Selling Catholicism: Bishop Sheen and the Power of Television [Hardcover]

Christopher Owen Lynch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 1998

" When the popularity of Milton Berle's television show began to slip, Berle quipped, ""At least I'm losing my ratings to God!"" He was referring to the popularity of ""Life Is Worth Living"" and its host, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. The show aired from 1952 to 1957, and Sheen won an Emmy, beating competition that included Lucille Ball, Jimmy Durante, and Edward R. Murrow. What was the secret to Sheen's on-air success? Christopher Lynch examines how he reached a diverse audience by using television to synthesize traditional American Protestantism with a reassuring vision of Catholicism as patriotic and traditional. Sheen provided his viewers with a sense of stability by sentimentalizing the medieval world and holding it out as a model for contemporary society. Offering clear-cut moral direction in order to eliminate the anxiety of cultural change, he discussed topics ranging from the role of women to the perils of Communism. Sheen's rhetoric united both Protestant and Catholic audiences, reflecting -and forming- a vision of mainstream, postwar America. Lynch argues that Sheen's persuasive television presentations helped Catholics gain social acceptance and paved the way for religious ecumenism in America. Yet, Sheen's work also sowed the seeds for the crisis of competing ideologies in the modern American Catholic Church.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Long before millions of faithful viewers turned on their TVs and welcomed Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart into their living rooms, thousands of viewers opened their homes to Bishop Fulton Sheen by tuning into his TV program, Life Is Worth Living. Broadcast nationally from 1952 to 1957, Sheen's weekly program of spiritual advice was so popular that its ratings dethroned Milton Berle's The Texaco Star Theatre from first place in 1953, won an Emmy in 1952 and catapulted Sheen, whose face appeared on the covers of Time and Cue, to celebrity status. Lynch, who teaches communications at Kean University (N.J.), examines 42 episodes of Life Is Worth Living to analyze the Sheen phenomenon. Using rhetorical analysis of the show, Lynch contends that the Bishop's popularity arose as much from his presentation as from the content of his messages. From Sheen's opening greeting, "Friends...," to his parting words, "Bye now, and God love you!," viewers were treated as the Bishop's intimate friends. Such intimacy, according to Lynch, was also created by the camera's close-up shots of Sheen as he kept "his gaze fixed on the viewers, inviting them to laugh at his jokes, learn from his blackboard diagrams, and change their values." Having erased the gap between priest and laity, Sheen went on to deliver sermons and spiritual lessons on the strengths of the Catholic church in America, the horrors of Communism and the role of women. Lynch's accessible use of communications theory to elucidate cultural and religious events provides an insightful glimpse into a portion of American religious and media history.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979), one of America's best-loved Catholic prelates, defined the role of the genteel preacher on television. Lynch (Kean Univ.) shows how Sheen used television to reconcile Catholicism with a Communist-fearing America. Lynch provides a rhetorical study based on 42 tapes of Sheen's television program, Life Is Worth Living, which ran from 1952 to 1957, and places Sheen in the context of the wider popular culture. Lynch gives us insight into Sheen's charismatic personality and ability to fulfill a need in his audience in an age of postwar insecurity, but he also discusses details of the show like make-up, props, assistants, and sponsorship. For a compendium of Sheen's writings, see From the Angel's Blackboard: The Best of Fulton J. Sheen; A Centennial Celebration (Triumph Bks., 1995).?Leo Kriz, West Des Moines
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (September 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813120675
• ISBN-13: 978-0813120676
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,633,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How Bishop Sheen Brought Catholicism to the Country, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Selling Catholicism: Bishop Sheen and the Power of Television (Hardcover)

This book brought back memories of family viewing as a child. We were all fascinated by the imposing and commanding Bishop Sheehan. Lynch has written a thorough analysis of the Bishop's programs in great detail, including his anecdotes and jokes. What looked effortless on Sheen's part was in reality a skilled, measured, and effective use of the TV media to inform Americans about a minority religion that was little known to most at that time. An excellent book that's well-written and interesting.