All Things Are Possible: The Healing and Charismatic Revivals in Modern America

This is the best book I have ever read about the healing and charismatic revivals in America. The author is completely objective, he covers those revivals in a complete and thorough way, and he has a very readable style.

I read this book 10 years ago and found it be a gem. Having my own spiritual roots in "Pentecostalism," I felt that by taking direct quotes and doctrinal assumptions from the very leaders of the Healing and Charismatic Revivals, Mr. Harrell reported as objectively and concisely as any historian could. I also appreciated the aspect that one is able to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses, the upsurge and the downfall of those movements, not by the opinions of some outsider, but by simply watching the dramatic events unfold. If you were like me, you will walk away feeling as though you lived in the era written about and that you now have a better understanding of some of the Pentecostal/Charismatic practices in our day. This is also an important book for anyone who wants to study on the life and the death of revival, for indeed, this is exactly what Mr. Harrell shows us.

"All Things Are Possible" is a surprisingly objective account of the healing revival wave of the 1940-50's and the charismatic renewal movement that followed. The first part involved a homogenous group and had divine healing as its primary emphasis. The second phase had a diverse cultural mix and included a greater emphasis on a variety of spiritual gifts. David Harrell writes as a researcher or journalist who tells the story of the events and people as an outsider. Almost all of the major personalities of the time are examined. Harrell focuses on the "two giants," William Branham and Oral Roberts. You will also learn about people like Jack Coe, A. A. Allen, Gordon Lindsay, T. L. Osborn, Kathryn Kuhlman and many others. If someone is looking for an inspiring devotional book or a glowing biography, they may be disappointed. You will read about the good, the bad, the spectacular, and the ridiculous. Many reported testimonies appear exaggerated or fabricated. Yet, when you examine the avalanche of evidence it is hard to doubt the authenticity of miraculous happenings. Many of these leaders were capable and gifted individuals, yet the book clearly testifies to the fact that God uses "earthen vessels" and "the foolish things to confound the wise." For Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians of the era it will bring back memories. Modern day members of the movement can learn valuable lessons, be warned about excesses and abuses, but also be stirred in their faith. The curious outsider can gain knowledge about a fascinating slice of American history. The 304-page book includes a section of photographs, a helpful index, an extensive bibliography, and reference notes. David Harrell has a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and is currently a professor of religion at Auburn University.

Dr. Harrell's book is a thorough account of the healing and charismatic revival in America. Without a doubt, these things "were not done in a corner," and Dr. Harrell gives an honest and objective portrayal about a movement that is perhaps the least understood, and the least written about. He traces the beginning of the revival back to 1947 to the movement of God in the ministry of an obscure evangelist from Jeffersonville, Indiana named William Branham. One of the "two giants" of the healing revival (the other being Oral Roberts), Rev. Branham's ministry circled the globe 7 times bringing a message of deliverance that seen countless thousands of healings, and has been cited as the inspiration behind the ministies of Oral Roberts, and Tommy Osborne, to name a few. This book should leave no doubt in anyone's mind that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)