Introducing The Forge!
An introduction, a history, and a future
Hi, and welcome to The Forge by Fiat Media (the FM in TheForgeFM) and TJ Haines.
I started The Forge as a platform that sits adjacent to, but part of my main apostolate, Stoking the Embers. Here’s why.
Stoking the Embers is intended to be deep, reflective, theological. I cover a range of topics there, and I enjoy publishing there. If you don’t know StE, you really should check it out. It’s not your typical “Catholic website”
But for some time I’ve wanted to branch out—write shorter, punchier pieces better suited to average modern readers; opinion pieces, analysis of news, and Op-Eds. But StE wasn’t intended for that, so it doesn’t provide that editorial breathing room I need.
“…The Forge is the point of a lance in the vanguard of an army storming Mordor.”
So I’ve started The Forge to fill in some gaps in my evangelization strategy, and to provide a platform for another side of TJ Haines, the “Catholic Firebrand”. If StE is the grand library at Rivendell—a quiet space for deep learning and reflection—The Forge is the point of a lance in the vanguard of an army storming Mordor.
Or think of it as a hammer that isn’t swung blindly for maximum damage, but knows exactly where, when, and how to strike.
“Catholic Commentary at the Point of Impact”
That means choosing where to apply force, the way a smith knows where to strike the metal—not to shatter or flatten it indiscriminately, but to shape it toward a purpose. The point of impact is where pressure actually changes the form—or corrects the bent and crooked.
It’s also to forge you. To guide you to be more focused and more disciplined in how you interpret facts, and how you discern the truth. Discernment of Truth should be a Catholic’s superpower, but many of the Catholic faithful have lost that capability, thanks to modern media and social media. If “we see God with the mind first” (St. Augustine), it’s because we see Truth with the mind first. So it’s imperative that our minds are sharper, more focused, and more tuned-in to Truth (God’s nature). But modern media—even some in Catholic media—are not teaching people how to think, they’re teaching them how to react—not from the perspective of reason, but from emotion.
The internet is also a “point of impact”. There are a lot of voices out here, and the truth is often drowned out by a crescendo of falsehoods, errant opinions, and “facts” that tell lies masked as the Truth. In my view, Catholic media isn’t much help in addressing that. Even good Catholic media brands either don’t always say what I believe needs to be said or don’t “strike” at what needs attention.
What to Expect
The Forge is not a grand project, but part of a larger one. The Fire Branded podcast, which will be the flagship podcast, will do most of the talking, while articles, opinion pieces, commentary on news and culture, reactions to what’s being covered in the media will fill in the “dead air”.
Expect two or three articles per week, and at least one podcast episode per week, with occasional segment clips published weekly. Some articles published here will be cross-published to Stoking the Embers (and vice versa) if it’s relevant to both brands.
This is work I’ve already been doing, but it has been dispersed across platforms and brands, which effectively dilutes its impact. The Forge will tie it all together, focus it, and make it stronger.
The writing will be shorter, not as dense, and will be harder-hitting than what I do at Stoking the Embers. It’ll be like Fire Branded but in print—or in on-screen typography. The Forge isn’t a replacement for Stoking the Embers; it’s just another member of that family, which also includes Fire Branded.
Let me [re]introduce you to that family.
Stoking the Embers - Formation, learning, and the interior life. Slower, reflective writing aimed at deepening faith, sharpening minds, and strengthening the soul and spirit.
Fire Branded - A Catholic podcast built for the times—direct, plainspoken, and opinionated. Faith and fire, without fluff. Not for the faint of heart!
It’s coming to The Forge very soon, but for now you can get it at…
Catholic Firebrand Website | Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Castro | Deezer | iHeart | TuneIn | YouTube | Many Others!
And now, The Forge - Catholic commentary at the point of Impact.
And I’m TJ Haines, the father of the family. I maintain a personal blog called The Quiet Ember You can keep up with all of this good work by subscribing to my personal newsletter where you’ll get semi-regular rundowns of the articles and podcasts I’ve published across the web.
But also subscribe to The Forge and/or Stoking the Embers below.
God be with you all!
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