Prophet of Hope: Fulton Sheen Responds to the Modern World

Amid the pervasive cultural upheaval and moral uncertainty of the mid-twentieth century, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen emerged as a prophet of hope, always giving people a reason to believe that life is worth living. For decades, "America's bishop" wrote, taught, and preached about the major questions and issues that were shaping American culture.

Prophet of Hope places Sheen in dialogue with eight of the leading thinkers of his day — John Dewey, H. L. Mencken, Henry Luce, Margaret Mead, B. F. Skinner, Jack Kerouac, Betty Friedan, and Michael Harrington — showing how he confronted the key philosophical, psychological, economic, and societal issues facing the world in his time. Drawing on his radio broadcasts, television show, and writings, this book presents Sheen grappling with the influences that shaped modern culture, including atheism, isolation, cynicism, anxiety, and despair. His prophetic voice of hope still resonates today.

Nearly a century after he entered the public sphere, Sheen continues to offer sound guidance for living our Catholic Faith, showing us how to respond with charity, truth, and hope to the modern world.

Pages: 288