What do you think?
Rate this book
From the Angel's Blackboard: The Best of Fulton J. Sheen
Divided into three sections (Mind, Heart, and Spirit), these special texts are a testament to Sheen's own tenacity, which won him a loyal worldwide following.
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
16 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Fulton J. Sheen
522 books742 followersFulton 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".
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".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 31, 2016
This was my first introduction to Bishop Sheen's writing, and I am absolutely floored. He writes with wit and humor, logic and flow, constantly creating simple examples that distill complex teachings. Extremely enjoyable to read, I had to dial back the speed so that I could appropriately reflect on the teachings imparted in each section. Highly recommend, I can't believe some of these selections were written nearly 60 years ago. Bishop Sheen's writing is truly timeless.
December 30, 2017
This book really was an eye opener. Venerable Fulton Sheen truly has a way with words and showing how much more there is to life than we realise. As I read each chapter, it just kept getting better and better. Truly an inspiring man and I pray for the day he becomes a recognised saint.
Read
July 17, 2008"From the Angel's Blackboard: The Best of Fulton J. Sheen", is a marvellous collection of snippets from the Bishop's prolific writing career and excerpts from his famed television show "Life is Worth Living" from over the years.
The topics of the book vary by chapter, and are as diverse as they are poignant and relevant. They reflect the depth of Bishop Sheen's wisdom, his amazing knowledge of such a variety of topics, and his overall compassion and love of humanity. The book touches on everything from the temperment of teenagers, to psychology, philosophy, charity, happiness, and the overall human condition.
While it is clear that Bishop Sheen's writings and talks are all seen through the veil of the Catholic faith, he rarely "preaches" in they way critics of that sort of thing would find objectionable. Of course there are references to "Our Blessed Lord", "The Blessed Mother", and God throughout the book, one should rarely feel they are being catechized, for Bishop Sheen, like most great orators and teachers throughout history, has the gift of speaking right to the heart, mind, and soul of the individual, and readers will likely feel, as I often did, that a chapter on a particular topic was being addressed directly to me.
A fine book, especially for anyone curious about Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and his teachings.
The topics of the book vary by chapter, and are as diverse as they are poignant and relevant. They reflect the depth of Bishop Sheen's wisdom, his amazing knowledge of such a variety of topics, and his overall compassion and love of humanity. The book touches on everything from the temperment of teenagers, to psychology, philosophy, charity, happiness, and the overall human condition.
While it is clear that Bishop Sheen's writings and talks are all seen through the veil of the Catholic faith, he rarely "preaches" in they way critics of that sort of thing would find objectionable. Of course there are references to "Our Blessed Lord", "The Blessed Mother", and God throughout the book, one should rarely feel they are being catechized, for Bishop Sheen, like most great orators and teachers throughout history, has the gift of speaking right to the heart, mind, and soul of the individual, and readers will likely feel, as I often did, that a chapter on a particular topic was being addressed directly to me.
A fine book, especially for anyone curious about Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and his teachings.
May 18, 2013
First time I have read anything by Fulton Sheen--he's incredible. I'd put his writings right up there with those of C.S. Lewis. This book is more philosophical in focus--it does not go into the teachings of the Catholic Church, which I believe make it suitable for Protestant readers. Although it's an engaging book, it's not a "page-turner," so you can read at a leisurely pace. The fact that the chapters are short also makes it easily digestible. My favorite chapter was "Are You Happy?" which I liked so much I read it aloud to my husband. I have never seen his TV show, but when you consider that such an intelligent priest had a TV show the 1950s and then think about what's on the air today, it is a somber reminder of how far our culture fallen.
February 23, 2020
Excellent and thought provoking. For the most part, laid out in 2-3 page chapters that should be read and then reflected upon. This is not a book to read in one sitting. The thoughts shared require time to become Incorporated into one's personal psyche.
September 30, 2011
This ones a keeper for my spiritual side.
July 21, 2024
“If you saw hordes of people tramping the fields, with axes in their hands and pans strapped to their shoulders, you would conclude that those people had not found all the gold they wanted. If you saw armies of nurses and doctors riding ambulances, or carrying cots, you would conclude that health had not been found. When you see people crowding into theaters, charging cocktail bars, seeking new thrills in a spirit of restlessness, you would conclude that they have not yet found pleasure, otherwise they would not be looking for it.”
—
So I decided to search for Catholic books at the library, and I found this! And why not try out some Fulton Sheen.
I don’t have too much to say here; this is a collection of messages from Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, handily put together and labeled by topic. There is much quotable wisdom here! I was half-tempted several times while reading it to pull out my Quote Book and jot down something, but the fact is that if I did that every time I found something I wouldn’t have read much and I’d fill up pages and pages of the Quote Book.
Sheen was apparently a huge fan of Dostoevsky? He refers to the author *a lot.*
I will not say, “A-ha! Yes! Sheen had the secrets to everything, just listen to him and your life will be perfect and God-guided!” There are at least a couple of topics that I wonder if he’d address the same way if he was doing his thing today. That being said, there’s also a lot that’s startlingly relevant, and if my reading schedule was different I might suggest going over it again. I might keep the book for a while, actually, instead of returning it to the library right away…
It makes me want to look up Fulton Sheen clips. Maybe I should. I definitely think I would get something out of it. I think the last time I watched some clips of his show was when it was featured on the Catholic Talk Show.
Do check it out if you get a chance.
—
So I decided to search for Catholic books at the library, and I found this! And why not try out some Fulton Sheen.
I don’t have too much to say here; this is a collection of messages from Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, handily put together and labeled by topic. There is much quotable wisdom here! I was half-tempted several times while reading it to pull out my Quote Book and jot down something, but the fact is that if I did that every time I found something I wouldn’t have read much and I’d fill up pages and pages of the Quote Book.
Sheen was apparently a huge fan of Dostoevsky? He refers to the author *a lot.*
I will not say, “A-ha! Yes! Sheen had the secrets to everything, just listen to him and your life will be perfect and God-guided!” There are at least a couple of topics that I wonder if he’d address the same way if he was doing his thing today. That being said, there’s also a lot that’s startlingly relevant, and if my reading schedule was different I might suggest going over it again. I might keep the book for a while, actually, instead of returning it to the library right away…
It makes me want to look up Fulton Sheen clips. Maybe I should. I definitely think I would get something out of it. I think the last time I watched some clips of his show was when it was featured on the Catholic Talk Show.
Do check it out if you get a chance.
August 27, 2017
Maybe the whole is better than the snippets presented here.
June 15, 2019
Great spiritual book, it also carries great insights on life and how to live it
November 17, 2019
Life changing, bite-sized insights. Profound yet practical.
April 14, 2022
This person shares articulately what every person should know...
September 26, 2023
I pick up this book whenever I need to feel God’s love in words. I love his writings, short chapters and nice and his teachings are timeless. 12 years later I’m still reading it.
April 10, 2014
Sheen es un experto en el arte de conectarte con Dios a través de sus lecciones. El Pizarrón compila extractos de varios de sus libros. Al final te quedas deseando leer cada libro por completo.
January 5, 2016
Excerpts from his works. Not a complete sampling of his abilities.
January 25, 2016
My best book ever on spirituality topics.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews