Introducing the WORD ON FIRE Institute!

Hey everyone!

I’m really excited about the new Word on Fire Institute. It launches Monday. Below is an excerpt from the WOF blog:

The purpose of the Word on Fire Institute is to form evangelical leaders in the New Evangelization who will be able to effectively proclaim Christ in the culture. What does it take for a Christian to be an effective evangelizer in today’s cultural milieu? In the past, Bishop Barron has outlined what he considers to be the seven qualities of the New Evangelist.

The New Evangelist, he says, must:

1. Be in love with Jesus Christ.
2. Be filled with ardor.
3. Know the story of Israel.
4. Know the culture.
5. Love the Great Tradition.
6. Have a missionary heart.
7. Know and love the new media.

But surely one’s development of all seven of these traits requires some sort of training or formation. And that’s where the Word on Fire Institute comes in.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE INSTITUTE

An indispensable feature of the Word on Fire Institute is its fellows. What’s a fellow? For a more formal definition, let’s turn to the Oxford English Dictionary: “A fellow is a member of a group (or fellowship) that work together in pursuing mutual knowledge or practice.”This might immediately make you think about perhaps the most famous fellowship ever portrayed in literature: “The Fellowship of the Ring” in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

In the first book of the revered trilogy, a diverse group made up of men, hobbits, elves, dwarves, and a wizard meet together at the Council of Elrond. By the end of the council a “fellowship” is formed—that is to say, a group of diverse individuals who together commit themselves towards a common goal. They share a common what (to cast the ring into the Cracks of Doom) and why (to cause Sauron’s fall).

In much the same way, the Word on Fire Institute has sought out experts in a diverse range of subjects to form a fellowship, a group of experts—whether in theology, philosophy, literature, the arts, apologetics, or culture—who are committed (in a broad sense) to the task of proclaiming Christ to the culture from within and (more specifically) forming you who are on the front lines of society to be more holy, intelligent, and persuasive as you proceed in your evangelical way of life. As the Institute continues to grow, we will be adding even more Fellows to bring you the best formation available.

INTRODUCTIONS

Today, we would like to introduce you to a few of our Word on Fire Institute Fellows, experts who are committed to making you a better disciple of Christ in an age of indifference, distraction, and skepticism. In the months to come, you can receive instruction through short online courses and other means from these fellows and others. We invite you to visit https://wordonfire.institute/ to learn more and to join the waiting list!

For the bios of the WOFI Fellows, click here.