The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture WOF 026: Fulton Sheen, Apostle of the New Media
Jun 7, 2016
Fulton Sheen, a legendary figure in Catholic evangelization, masterfully used media to spread the Gospel, reaching millions through television and radio. Bishop Barron highlights the cultural significance of a priest preaching on primetime TV and how Sheen's deep preparation formed his evangelistic strategy. They speculate on how Sheen would embrace modern social media to expand his impact. Additionally, Sheen's commitment to a daily 'Holy Hour' grounded his spiritual life, influencing generations of priests and apologists.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Scholar Turned Mass Evangelist
- Fulton Sheen combined deep academic formation with popular media to reach millions.
- Robert Barron argues his Thomist grounding made his evangelization both faithful and effective.
Read Before You Publish
- Study the tradition deeply before engaging in media evangelization.
- Barron emphasizes reading and formation as the prerequisite to public witness.
Primetime Reach Versus Fragmented Media
- Sheen's primetime network slot made Catholic preaching culturally visible in a way that's hard to replicate today.
- Barron notes modern media fragmentation has dispersed the once-homogeneous audience Sheen addressed.
