Description: The Mystical Body of Christ captures the theological precision and communicative genius of Fulton J. Sheen (18951979), whose radio and television broadcasts, including Life Is Worth Living, have reached millions of homes since the 1950s. With more than thirty of his works still in print, Sheen is one of the most beloved Catholic evangelists of all time.
Brief description: The life and teachings of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen anticipated and embodied the spirit of both the Second Vatican Council and the New Evangelization. A gifted orator and writer, he was a pioneer in the use of media for evangelization: His radio and television broadcasts reached an estimated 30 million weekly viewers. He also wrote more than 60 works on Christian living and theology, many of which are still in print. Born in 1895, Sheen grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and was ordained a priest for the diocese in 1919. He was ordained an auxiliary bishop in New York City in 1951. As the head of his mission agency, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (1950-1966), and as Bishop of Rochester (1966-1969), Sheen helped create 9,000 clinics, 10,000 orphanages, and 1,200 schools; and his contributions educated 80,000 seminarians and 9,000 religious. Upon his death in 1979, Sheen was buried at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. His cause for canonization was returned to his home diocese of Peoria in January 2011, and Sheen was proclaimed "Venerable" by Pope Benedict XVI on June 28, 2012. The first miracle attributed to his intercession was approved in March 2014, paving the way for his beatification.
Review Quotes: "Fulton Sheen's The Mystical Body of Christ remains a serious and significant contribution to the mystical body theology of the twentieth century. And it provides an intriguing glimpse into the subtle and theologically acute mind of the greatest Catholic evangelist of the twentieth century." --From the foreword by Rev. Robert Barron, Founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
"Completed a decade before Pope Pius XII's Mystici Corporis Christi, this classic by Archbishop Fulton Sheen leads the reader into the exciting mystery that is the Church. Foreshadowing the Second Vatican Council, Archbishop Sheen's work is ever current and, as with all his writing, engaging for the reader." --Most Rev. Joseph Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville "Sheen combines his eloquence as a writer with insights drawn from Scripture, the Church Fathers, Thomas Aquinas, and the mystics. He manifests an extraordinary gift of theological synthesis by showing how the Church, as the Mystical Body of Christ, illuminates Catholic doctrines on the Holy Spirit, infallibility, the Blessed Mother, the sacraments, the Eucharistic sacrifice, reparation, and the communion of saints." --Robert Fastiggi, Professor of Systematic Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, President of the Mariological Society of America "In a world bent on separating Jesus from his Church, Christ from his Body, Sheen's masterful book bridges that divide, inviting people to cross it." --From the introduction by Brandon Vogt, Author of Saints and Social Justice "Through this book, Fulton Sheen beautifully and powerfully enhanced my understanding of and appreciation for the mystical body of Christ. This intelligent and convicting book is a great companion for those looking to deepen their prayer and love of Christ and Church." --Bonnie Engstrom, Catholic Blogger and Mother of Fulton Engstrom "With his characteristic clarity, Fulton Sheen offers descriptions and definitions for the Church that did, in time, become part of the discussions and documents of the Second Vatican Council. Written two decades before he would lead the Church's missionary efforts in the United States, The Mystical Body of Christ reveals his missionary heart, as he speaks of the growth of the Church, so ordered by Christ. An extraordinary read, from a priest whom St. John Paul II proclaimed 'a loyal son of the Church.'" --Rev. Andrew Small, O.M.I., National Director, Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States