
The 8 Principles of Word on Fire

Bishop Barron has spoken about his dream of evolving Word on Fire from a ministry into a movement. The first step of that process is to form a community of evangelists who share the same mission and desire to proclaim Christ to the culture using beauty, goodness, and truth.
This was the primary motive behind the establishment of the Word on Fire Institute, an easy-to-use digital platform offering members specialized training, community discussions, live presentations, and more. The Institute launched on October 1, 2018—the feast day of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Word on Fire’s heavenly patroness.
Now, you can take courses in theology, philosophy, evangelization, and culture from Bishop Barron and the Word on Fire Institute Fellows on any of your devices.
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.
Hans Urs von Balthasar was one of the greatest Catholic theologians of the twentieth century. Henri de Lubac called him the “most cultured man in Europe.” The thought of this highly prolific intellectual was unique, profound, orthodox, and, through and through, Christocentric.
“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.
Jared Zimmerer and Dr. Matt Nelson kicked off the first-ever Word on Fire Institute Digital Summit with a discussion about the mission of the Institute and their favorite moments and takeaways from the interviews.
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“salvation”—and where the media constantly bombards us with the idea that the teachings of the Church are irrelevant, outdated, or bigoted?
Catholics believe along with St. Paul that the Bible is “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16). But with the growing number of religiously unaffiliated people in the world, our culture’s understanding of the Bible and its contents is more lacking and skewed than perhaps ever before.
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.
Why is community so important to Christian life and evangelization? What are some practical ways we can increase fellowship among our own neighborhoods and parishes?
In this 12-part course, Bishop Barron examines Newman’s many theological contributions, which are important in understanding Vatican II and in addressing the challenge of modernity. Participants will 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.
Evangelization & Culture, the Journal of
the Word on Fire Institute, is published
quarterly and offered exclusively to Word
on Fire Institute Members. It exists to be
a tangible representation of the Word on
Fire Institute’s mission and goal: to lead
with beauty in order to bring others to the
knowledge of truth. It features academic
writing from premier theologians and
inspiring bits of literature, culture, and
daily life from fellow missionaries on the
journey to know and serve Christ.
The Word on Fire Institute publishes two podcasts to aid you in your mission of evangelization--during your morning commute, while the kids are napping, or when you simply need to revive your zeal for engaging the culture.
Subscribe to listen to The John Allen Show and the new Evangelization & Culture Show podcasts today.
Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is also the host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary about the Catholic faith, which aired on public television.
John Allen Jr. is the editor of Crux, the leading Catholic news source, specializing in coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church. He has written eleven books on the Vatican and Catholic affairs and is a popular speaker on Catholicism. He is also a senior Vatican analyst for CNN. In addition to hosting The John Allen Show, John will be offering an exclusive Q&A to Institute members each month.
Leah Libresco grew up as an atheist and converted to Catholicism in 2012 while at Yale. Her conversion unfolded through her popular blog, Unequally Yoked, and was also covered by various media outlets including CNN, NBC News, and The Blaze.
Fr. Stephen Gadberry is an Air Force veteran where he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007. He studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he specialized in both the Theology and Spirituality of Saint Augustine and of Joseph Ratzinger. He has appeared on the hit television show American Ninja Warrior.
Dr. Holly Ordway is a Professor of English in the M.A. in Apologetics at Houston Baptist University. She is the author of Apologetics and the Christian Imagination: An Integrated Approach to Defending the Faith and Not God’s Type: An Atheist Academic Lays Down Her Arms.
Fr. Damian Ference is a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland. He holds degrees in Divinity and Philosophy from the Borromeo Seminary/John Carroll University, Saint Mary Seminary, and the Catholic University of America. He is currently a doctoral student in philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, Italy.
Dr. Stacy Trasancos teaches chemistry and physics for Kolbe Academy and theology and science courses for Holy Apostles and Seton Hall University. She is the author of Science Was Born of Christianity: The Teaching of Fr. Stanley L. Jaki and Particles of Faith: A Catholic Guide to Navigating Science.
Dr. Anthony Pagliarini earned Theology and Philosophy degrees from Notre Dame, the Angelicum in Rome, and the International Theological Institute in Austria. Anthony and his wife Katie live in South Bend, Indiana with their four children. They teach in the Department of Theology at Notre Dame.
Dr. Jennifer Frey is currently an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina. Previously, she was a Collegiate Assistant Professor of Humanities at the University of Chicago. She earned her PhD in philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also a wife and mother of six.
Dr. Christopher Kaczor is Professor of Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He holds a PhD (1996) from the University of Notre Dame. He has authored several books and his research has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, National Review, NPR, BBC, EWTN, ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, MSNBC, and The Today Show.
Dr. Matthew Petrusek is the Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He has published in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, the Journal of Moral Philosophy, and Philosophy and Theology, and has served as an on-air analyst for Noticias Mundo Fox and CNN Español.
Dr. Tod Worner is a husband, father, Catholic, convert, and practicing internal medicine physician. He is the Managing Editor of the Word on Fire Institute Journal, Evangelization & Culture. His blog Catholic Thinking is found at Aleteia. He also writes for Patheos and the National Catholic Register. Follow him on Twitter @thinkercatholic.
Robert Mixa is the Fellow of Education at the Word on Fire Institute. He earned a BA in Philosophy from Saint Louis University and a Masters in Theological Studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Prior to joining the Word on Fire Institute, he taught high school philosophy and theology near Chicago.
Jared Zimmerer is the Director of the Word on Fire Institute, and holds a Master’s Degree in Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He is an author, speaker, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, with a passion for the sports and fitness culture. He has written two books, The Ten Commandments of Lifting Weights and Man Up! Becoming the New Catholic Renaissance Man.
Dr. Matt Nelson is the Assistant Director of the Word on Fire Institute. He holds a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto. He is currently pursuing a MA in philosophy from Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He has been a regular contributor to the Catholic Answers Online Magazine, Strange Notions, and the Word on Fire Blog.
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Our Online Community is full of theological and practical threads that discuss the content and concepts offered within each Word on Fire Institute course. But the forums are also filled with the questions, musings, and prayers of other incredible people on the same mission—to encounter Christ and to share that encounter with the world.
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We are currently working on a scholarship program for consecrated and ordained religious.
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You can update it on the “My Account” page. Just look for the big orange “Update Card” button.
Is there an app I can use on mobile for the Institute?
We do not currently have an app. Can the Institute be used within my parish?
The Word on Fire Institute is meant for individual instruction. For parishes, Word on Fire offers the Word on Fire ENGAGE program. Email mfranz@wordonfire.org for more info!
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You will be charged $27 on the first day of your first month of membership. The charges will continue on that same date for each subsequent month of membership.
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