A Brief Life of Christ

by Fulton J. Sheen

Fulton J. Sheen turned his voice and pen to many subjects during the course of a long and remarkable apostolate. But nothing came closer to the core of his message than bringing the life and saving words of Jesus to the problems of modern life and the modern world. In A Brief Life of Christ, Sheen employs the twin pillars of faith and reason to draw out the meaning of the life of Jesus for our times. He pointedly shows how Christ issues His challenge alike to nations, peoples, and individual souls. The final chapters on Christ's public life, and Passion, Death, and Resurrection contain tremendous insights and provide material for a lifetime of reflection. Fulton Sheen was unparalleled in his ability to combine theology, devotion, and the profoundest meditation on the central events of the Christian narrative. Displayed here in full are the literary and rhetorical skills of one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century. A Brief Life of Christ is a book to lift our hearts and place them securely in the timeless message of the gospels.

94 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2011

About the author

Fulton John Sheen was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in Illinois, in 1919, Sheen quickly became a renowned theologian, earning the Cardinal Mercier Prize for International Philosophy in 1923. He went on to teach theology and philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and served as a parish priest before he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1951. He held this position until 1966 when he was made bishop of the Diocese of Rochester in New York. He resigned as bishop of Rochester in 1969 as his 75th birthday approached and was made archbishop of the titular see of Newport, Wales.
For 20 years as "Father Sheen", later monsignor, he hosted the night-time radio program The Catholic Hour on NBC (1930–1950) before he moved to television and presented Life Is Worth Living (1952–1957). Sheen's final presenting role was on the syndicated The Fulton Sheen Program (1961–1968) with a format that was very similar to that of the earlier Life Is Worth Living show. For that work, Sheen twice won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, and was featured on the cover of Time magazine. Starting in 2009, his shows were being re-broadcast on the EWTN and the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Church Channel cable networks. His contribution to televised preaching resulted in Sheen often being called one of the first televangelists.
The cause for his canonization was officially opened in 2002. In June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI officially recognized a decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints stating that he lived a life of "heroic virtues," a major step towards beatification, and he is now referred to as venerable. On July 5, 2019, Pope Francis approved a reputed miracle that occurred through the intercession of Sheen, clearing the way for his beatification. Sheen was scheduled to be beatified in Peoria on December 21, 2019, but his beatification was postponed after Bishop Salvatore Matano of Rochester expressed concern that Sheen's handling of a 1963 sexual misconduct case against a priest might be cited unfavorably in a forthcoming report from the New York Attorney General. The Diocese of Peoria countered that Sheen's handling of the case had already been "thoroughly examined" and "exonerated" and that Sheen had "never put children in harm's way".

Reviews

[Anna Kramarz-Sańpruch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book written by abp Fulton Sheen and another time I am absolutely astonished and amazed. This is one of those books which touch deeply very important matters, this is deep theology written in beautiful, understandable way, this is deep love and adoration for our Lord packer in a small, thin book. No word is here by accident and Fulton Sheen again uses analogies for our modern world, Shows his sense of humor and his incredible apologetic talent. This book is perfect for Lent but for sure every catholic should read it and come back to it at least once a year. Another book by this incredible priest just made me more and more sure that he was indeed a saint man.

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Książka doskonała, mądra, miejscami dowcipna, odwołująca się do rozumu, tłumacząca piękno i bogactwo naszej wiary oraz scen z życia Chrystusa w sposób zrozumiały, plastyczny i jednocześnie prostym językiem (chociaż przepełnionym miłością i zachwytem nad naszym Panem). Wczoraj w nocy zaczęłam, dzisiaj skończyłam i już wiem, że to jest ten rodzaj książki, do której trzeba wracać. Moim zdaniem doskonała lektura na Wielki Post. Pani Agnieszce Sztajer gratuluję tłumaczenia, to dzięki jej kunsztowi „Życie Chrystusa w kilku scenach” w wersji polskiej tak doskonale się czyta. Podsumowując: następne zakupy książkowe których dokonacie muszą zawierać tę książkę 💜

[Melissa Fruscella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why We Want to be Eternally with Jesus

This book explains why Jesus came to earth and draws us closer to Him. Any reader would feel His love and discover missing pieces of their soul. We walk the same soul path as the disciples who grew from the miracles and healing to the deeper understanding of being Christian in suffering and the eternal glory that awaits.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the current event commentary is dated since this was first published in 1954, but all the main points still apply. A very thought provoking and instructive book.

[Jack Gavarny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life of Christ Highlighted

Outstanding book explaining many of the aspects of Christ's life. Well written and enjoyable to read. Great addition to any library.

[Fr. Dave Tomaszycki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to be confused with Sheen's 1958 masterpiece: "Life of Christ," this was originally titled "The Life of Christ," and is a much shorter precursor.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Bishop Fulton Sheen's greatest books is Life of Christ. It is a 500+ page book that contains great depth and great detail on our Lord Jesus Christ. For some, that is a daunting task to read a book of that length, which is why Bishop Sheen penned A Brief Life of Christ. The book is less than 100 pages long, but it is still as powerful as the original. The book is divided into five chapters - Early Life of Christ; Temptations; The Beatitudes; Public Life and Passion; and Death and Resurrection.

The book begins by telling us of men who claimed to be from God, such as Buddha, Mohammed, and Confucius. Christ is unique in nature for many reasons. First, His birth was predicted years in advance. Second, His coming divided history into B.C. and A.D. Third, He was born in this world to die, not to live. Lastly, He was more than a good teacher. He was either Messiah or liar. The chapter on temptation was very interesting. Sheen explains that Christ's temptations are different than ours and more than just a temptation of physical hunger or testing God. The final chapter was of course the most powerful, because this was the central ministry of Christ. In this chapter, Sheen breaks down the institution of the Eucharist, the agony He went through, and His death. We also see the Resurrection, Pentecost, and the Ascension. The book closes with the suffering and death of Christians worldwide and how their suffering and deaths are not in vain but are redemptive.

This is a short but powerful book and one that I highly recommend. Sheen has a way with words and can bring out truths and points that you have never considered before. I highly recommend this book, especially with Lent coming up. It would make an excellent read during that time (or any time for that matter). Then, after you have read this book I invite you to push yourself and challenge yourself to read Life of Christ.

This book was provided to me for free by Angelico Press in exchange for an honest review.