them in a way consistent with modern knowledge and extrapolates from them sage advice of everlasting relevance. Any believer or nonbeliever who feels intimidated by these dense narratives will benefit from Dr. Kaczor’s important exegesis.

Dr. Christopher Kaczor is Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University and the St. Thomas Aquinas Fellow for the Renewal of Catholic Intellectual Life at the Word on Fire Institute. He has authored several books, and his research on issues of ethics, philosophy, and religion has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, National Review, the Today Show, and more.

The Word on Fire Institute’s inaugural Wonder Conference on January 13 and 14, 2023 served as an opportunity to engage with theologians and other experts on important issues at the intersection of the Catholic faith and secular culture.

In this course recap, you can hear from these powerful voices—the voices of astrophysicists, educators, medical physicians, and friars, among others, on topics such as science and the Church, evolution, happiness, artificial intelligence, and many more.

Part of every Christian’s evangelical task is being able to present a coherent argument for the faith to others. This, however, requires a knowledge of philosophy, a subject that has largely been discarded in modern-day argumentation.

In this course, Dr. Matthew Nelson endeavors to shed philosophy’s bad reputation as ‘primitive’ or ‘anti-science’ and re-establish its essential place in man’s search for truth and meaning. Drawing on wisdom from the saints and Magisterium, he both explains abstract metaphysical concepts and shows viewers how to apply them to actual arguments for and against the existence of God. Addressing topics such as the new atheism, the rise of scientism, and the relationship between faith and reason, he makes a case for using philosophy to more fully know and love God, who is as much the captivator of minds as he is the compeller of hearts.

Matthew Nelson is an apologist and practicing chiropractor. He holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy from Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He is the author of Just Whatever: How to Help the Spiritually Indifferent Find Beliefs That Really Matter and editor of The New Apologetics.

Catholicism 101 is an instructional and engaging video series presenting the basic truths of the Catholic faith over the course of 20 videos.

Presented by a range of contemporary evangelists—including Sr. Josephine Garrett, Fr. Stephen Gadberry, actor Jonathan Roumie from the “Chosen” series, and many more—Catholicism 101 will help you catechize, evangelize, and encourage others to proclaim Christ in the culture.

Many opponents of religion today view the Christian faith as anti-science, claiming that recent astronomical discoveries disprove its foundational claims. Even Christians themselves often struggle to reconcile modern research with the revealed truths of the Scriptures and the existence of a Creator God. In this course, Dr. Karin Öberg addresses this perceived divide, exploring the findings of contemporary cosmology through a Christian lens to demonstrate what is in fact a fundamental compatibility.

Over the course of four lessons and covering topics like the creation of the world, the size and knowability of the universe, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life, she offers to viewers a thoroughly informed yet religiously orthodox approach to understanding the world around them.

Dr. Öberg is professor of astronomy at Harvard University and serves on the board of the Society of Catholic Scientists. With a speciality in astrochemistry, she researches how chemical processes affect the outcome of planet formation, especially the habitability of nascent planets.

This course explores how humor can be a means of sanctification. Through the cardinal and theological virtues, you will discover the clear connections between comedy and Catholicism. Catholicism helps direct comedy to its proper end, while comedy sheds light on how to live a better Catholic life. And on top of that, you will learn a few practical tips for writing better jokes.

Jeremy McLellan, both a Catholic and professional standup comedian, has spent years performing for a variety of audiences. Along the way, he’s been consumed with the questions he’ll be addressing in this series. Is there a uniquely Catholic understanding of comedy? Is humor part of the Catholic life? Can humor make us better people? Can jokes be a tool for evangelism? Should comedians be political? Are some jokes too offensive or too soon? Is nothing sacred? And, most importantly, is political correctness ruining comedy?

In this course, Andrew Petiprin takes you inside several important texts that express how the Church thinks about Protestants and explain how they belong with us in the Catholic church. You’ll look at the life and work of St. John Henry Newman, particularly his Apologia Pro Vita Sua. The other key works include Pastor Aeternus by Pope Pius IX; Unitatis Redintegratio, the Second Vatican Council’s document on ecumenism; Pope St. John Paul II’s landmark ecumenical document, Ut Unum Sint; and to conclude, Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic constitution of 2009, Anglicanorum Coetibus.

Join Andrew, formerly a Protestant minister in the Episcopal church himself, as he offers a courageous way forward. Let us all pray that we may be fully equipped by Holy Spirit to welcome our Protestant brothers and sisters back to the Church.

