American religious and public figure William Franklin Graham is a man called an All-American pastor and spiritual mentor; he was an adviser to many US presidents. Billy Graham was the first television preacher of the twentieth century who turned Christian sermons into a show and became a real-world star. Although Billy Graham’s sermons are simple, they contain the power of words. His life story is an inspiring story of loyalty and total dedication to his work and love for God.
The first chapter of America’s puzzle talks about the ambiguity of the figure of Billy Graham and the numerous angles from which the public observed him. This chapter has a lot of strengths; first of all, in my opinion, it intrigues the reader, causing him to want to learn more about the personality of the preacher1. Nevertheless, it is felt that among all the listed images of Billy Graham, the author prefers the image of a performer. It seems to me that it would be more appropriate to allow the reader to make his own choice and form his own idea of the preacher’s personality.
The second chapter of America’s southerner tells about Billy Graham’s connection with the American South and how he maintained a southern identity separate from the rest of the country. Among the positive aspects, the presentation of numerous details indicating the connection of the preacher with the South, which he carried through his entire life can be highlighted2. It seems to me that it would be appropriate to link Billy’s anti-racist activities precisely with his southern origin and cite some episodes of his life that confirm this. Thus, during the rise of the civil rights movement in the United States, Graham actively advocated for the black population and attracted African Americans to religious activities.
The third chapter of America’s voice talks about a particular and specific way of preaching Billy Graham. The chapter’s strengths can be called a complete and detailed description of the characteristic features inherent only in Billy3. It seems to me that after reading the third chapter, the reader has a clear idea of Graham as a preacher. Among the minor shortcomings of this chapter, I can only highlight that it would be possible to cite a significant, in my opinion, episode from the life of a preacher. When Graham became close to Charles Templeton, he was tempted to admit that the Bible is a metaphor and should not be taken literally. Billy Graham faced the wrong choice, but he transcended this line because sincere faith in God helped him. He took the position that he accepts the Bible as the word of God by faith, without trying to understand everything with his intellect. It was a cardinal decision, and Graham felt that God supported him in making it.
The fourth chapter of America’s entrepreneur is devoted to describing how Billy Graham initiated cooperative evangelism. The strength of the chapter, in my opinion, is the entire disclosure of Graham as the creator of an extensive network of radio stations and publishing houses that printed biblical literature in many languages of the world4. I agree with the author’s point of view and believe that Bill Graham crossed the line of proximity to religion when it was limited to the walls of churches in religious terms. Among the positive aspects of the chapter, we can highlight the emphasis on the fact that the work of Billy Graham has become a model for promoting conservative Christian values in the public arena. In the chapter, it is possible to trace precisely how religion became popular, and it was heard and talked about not only in a limited environment but also in the mass media. The weakness of this chapter and the last one is that crucial bibliographic information is not presented enough. The chapter does not reflect an episode that seems to me extremely important since it was fundamental for the evangelical association of Billy Graham. In 1949, a group called “Christ for Greater Los Angeles” invited him to preach in the second most populous city in the United States. These meetings in Los Angeles made him a religious personality on a national scale.
The fifth chapter of America’s counselor tells about Billy Graham’s participation in the country’s political life. In my opinion, this is the most complete and powerful chapter since it is exhaustive. It contains information that every US president, from Harry Truman to Barack Obama, met with Billy Graham5. The substantiation of Billy Graham’s political views, which were formed against the background of patriotic sentiments in the United States and fundamentalist Protestantism with its anti-intellectualism, is given. The evolution of Billy’s views is given: at first, Graham openly opposed the nuclear arms race. During his trip to Poland, his visit to Auschwitz made such a deep impression that world peace became a constant topic in public speeches. It seems to me that the concept of the inability to justify military actions and hostile relations between states was a line that the preacher crossed politically. In my opinion, this chapter has no shortcomings, and all the information presented in it is very well chosen.
The work that remains in the centuries, affecting and changing the fate of this, is the most useful example to follow. The life of Billy Graham shows how important it is to have faith, love, and dedication; he helped unite the country through its religious revival. His speeches mirrored the fears and hopes of Americans and reflected the eclectic philistine consciousness, which needed reassurance and firm support in religion. Even after his death, Billy Graham’s sermons continue to touch the hearts of millions of people around the world.
Bibliography
Wacker, Grant. “Billy Graham’s America.” Church History 78, no. 3 (2009): 489-511.
Footnotes
- Grant Wacker, ” Billy Graham’s America,” Church History 78, no. 3 (2009): 493.
- Ibid., 495.
- Grant Wacker, ” Billy Graham’s America,” 498.
- Ibid., 508.
- Grant Wacker, ” Billy Graham’s America,” 511.
