Ministers Of A New Medium

Kirk D. Farney explores the work of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier as groundbreaking leaders combining theology and technology to spread the gospel in the “Golden Age” of radio. With careful attention to both the theological content and the cultural influence of these masters of a new medium, this study sheds new light on the history of media and Christianity in the United States.

Named Best Major Publication by Concordia Historical Institute

During the anxiety-laden period from the Great Depression through World War II to the Cold War, Americans found a welcome escape in the new medium of radio. Throughout radio’s “Golden Age,” religious broadcasting in particular contributed significantly to American culture. Yet its historic role often has been overlooked.

In Ministers of a New Medium, Kirk D. Farney explores the work of two groundbreaking leaders in religious broadcasting: Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier. These clergymen and professors-one a Catholic priest, the other a Lutheran minister-each led the way in combining substantive theology and emerging technology to spread the gospel over the airwaves. Through weekly nationwide broadcasts, Maier’s The Lutheran Hour and Sheen’s Catholic Hour attracted listeners across a spectrum of denominational and religious affiliations, establishing their hosts-and Christian radio itself-as cultural and religious forces to be reckoned with.