The focus of this course is a key event at the birth of the modern world, the Protestant Reformation.

Bishop Barron believes it is truly important for Catholics to have a substantive understanding of this seminal event. Over the lessons, he will discuss the thought of Martin Luther and John Calvin, the two most important of the Protestant reformers. Then we will look at the Catholic Church’s official response to the Reformation at the Council of Trent—a response that was both appreciative and critical.

You will complete the course with a better understanding of the Reformation and a better sense of how to engage our Protestant brothers and sisters.

Today, much of our social and political dialogue is dominated by ideological thinking. But the many ideologies that are now considered mainstream—such as liberalism, fascism, socialism, and more—all have one thing in common: a lack of transcendence. In seeking to achieve the perfect society apart from God, they end up creating societies that lack true justice, solidarity, and pursuit of the good.

Thankfully, there is an alternative—not an alternative ideology, but an antidote to ideological thinking itself. In this course, Dr. Matthew Petrusek contrasts various ideologies with Catholic social ethics, demonstrating how only a Catholic worldview can shape our society into one where both the individual and the community flourish. Navigating various ideological approaches to relevant issues—including free speech, human dignity, and the perfection of society—Petrusek proposes Catholic solutions that avoid common ideological pitfalls while attaining real social progress. With an emphasis on grace and an eye toward heaven, these lessons offer a path forward that is as hopeful as it is realistic.

We need our writing to show forth what is good, true, and beautiful in an intentional way that is artistically compelling while presenting the faith as meaningful through the power of the imagination. This involves a lot of skills that require time to learn and do well.

Dr. Holly Ordway’s course is for anyone interested in creative writing and the power of writing for evangelization. You will find insight into the way the imagination works for evangelization and explore different forms and genres as you discover how to get started and grow as an author. We’ll look at the foundations of the writer’s life, both practical and spiritual. We’ll also look at the writing process and different forms: creative non-fiction, personal testimonies, poetry, fiction, drama, and more. All of this will give you a view of the great range, diversity, and opportunity that writing provides for evangelization.

Blending social science and Catholicism, this course combines cutting-edge research and top-notch scholarship with the lives of great saints and our incredible inheritance of Church teaching. There are even surprising places to discover where secular science reinforces sacred wisdom. Plus, you’ll receive clear take-aways and action items that you can put into practice right now—to build more happiness for yourself, and to help you share more joy and peace with your family, your friends, and everyone else God puts before you!

Dr. Christopher Baglow of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute of Church Life considers the mysteries of the Catholic Faith in dialogue with scientific discoveries, allowing us avoid the shallowness that John Paul II says debases the Gospel and leaves us ashamed before history.

This course introduces us to some of the richest insights of the Catholic intellectual tradition. We confront the problem of evil amidst God’s good creation and confront fundamental questions: What makes being human so special? How might modern science become a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block to understanding what we believe?

Join us for a multi-day conversation on the crossroads between faith and science.

In this course, Dr. Matthew Nelson explains how to engage people who are confident in their nonbelief but willing to seriously consider reasons for believing in Christianity.

Bishop Barron leads us on a journey through the life of Dante and his major work, The Divine Comedy, the great literary treasure dedicated to the Catholic Faith and the understanding of the dynamics of the Christian spiritual life.

Welcome to the Word on Fire Institute! This course will give you the basic knowledge necessary to navigate the site and interact with our community of evangelists. Scroll down to get started.

In her course, Haley Stewart unpacks the treasures of the Liturgical Year and explores how liturgical living can strengthen the Domestic Church or the life of faith in the family.

In this course, Dr. Stephen Bullivant walks through the demographics of the religiously unaffiliated and how the Church can better reach them.

In this course, Elizabeth Scalia walks us through the five S’s of effective evangelization: storytelling, Scripture, sacraments, saints, and small moments.

In this course, Fr. Murray highlights and explains the spirituality of the downward path and the upward ascent to the new sacred. Each lesson develops the biblical truth that God loved us first and desires us to partake in the fullness of his divine life.

In this course, Bishop Barron introduces the spiritual dynamics of Biblical exegesis in Origen and St. Augustine of Hippo.

