Life Is Worth Living by Fulton J. Sheen

First published: vol. 1, 1953; vol. 2, 1954; vol. 3, 1955; vol. 4, 1956; vol. 5, 1957. New York: McGraw-Hill

Genre(s): Nonfiction

Subgenre(s): Biblical studies; handbook for living; sermons

Core issue(s): Communism; fear; love; morality; peace; prayer; suffering

Overview

Published in five volumes between 1953 and 1957, Life Is Worth Living contains the scripts of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen’s discourses from his television series Life Is Worth Living. In these volumes, Sheen reveals numerous nuggets of wisdom, words of advice, and insights about truth, salvation, and spiritual guidance that he wrote in response to inquiries from letters sent to him by television viewers. During each broadcast, Sheen would choose a topic from viewer letters that was common to his audience and to himself. He would discuss the subject for twenty-seven minutes, proceeding from the known to the unknown, often concluding with moral and Christian philosophy. He spoke without any notes and used jokes and personal stories to enhance audience interest. His only television prop was a blackboard. The illustrations he drew on the blackboard were enhanced and included in Life Is Worth Living.

Among the more than sixty books published by Sheen, Life Is Worth Living is the only one devoted to describing his Christian philosophy. Throughout the five volumes, Sheen demonstrates his understanding of people and the human mind. He frequently reinforces his teachings with texts from the Bible and thought-provoking, comedic stories from his own life. The range of topics covered by Sheen in Life Is Worth Living is extremely diverse and includes his insights into marriage, motherhood, handling teenagers, character building, tolerance, loving, pain and suffering, psychiatry, psychology of the Irish, fears and anxieties, fatigue, art, aviation, science, relativity, the atomic bomb, communism, and world peace. Sheen was never afraid to tackle the most controversial issues. A very eloquent speaker, Sheen had the ability to write and speak about complex subjects in a way that the general public could easily understand. His fundamental philosophy was that life becomes interesting and worth living if each day brings an individual closer to God. He based this conclusion on his strong belief that a well-planned life based on faith in God is the source of individual happiness.

Many of Sheen’s writings in Life Is Worth Living are focused on the family. He teaches that trials and sufferings are a necessary part of all marriages. The character of a marriage is not determined by these challenges, but by how couples react to them. He writes that marriage without true love is like hell. It is love, respect for one another, and self-discipline, not pleasure and self-gratification, that form the foundation of a strong marriage. Sheen states that these attributes are fully developed by a couple only if God is invited to be an integral part of the marriage.

One of Sheen’s favorite topics of discussion was the evils of communism. He had carefully studied the writings of Karl Marx and Vladimir Ilich Lenin. In the first volume of Life Is Worth Living, at least seven of the twenty-six sermons are devoted to describing the philosophy, framework, government policies, tactics, and role of communism in the world. He forcefully denounces the communist regime led by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. One of Sheen’s well-remembered discussions from Life Is Worth Living focuses on the death of Stalin. Sheen re-creates the burial scene of Caesar from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (pr. c. 1599-1600) and proceeds to substitute Stalin for Caesar.

Sheen strongly believed that world peace could be generated only from within the human heart. He felt that the exercise of good intentions and kind, loving hearts were the foundation blocks of peace. In his work, Sheen points out that the real battle in the world is not political or economic but the fight between the forces of good and evil. He believed that all good comes from God and that God is the source of peace for the human race. In many of his Life Is Worth Living scripts, he calls on people to repent of wrongdoings, exercise forgiveness toward one another, and serve God to halt war and trouble in the world. Sheen taught that God’s side will ultimately win the battle against evil.

Christian Themes

In compiling the discourses that make up Life Is Worth Living, Sheen anchored his preparations to the Scriptures and commentaries. He frequently referred to the teachings of the four Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Among the many Christian topics addressed by Sheen in Life Is Worth Living are the relationship of humanity with God the Father, the significance of Jesus Christ as a man and as God, the role that sin and sacred ordinances play in daily life, the constant struggle between the human soul and the materialism promoted by the world, and the importance that faith in God and love for fellow beings play in the growth and progress of each individual.

Within Life Is Worth Living, Sheen asks many important, searching questions related to the spirituality of humankind. He poses and provides answers to questions about whether life is really worth living, whether God understands people’s suffering, whether prayer is a dialogue, and what it takes to heal the human soul. With Jesus Christ as his primary focus, Sheen explains the purpose of human life in a mortal world, the necessity of Adam’s fall and the resulting consequences, and how humankind can avoid the pitfalls of sin by exercising faith in Christ. As required by the Gospel taught by Jesus Christ, Sheen advocates the importance of the preservation of human rights in the battle to save souls. He points out that it can be an overwhelming proposition for individuals to give up the habits and ways of a natural person, take up the cross, and follow Jesus Christ. In doing so, individuals must learn not only to love their fellow beings but also to forgive them for their trespasses. Sheen concludes that the path that leads to happiness in the presence of God throughout eternity is followed when individuals exercise the gift of free agency in being faithful to God and in resisting the temptations of sin until death.

In Life Is Worth Living, Sheen periodically points out that he is simply an instrument in the hands of the Lord. He prayerfully seeks the promptings, guidance, and direction of the Holy Ghost in compiling the writings that fill the five volumes. His Christian messages in these volumes remain timeless and relevant to all people, particularly in how they uplift the less fortunate and redirect the wayward sinner. In Life Is Worth Living, Sheen communicates his knowledge of the joy that comes from serving Jesus Christ and striving to live his commandments.

Sources for Further Study

Lynch, Christopher Owen. Selling Catholicism: Bishop Sheen and the Power of Television. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1998. Lynch examines forty-two of Sheen’s discussions that are included within the five volumes of Life Is Worth Living, pointing out that the popularity of Life Is Worth Living comes from both the content of the messages and the charisma of Sheen.

Murphy, Myles P. The Life and Times of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. New York: Alba House, 2000. In this biography of Sheen, Murphy analyzes Sheen’s life and his contributions to humankind through Life Is Worth Living.

Noonan, Daniel P. The Passion of Fulton Sheen. New York: Dodd & Mead, 1972. This book contains an insightful description of the persuasive personality of Sheen and addresses the importance of the topics that he discussed in Life Is Worth Living.

Reeves, Thomas C. America’s Bishop: The Life and Times of Fulton J. Sheen. San Francisco: Encounter Books, 2001. Reeves explores the impact of Sheen through his television series and the subsequent publication of his scripts in Life Is Worth Living.

Sheen, Fulton J. Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen. New York: Doubleday, 1980. Sheen reveals important insights into his life, the efforts that he made, and the value that he placed on producing Life Is Worth Living.