The renowned Protestant theologian Karl Barth once stated that an effective evangelist needs to have the Scriptures in one hand and the newspaper in the other.

An evangelist needs to have a firm grasp on the realities of daily life and be knowledgeable in the latest news regarding the Church and the culture. Further, it is of pressing importance for Catholics to be able to identify a principled journalistic perspective that seeks to present the facts of a newsworthy event that is not intentionally positioned by polemics and ideology.

It is for this reason that Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire Institute offered Mr. John Allen Jr. the Fellowship of Church and Media, which he graciously accepted.

In 2017 he co-authored To Light a Fire on the Earth with Bishop Barron, a book drawn from twenty hours of conversations about proclaiming the Gospel in a secular age.

Allen has long been the leading voice in respected Catholic journalism, and we are honored to have him join the Institute as part of the team!

Allen will be offering his expertise to the Word on Fire Institute in several ways.

First, he will be producing an all-new bi-weekly podcast discussing news from the Vatican as well as national and international Church affairs. Second, he will be offering exclusive access to our Institute members each month to answer any and all questions that our members have about the state of the Church as well as any other matters regarding the latest news.

We must know and love the culture in order to evangelize it. It is also important that we understand the culture and the persons and events that are shaping both the Church and the world. Allen brings a significant and needed talent for all evangelists in their mission of bringing Christ to the culture.

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the John Allen Show on YouTube and iTunes