Dr. Tod Worner laments that his education was mostly lacking in reading classic literature. Only after obtaining his degree did Dr. Worner start to read the great books, and he came to realize the profound wisdom therein. In this course, Dr. Worner shares the wisdom he has learned from classic literature, and why all of us should read them.

The narrative that science and Christianity are enemies is false. Not only are they not enemies but Christianity helped science develop beyond the limits imposed on it by ancient cosmologies. In this course, Dr. Trasancos introduces evangelists to the basics of science and why there is no conflict between science and Christianity.

Secularism is the predominate worldview in the West. However, it does not answer the deepest longing of the human heart. In this course, Dr. Petrusek explains how Catholics can save Secularism from itself.

Thomas Merton was one of the greatest spiritual writers of the last century. Despite his personal struggles, he inspired many people to seek holiness by applying the wisdom of monasticism to life outside the monastery. In this course, Jared Zimmerer explains Merton’s evangelical spirituality and stresses its significance today.

In this course, Dr. Jennifer Frey teaches us about what true happiness is and how morality and virtue play a part in achieving it. Referring to Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and modern figures like Elizabeth Anscombe, Dr. Frey demonstrates the link between morality and the meaning of life. All people seek meaning in life and as evangelists, we must be able to discuss the depth of this universal question.

Knowing your audience is very important in effective evangelization. In this course, Fr. Stephen Gadberry distinguishes the different types of people you will likely meet, including: the religiously hostile, the fallen-away Catholic, the spiritual but not religious, and the modern-day scribe and Pharisee. His advice is based on years of experience as a Catholic priest engaging people about the faith. In this course, Fr. Gadberry illustrates how to engage the people we are bound to meet in the culture and how to effectively attract them towards Jesus Christ.

In this course, Bishop Barron will examine Newman’s many theological contributions, which are important in understanding Vatican II and in addressing the challenge of modernity. You’ll be introduced to Newman by looking at his most significant texts: his autobiography Apologia Pro Vita Sua, the theologically meaningful Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, the educationally pertinent The Idea of a University, and the challenging An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent.

In this course Christian Community as Leaven for the World, Leah Libresco will explore how to build up Christian community through simple acts of love and friendship, showing why community is so important to the Christian life.

There are many myths about the Catholic Church that are popular in today’s culture. In the following course, Dr. Christopher Kaczor highlights the big seven myths, distinguishing fact from fiction about Catholicism. This course will help you better address many controversial topics from contraception to women and the priesthood.

How do we share the Faith in a culture where many people don’t understand what we mean by words like ‘sin’ or ‘salvation’ – and where the media constantly bombards us with the idea that the teachings of the Church are irrelevant, outdated, or bigoted?

All too often, people aren’t even interested in hearing about the Faith! Especially when we seek to reach young people or bring back those who have left the Church, we must find ways to communicate more effectively – in short, to make our arguments meaningful. Here, the imagination is essential but often neglected.

In this course, Dr. Holly Ordway focuses on the role of the imagination in apologetics, showing how attention to language and meaning can make the work of catechesis and evangelization much more effective.

In this course, Fr. Damian Ference will take us through numerous examples from the Gospels, his own life, and the philosophy of several saints on ways in which we evangelize. Each of these examples are modeled on the life of Christ. 

There might be times in which we think of the task of evangelization and feel overwhelmed. Perhaps we aren’t quite sure where to connect with people. Perhaps we’re worried that we might say or do the wrong thing. Sometimes, we might even think that the culture is too far gone for us to find a place to start. 

In the following lessons, listen in as Fr. Damian Ference covers how it is that Christ evangelizes and how many of the best moments in the Gospels apply both to our own spiritual lives, as well as our evangelical mission. 

“Man no longer wishes to reflect on his relationship with God because he himself intends to become God,” assessed Robert Cardinal Sarah in his acclaimed book God or Nothing. Indeed, in this hyper-individualistic age characterized by spreading religious disaffiliation and relativism, his diagnosis seems spot on. 

How do you evangelize someone who doesn’t care to take religion seriously in the first place? The aim of this course is to provide you with intellectual ammo and practical strategies that will help you to successfully evangelize the spiritually indifferent. 

In this course, you will learn the animating principles of the Word on Fire movement and the guiding lights of the Word on Fire Institute. These principles stem from the years of Bishop Robert Barron’s evangelical work and have been recognized as the foundational pillars of our spirituality of evangelization.

Each of the principles reflects an integral aspect of the life of a Word on Fire evangelist.