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Exploring Catholic Theology: Essays on God, Liturgy, and Evangelization
Robert Barron is one of the Catholic Church's premier theologians and author of the influential The Priority of Christ. In this volume, Barron sets forth a thoroughgoing vision for an evangelical catholic theology that is steeped in the tradition and engaged with the contemporary world. Striking a balance between academic rigor and accessibility, the book covers issues of perennial interest in the twenty-first-century church: who God is, how to rightly worship him, and how his followers engage contemporary culture. Topics include the doctrine of God, Catholic theology, philosophy, liturgy, and evangelizing the culture. This work will be of special interest to readers concerned about the so-called "new atheism."
266 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2015
106 people are currently reading
559 people want to read
About the author
Robert Barron
217 books839 followersBishop Robert Emmet Barron is an acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian. He is the former Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago and also is the founder of Word On Fire (www.WordOnFire.org).
Bishop Barron is the creator and host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking ten-part documentary series and study program about the Catholic faith. He is a passionate student of art, architecture, music and history, which he calls upon throughout his global travels in the making of the documentary.
Word On Fire programs are broadcast regularly on WGN America, Relevant Radio, CatholicTV, EWTN, the popular Word on Fire YouTube Channel, and the Word on Fire website, which offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries, and over ten years of weekly sermon podcasts. In 2010, Father Barron was the first priest to have a national show on a secular television network since the 1950s.
Fr. Barron received his Masters Degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC in 1982 and his doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique in 1992. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1986 and has been a professor of systematic theology at the nation's largest Catholic seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary since 1992. He was visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame in 2002 and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2007. He was also twice scholar in residence at the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican.
In addition, Fr. Barron lectures extensively in the United States and abroad. Cardinal Francis George calls Fr. Barron “one of the Church’s best messengers.
Fr. Barron was baptized at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago and grew up at St. John of the Cross parish in Western Springs, Illinois.
WordOnFire.org - Fr. Barron's website launched in 1999 and currently draws over 1 million visitors a year from every continent. Fr. Barron posts weekly video clips, commentaries and radio sermons and offers an audio archive of over 500 homilies. Podcasts of his sermons are widely used by tens of thousands of visitors each month.
TV - EWTN (The Eternal Word Television Network) and CatholicTV broadcasts Fr. Barron's DVDs to a worldwide audience of over 150 million people.
Radio - Since 1999, Fr. Barron's weekly Word on Fire program has been broadcast in Chicago (WGN) and throughout the country (Relevant Radio - 950 AM Chicago) to 28 million listeners in 17 states. Fr. Barron also is a regular commentator on the "Busted Halo Show" on the Sirius satellite radio network based in New York.
DVDs - Fr. Barron's DVDs are used as powerful faith formation tools in universities, schools, churches and homes around the country. The series includes Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues; Faith Clips; Conversion: Following the Call of Christ; and Untold Blessing: Three Paths to Holiness.
YouTube - With over 180 online video commentaries by Fr. Barron, over 1 million viewers worldwide have made him the most popular of any evangelist on YouTube. These frequent, high-quality productions include brief and lively theological reviews of contemporary culture, including movies such as No Country for Old Men, Apocalypto, and The Departed, a three-part critical review of Christopher Hitchen's book God is Not Great, The Discovery Channel's The Jesus Tomb, the HBO series "The Sopranos", "Rome" and more.
Missions - MISSION CHICAGO features evangelization lectures by Fr. Barron at the behest of Cardinal George. These special missions and presentations throughout the Archdiocese are centered in downtown Chicago and attract business, civic, and cultural leaders.
Books - His numerous books and essays serve as critical educational and inspirational tools for seminarians, priests, parishioners and young people worldwide. His published works are also central to the numerous retreats, workshop and talks that h
Bishop Barron is the creator and host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking ten-part documentary series and study program about the Catholic faith. He is a passionate student of art, architecture, music and history, which he calls upon throughout his global travels in the making of the documentary.
Word On Fire programs are broadcast regularly on WGN America, Relevant Radio, CatholicTV, EWTN, the popular Word on Fire YouTube Channel, and the Word on Fire website, which offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries, and over ten years of weekly sermon podcasts. In 2010, Father Barron was the first priest to have a national show on a secular television network since the 1950s.
