Welcome back to the Word on Fire show. I'm your host, Jared Zimmer, the director of Outreach

and Mission here at Word on Fire. And I'm delighted to say this is my first time hosting

the show. And as always, a warm welcome to my good friend and intellectual mentor, Bishop

Robert Barron. Bishop, it's so good to chat with you today.

Hey, Jared. Good to hear your voice. How are the kids doing?

All they're doing wonderful. Count down the days to their new little sister.

Terrific. I'm delighted.

Now, I know one of your passions is academia and higher learning. And this past week, you

were able to take part in a symposium at your old stopping grounds, Mundeline Seminary.

It's based on the book Second Samuel. Can you fill us in?

Yeah, I was back, as you say, at my old place, Mundeline, where I was a teacher for many

years and I was a rector for three years. And during my last years there, I was writing

this book as part of the Brazos commentary series. So they get theologians to write a

biblical commentaries. And I wrote one on two Samuel, which is a wonderful text dealing

with King David. So anyway, Matthew Levering, who was one of the brightest young scholars

working in the church today. And I'm very proud to say I brought him on the faculty

when I was a rector there. Matt organizes these things called the Logos Colloquium. And

they get a scholar and then a group of 40 or so other scholars and they discuss a particular

book. So in this case, they were discussing my own Second Samuel. So it was a joy. I

came in there for about two and a half hours. We just went around and you know, I did a

little intro to the book and then people just ask questions and dissected and objections

and all sorts of things. So for an academic type like myself, it was a lot of fun.

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