"Fulton J. Sheen is defined in popular imagination by the persona he adopted on Life Is Worth Living,
his Emmy-winning television program. During each episode, the telegenic
bishop strode onstage in vestments and opened with a few jokes that
introduced the evening's topic. He headed to his blackboard, inscribed 'JMJ' (Jesus, Mary, Joseph) at the top, and began writing in sloppy
cursive. He then discussed what he had chalked up, walked away, and
returned to find that the board had been cleaned by his 'angel.' The gag
would lighten up the audience after what might have been several
minutes of rather technical discourse for evening family viewing. Sheen
would then discuss how to apply the lesson to daily life and would
finish with an exhortation, after which he would bow to applause from
the studio audience.
"Sheen’s television persona secured him a mass audience, but it has
caused many to overlook the significance and subtlety of his thought. . . ."
In a recent commentary, James M. Patterson, Ph.D., associate professor of politics at Ave Maria University, reflected on the life and ministry of Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
To access Dr. Patterson's complete essay, please visit:
First Things: Taking Sheen Seriously (April 2020)
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