Fr. Barron received his Masters Degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC in 1982 and his doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique in 1992. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1986 and has been a professor of systematic theology at the nation's largest Catholic seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary since 1992. He was visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame in 2002 and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2007. He was also twice scholar in residence at the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican.
In addition, Fr. Barron lectures extensively in the United States and abroad. Cardinal Francis George calls Fr. Barron “one of the Church’s best messengers.
Fr. Barron was baptized at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago and grew up at St. John of the Cross parish in Western Springs, Illinois.
WordOnFire.org - Fr. Barron's website launched in 1999 and currently draws over 1 million visitors a year from every continent. Fr. Barron posts weekly video clips, commentaries and radio sermons and offers an audio archive of over 500 homilies. Podcasts of his sermons are widely used by tens of thousands of visitors each month.
TV - EWTN (The Eternal Word Television Network) and CatholicTV broadcasts Fr. Barron's DVDs to a worldwide audience of over 150 million people.
Radio - Since 1999, Fr. Barron's weekly Word on Fire program has been broadcast in Chicago (WGN) and throughout the country (Relevant Radio - 950 AM Chicago) to 28 million listeners in 17 states. Fr. Barron also is a regular commentator on the "Busted Halo Show" on the Sirius satellite radio network based in New York.
DVDs - Fr. Barron's DVDs are used as powerful faith formation tools in universities, schools, churches and homes around the country. The series includes Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues; Faith Clips; Conversion: Following the Call of Christ; and Untold Blessing: Three Paths to Holiness.
YouTube - With over 180 online video commentaries by Fr. Barron, over 1 million viewers worldwide have made him the most popular of any evangelist on YouTube. These frequent, high-quality productions include brief and lively theological reviews of contemporary culture, including movies such as No Country for Old Men, Apocalypto, and The Departed, a three-part critical review of Christopher Hitchen's book God is Not Great, The Discovery Channel's The Jesus Tomb, the HBO series "The Sopranos", "Rome" and more.
Missions - MISSION CHICAGO features evangelization lectures by Fr. Barron at the behest of Cardinal George. These special missions and presentations throughout the Archdiocese are centered in downtown Chicago and attract business, civic, and cultural leaders.
Books - His numerous books and essays serve as critical educational and inspirational tools for seminarians, priests, parishioners and young people worldwide. His published works are also central to the numerous retreats, workshop and talks that h
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 19, 2021
Apr 17th 2021 — finally finished this wonderful book. It took me a really long time, not because there’s anything negative or even boring about it, but because it’s so dense with catholic theology that it requires to be read very carefully and very slowly. Bishop Barron’s style is extraordinarily clear, concise and inspiring. Some of the key concepts of catholicism are presented in different chapters, each standing on its own as a separate essay.
December 21, 2015
Bishop Robert Barron has been credited with teaching many Catholics worldwide the basics of their faith. He has done this through his ever popular series Catholicism. However, to say that is the extent of his work would sell him short, as he is responsible for numerous study programs and books that dive deeper into the Catholic faith and explore some of the more heady ideas of the Church. In one of his latest books, Exploring Catholic Theology, Bishop Barron presents us with essays on subjects of God, Theology, Liturgy, and The New Evangelization.
Exploring Catholic Theology contains fifteen essays by Bishop Robert Barron, which have either been previously published in academic journals or given as lectures. By combining them in one book, Barron hopes to "provide a framework to help Christians think through some of the most pressing issues of our time." The first part tackles the doctrine of God by drawing from such great minds as Augustine and Aquinas and a chapter on the Trinity with Irenaeus as our guide.. Part Two begins with reflections on the Catholic intellectual tradition, a heady subject to say the least. We also see a lot of John Henry Newman in this section of the book. Lastly, there is a chapter on Biblical interpretation with Irenaeus once again showing us the way. Part Three is all about the Eucharist and Part Four focuses on the hot topic among Catholics of this day and age - The New Evangelization.
I especially enjoyed the chapter on Biblical interpretation. Barron tells us the way in which Irenaeus interpreted Scripture. He believed that God is the divine author; the Bible is like a symphony in that it is consistent with itself; and lastly, God's words should speak to us in the present. As fascinating as this chapter was, I still believe Part Four to contain the most important chapters in this book. It is in these chapters that we learn both why and how we need to evangelize the people and the culture around us. As great as the first eleven chapters/essays are, they will be all for naught, if we cannot find a way to spread the Good News to the people who don't already know Jesus. Barron understands this as well as anyone, as he has made bringing people to the Truth of Jesus one of his most important life's missions.
