The Preaching of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: The Gospel Meets the Cold War

by Timothy H. Sherwood

Overview

The greatness of America's most influential preachers of the twentieth century came from their significant contributions to both religious and secular society. Some names, like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Billy Graham, are universally recognized and typically thought of first by people today. Assorted reviews have also listed other notable names from various Christian denominations, but little recognition has been given to the Catholic contribution to preaching in the twentieth century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739142639
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	03/18/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	168
File size:	407 KB

About the Author

Father Timothy Sherwood is pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, FL.

Table of Contents

1 Table of Contents
Chapter 2 Preface
Chapter 3 Introduction
Chapter 4 1. Pulpit and Homiletics
Chapter 5 2. Audience and Message
Chapter 6 3. Truth and Consequences

Editorial Reviews

Finally, we have a book that examines Sheen's preaching style in detail. Sheen made a significant, but mainly unexplored, contribution to American rhetoric. It is especially interesting that Sherwood focuses on the Good Friday sermons. This is a treasure for researchers because the sermons span five decades of his preaching in New York City that have never been examined before. An enjoyable and scholarly read, Sherwood places Sheen's rhetoric in the context of Cold War America, sharing insights on the persuasive interaction between speaker and audience and providing the key to Sheen's immense popularity.

Christopher Lynch

Few preachers have stirred souls and moved hearts as did Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. I am happy to recommend Father Timothy Sherwood's The Preaching of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He does a splendid job of focusing on the Archbishop's preaching, rhetorical skill, and Christian vision. A good read of this book will help everyone understand how and why Archbishop Sheen influenced generations of American Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan

One welcome aspect of Sherwood’s book is its reminder of just how substantive Fulton Sheen’s messages were-over the airwaves and from the pulpit. While sheen tailored his messages to appeal to broad audiences, he could never be accused of preaching to the “itching of ears”.

Sherwood demonstrates Sheen’s proclivity for drawing parallels between characters and events in the bible with those of his own day.

In 1956, Bishop Fulton Sheen appeared as a guest on the TV show What’s My Line? Timothy Sherwood’s book makes clear that the correct answer to that question was “Preacher.” For that, Sherwood is to be commended.

Books and Culture

Few preachers have stirred souls and moved hearts as did Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. I am happy to recommend Father Timothy Sherwood's The Preaching of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He does a splendid job of focusing on the Archbishop's preaching, rhetorical skill, and Christian vision. A good read of this book will help everyone understand how and why Archbishop Sheen influenced generations of American Catholics and non-Catholics alike.--Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York

Finally, we have a book that examines Sheen's preaching style in detail. Sheen made a significant, but mainly unexplored, contribution to American rhetoric. It is especially interesting that Sherwood focuses on the Good Friday sermons. This is a treasure for researchers because the sermons span five decades of his preaching in New York City that have never been examined before. An enjoyable and scholarly read, Sherwood places Sheen's rhetoric in the context of Cold War America, sharing insights on the persuasive interaction between speaker and audience and providing the key to Sheen's immense popularity.--Christopher Lynch, Kean University, author of Selling Catholicism: Bishop Sheen and the Power of Television

One welcome aspect of Sherwood's book is its reminder of just how substantive Fulton Sheen's messages were-over the airwaves and from the pulpit. While sheen tailored his messages to appeal to broad audiences, he could never be accused of preaching to the "itching of ears". Sherwood demonstrates Sheen's proclivity for drawing parallels between characters and events in the bible with those of his own day. In 1956, Bishop Fulton Sheen appeared as a guest on the TV show What's My Line? Timothy Sherwood's book makes clear that the correct answer to that question was "Preacher." For that, Sherwood is to be commended.--Books and Culture

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