A spirited debate has arisen in the Catholic scientific community: How do we understand intelligent design? Should Catholic scientists subscribe to a “God in the gaps” argument where scientifically inexplicable phenomena provide irrefutable evidence for the hand of God? Or should they understand intelligent design less through a biological lens than a philosophical lens helped by the works of St. Thomas Aquinas? As Catholics, if we believe God is the source and sustenance of creation, is the argument over intelligent design a quibbling quarrel or of seismic importance? Join me as I discuss The Question of Intelligent Design with professors Dan Kuebler and Christopher Baglow.

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.

What happens when a young law student volunteers for a presidential campaign one day, only to find himself assisting with President Nixon’s memoirs and penning President Reagan’s inaugural address the next? Through these surreal experiences, what did Ken Khachigian learn about his presidents, himself, and the complexity of human nature? Join me and Ken Khachigian as we discuss his gripping memoir, Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan and Nixon. 

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.

What happens when a gaggle of talented Dominican priests and brothers, steeped in prayer and study, pick up guitar and banjo, fiddle and washboard? You get crackin’ good music for the front porch—music that explores the soaring heights of God and the gritty trudge of man. Join me and Fr. Justin Bolger as we delve into the inspiration for and the music of The Hillbilly Thomists.

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.

Catholicism is the inspiration for soaring architecture, exquisite artwork, and sublime music. But what about poetry? And where should one begin? Eminent poet and Catholic convert Sally Read tells us that, “Poetry is the sister of prayer.” Join me and Sally Read as we discuss the extraordinary works of Catholic verse over two millennia in 100 Great Catholic Poems.

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.

In a letter to the Massachusetts militia, John Adams wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” What are the origins of our system of democracy? How is it faring in the modern world? And what becomes of democracy if it is no longer informed by a moral and religious sensibility? Join me and Bishop Barron, as we discuss the gripping perils and hopeful potential of democracy. 

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.

What exactly is liberalism? And what has it become? Having evolved from a hard-earned freedom to be virtuous, to a freedom for unaccountable licentiousness, liberalism—according to Dr. Patrick Deneen—has failed. Join me and Dr. Deneen, author of Why Liberalism Failed and Regime Change, as we discuss what happened to a compelling idea and what we should do next.

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.

In 1978, a Soviet dissident and former Gulag prisoner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn stood before the graduating class of Harvard University and offered the commencement address. But it wasn’t the address they expected (or necessarily wanted). In fact, it caused great angst among the contented intellectual classes. Join me and Dr. Gary Saul Morson, eminent professor of Russian literature as we consider the shock and lasting relevance of Solzhenitsyn’s Harvard address. 

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.

G.K. Chesterton once observed, “What the world wants, what the world is waiting for, is not Modern Poetry or Classical Poetry or Neo-Classical Poetry—but Good Poetry.” Well, have I got some good poetry for you! Join me and award-winning poet James Matthew Wilson as we delve into why poetry matters and unpack excerpts from his new book, Saint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds.

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.

Contrary to the opinion of many outside of the Catholic Church, Mary is not worshiped—she is loved and venerated. As the earthly Mother of God, Mary prays with us and for us, forever telling us what she told friends at the Wedding at Cana, “Do whatever Jesus tells you.” Join me and journalist Alexandra DeSanctis as we explore the strength and beauty of the Mother of God and just why Mary matters.

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.

Recently, Fr. Stephen Gadberry found an otherwise idyllic Saturday morning upset by a searing engagement with a parishioner in need. Reflecting on the experience later, he mused, “You have a plan and God has a plan and your plan doesn’t matter.” Join me and Fr. Stephen Gadberry as we discuss life’s uncertain paths and the loving God who forever accompanies us. 

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.

In the wake of a willful youth and a harrowing brush with death, Tammy Peterson discovered something: she is not in control. Through reluctant surrender and a budding trust, a prayerful companion, and a grandmother’s Rosary, Tammy Peterson found her way to the Catholic Church. Join Tod and Tammy Peterson as they explore her winding road and exhilarating entry into the rich graces of the Catholic faith.  

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.