Degrees of Intimacy in Modern Civilization: An Investigation of Fulton Sheen’s Thesis on Radio, Television and Personal Appearance

In whichever form of relationship, intimacy reveals communication and communion. When this communication is between a human being and an inanimate object, it sparks off less communion and more communication. When it concerns human persons in interpersonal relationship, it elicits both communication and communion. With this motivation in mind, the researcher embarked on a review-paper titled: “Degrees of Intimacy in Modern Civilization: An Investigation of Fulton Sheen Thesis on Radio, Television and Personal Appearance.” Results of the qualitative study revealed that the author’s views that radio, television and personal appearance are metaphors for degrees of intimacy namely, hearing, seeing and touching are apt. However, in the context of pastoral communication, the author did not highlight the contents of both radio and television and how they apply to communication. The study recommended further profound appreciation of Sheen’s thesis and research about his involvement with the media. It concluded that if harnessed, the degrees of intimacy in modern civilization would foster greater communication between God and man and between human beings and the created order with all the advances in technology there are.

Keywords: Civilization, Fulton, Radio, Sheen, Television.