Exploring Catholic Theology is a challenging and engaging work on relevant issues in today's world. He draws from both Scripture and tradition to present the reader with essays that proclaim the Gospel in a society that is doing all it can to avoid the Gospel. I recommend this book for students, teachers, pastors, priests, and any other Catholic who is looking for a taste of theology beyond the basics.
Exploring Catholic Theology contains fifteen essays by Bishop Robert Barron, which have either been previously published in academic journals or given as lectures. By combining them in one book, Barron hopes to "provide a framework to help Christians think through some of the most pressing issues of our time." The first part tackles the doctrine of God by drawing from such great minds as Augustine and Aquinas and a chapter on the Trinity with Irenaeus as our guide.. Part Two begins with reflections on the Catholic intellectual tradition, a heady subject to say the least. We also see a lot of John Henry Newman in this section of the book. Lastly, there is a chapter on Biblical interpretation with Irenaeus once again showing us the way. Part Three is all about the Eucharist and Part Four focuses on the hot topic among Catholics of this day and age - The New Evangelization.
I especially enjoyed the chapter on Biblical interpretation. Barron tells us the way in which Irenaeus interpreted Scripture. He believed that God is the divine author; the Bible is like a symphony in that it is consistent with itself; and lastly, God's words should speak to us in the present. As fascinating as this chapter was, I still believe Part Four to contain the most important chapters in this book. It is in these chapters that we learn both why and how we need to evangelize the people and the culture around us. As great as the first eleven chapters/essays are, they will be all for naught, if we cannot find a way to spread the Good News to the people who don't already know Jesus. Barron understands this as well as anyone, as he has made bringing people to the Truth of Jesus one of his most important life's missions.
Exploring Catholic Theology is a challenging and engaging work on relevant issues in today's world. He draws from both Scripture and tradition to present the reader with essays that proclaim the Gospel in a society that is doing all it can to avoid the Gospel. I recommend this book for students, teachers, pastors, priests, and any other Catholic who is looking for a taste of theology beyond the basics.
December 29, 2015
Bishop Barron is simply the best contemporary apologist I have encountered. He breaks down comldplicated theological concepts into clear and less technical terms that any reader is able to understand
September 17, 2017
Excellent essays on theological and philosophical issues for Catholic theology and society today. I have read several of these essays twice. A must-read for anyone interested in the dialogue of Catholic theology and popular culture.
October 15, 2025
A deep dive into the theology of the Catholic faith. Bishop Barron really has a way of explaining things through his essays. But with that being said, it's not exactly an easy read.
August 14, 2023
This was as clear and accessible as any of Barron’s works.
It was lively and compelling, and to me, read as a sweeping overview of nearly the whole of Western thought. Not by a simple summary, but by seizing on core ideas throughout intellectual history in an assimilation endeavor that’s markedly Catholic.
The smartest kid in the room might say, “that’s quite ambitious, history is too broad for such a thing.” I contend that when you’ve conducted careful study like Barron, you’ve earned the right to distill people down to key ideas. He seems to intuitively draw out this philosopher in their own words and that tradition in its historical context - I think he executes beautifully.
I was particularly interested in the teleology of the Eucharist, which is something that Scott Hahn has discussed (in different words).
From top to bottom, this is a book that has earned the right to be called a “good read.” Because the website is Goodreads.
It was lively and compelling, and to me, read as a sweeping overview of nearly the whole of Western thought. Not by a simple summary, but by seizing on core ideas throughout intellectual history in an assimilation endeavor that’s markedly Catholic.
The smartest kid in the room might say, “that’s quite ambitious, history is too broad for such a thing.” I contend that when you’ve conducted careful study like Barron, you’ve earned the right to distill people down to key ideas. He seems to intuitively draw out this philosopher in their own words and that tradition in its historical context - I think he executes beautifully.
I was particularly interested in the teleology of the Eucharist, which is something that Scott Hahn has discussed (in different words).
From top to bottom, this is a book that has earned the right to be called a “good read.” Because the website is Goodreads.
