WOF 034: Don't Be a 'Beige' Catholic

“Beige Catholicism” is a phrase Bishop Barron coined early in his career as a way of describing the Church’s lackluster adoption of the post-conciliar movement. Much of Bishop Barron’s evangelical work, including his famous Catholicism book and film series, focuses on bringing Christ’s radical distinctiveness and the Tradition’s beautiful vibrancy back into our understanding of the Church. In this episode Bishop Barron details the problems with beige Catholicism as well as the path to a solution. Finally, a listener asks about the Benedict Option for Catholics struggling to keep the faith alive in contemporary culture.

Topics Discussed

0:17 – Bishop Barron discusses the new Word On Fire office and studio
2:32 – What is beige Catholicism?
4:45 – What is the history of beige Catholicism?
6:48 – What is the problem with accommodating the culture?
9:30 – What does it mean to domesticate Jesus?
11:45 – Why should we see Jesus as “dangerous and strange”?
13:55 – How the hit show Vikings illustrates the strangeness of Christianity
15:33 – What does a full sacramental vision of the church look like?
17:36 – What does a vibrantly colorful Catholicism look like?
19:20 – How has Bishop Barron’s work targeted this problem?
20:20 – Question from listener: How about the Benedict Option?