2014/04/03 by Richard Wolff · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Catholicism and Religious Studies #Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies #Religion and Society Interactions #Pike #Politics #Sociology #Christian ministry #Introspection #Identity (music) #Religious studies #Law #Media studies #Art history #Art #Political science #Aesthetics #Philosophy
paper · doi:10.1080/15348423.2014.909199
openalex publication_date 2014/04/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2025/11/06
During the religious revival and television revolution of the 1950s, future Episcopal Bishop James Pike broadcast a live religious television program to a national audience from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, where he was then serving as Dean. By so doing, he joined evangelist Billy Graham and Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen as prominent church leaders of the day hosting their own TV shows. Together, these programs reflected varied strands of the American religious landscape in the 1950s. The article examines Pike's show, which focused on a discussion with guests of critical political, social and ethical issues facing the nation and church. It examines how the program reflected Pike's life-long ministry and identity as a High Church liberal, as well as Reinhold Niebuhr's theology. Further, the article compares the format, approach and content of Pike's show with those of Graham and Sheen, examining how each program's format derived from its featured cleric's theology and approach. It finds that Pike's show was distinctly more political, pragmatic and introspective than those of his fellow TV clerics.