September 7, 2018
Inspirational, moving, intellectual, powerful
September 18, 2017
I love Robert Barron's podcasts and articles. This was my first foray into one of his books. It was a masterful explanation of concepts fundamental to understanding God - though as he says himself, we will never understand God fully, or even substantially - God is too "otherly other". But the concepts of God not being a being like us human beings, but being outside of this world and being "I am that I am" the source of all beingness provided to me one of the great "a-ha" moments of my life: "now I see". God is not competitive, He created ex nihilo. Now I see - for sure through a glass darkly, but now I see.
As to his writing style, sometime you feel that he uses words and phrases that are too dense. Perhaps that is because of the subject he is attempting to explain, or perhaps he is adding a certain elevation to his description of the subject. There were a couple of chapters that just did not interest me: A Tale of Two Cardinals, and the chapter on John Henry Newman. Deep, deep stuff, almost made unapproachable by the style.
But, this is a book in my opinion worth reading for the first four chapters alone. Now I see!!
As to his writing style, sometime you feel that he uses words and phrases that are too dense. Perhaps that is because of the subject he is attempting to explain, or perhaps he is adding a certain elevation to his description of the subject. There were a couple of chapters that just did not interest me: A Tale of Two Cardinals, and the chapter on John Henry Newman. Deep, deep stuff, almost made unapproachable by the style.
But, this is a book in my opinion worth reading for the first four chapters alone. Now I see!!
March 31, 2025
“Exploring Catholic Theology” is another outstanding book about the Catholic Church by Bishop Barron. Bishop Barron presents numerous aspects of the Catholic Church and there historical and theological explanations thru the bible; doctors of the Church; Popes of the Church; and traditions. The bibliography of this book is extensive and will offer the reader the opportunity to peruse each or selected items in more depth and detail. This is another outstanding book that has been prepared by one of our current leading Catholic Church Theologian to assist the “In the pew Catholic” with our relationship with God. A must read by every Catholic parishioner! Experienced as an AUDIO book.
November 24, 2018
I am a big fan of Bishop Barron. This book is a collection of essays and articles, some of which appeared in scholarly journals. I felt out of my league. If you have more background in theology you may enjoy this book much more than I did.
December 9, 2018
Be prepared to think and consider while you read this.
September 23, 2025
This is a wonderful read. Engaging, understandable. Bishop Barron has a way of writing that is lyrical, pulls the reader into the book.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
October 26, 2025
Not an introductory book at all. Very dense and designed for readers with existing knowledge of Catholic epistemology. Nevertheless, without that, still had some interesting ideas and concepts.
April 6, 2025
Beautifully written book per Bishop Barron’s usual. Very heady as well as is his style. Glad I read this after his Intro to Prayer as it helps that he recycles some quotes for better recall. Love that he brings the most esoteric towards a more accessible grasp. Can’t say I totally get the Trinity but for example his reference of the notes in a composition to make the song is such an aha! Plenty more where that came from. So relevant especially in this age of living in heavily Protestant USA. So insightful to note that the biggest schism isn’t Luther but the separation of spiritualism from religion as a common error. It’s so pronounced in hearing average folks speak about religion today.
October 11, 2015
Great book. It is only an exploration, as the title implies, and it whets your appetite for more.
Definitely recommend this, even if at times it may seem redundant. Bishop Barron is a phenomenal and vibrant evangelizer. Will get more books and videos for the new Fulton Sheen.
Definitely recommend this, even if at times it may seem redundant. Bishop Barron is a phenomenal and vibrant evangelizer. Will get more books and videos for the new Fulton Sheen.
December 1, 2016
Pretty user-friendly to a new Catholic like me.
The philosophy part was hard to follow at times but the reasoning of theology and proper use of analogies helped me understand otherwise complex subjects.
The philosophy part was hard to follow at times but the reasoning of theology and proper use of analogies helped me understand otherwise complex subjects.
January 23, 2025
Very dense content, and technically still not done reading it yet… But very informative on Christian theology in general, and laying out some aspects of Catholic theology backed up by major theologians.
(I think about what I learned from this book a lot, and I come back to my notes very often).
(I think about what I learned from this book a lot, and I come back to my notes very often).
March 23, 2016
I think it rude to litter your book with foreign phrases and then fail to translate them for the reader.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews