Billy Graham: His Life and Influence

There's little doubt that Billy Graham has had a significant impact on culture and world evangelism. In the book Billy Graham: His Life and Influence, David Aikman explores Graham's life and philosophies that led him to become one of the most influential voices of our time. What I appreciated most about Aikman's work is that he doesn't attempt to paint Graham as the perfect saint who could do no wrong. Like all men, Graham had his struggles and trials... Contents: A Life Of Influence; A Child of the 1920s; Conversion and the First Steps; A National Phenomenon; Harringay and the World; Theology and Race; Communism - A New Approach; The Presidents - Part 1 - Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon; The Presidents - Part 2 - Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan; The Presidents - Part 3 - George H. W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush; National Consoler; Family and Legacy; Acknowledgments; Notes; Index Aikman defines his territory and goal for the book and sticks with it very well. Rather than attempt to be a comprehensive biography of Graham's life, he recommends you read William Martin's A Prophet with Honor. Instead, he delves into how Graham grew from a small-town fundamentalist evangelist to become a globally-known evangelist and respected statesman, with regular access to every president since Eisenhower as well as many world leaders. Graham's ever-present goal was to be able to preach the gospel wherever he was, with no restrictions on what he could and couldn't say. That's easier said than done, as he broke new ground by being allowed to preach in Russia and China, places where freedom of religion was not practiced. The balancing act was trying to not offend his hosts by denouncing their governments, while trying not to offend the American government who didn't want him to be used as a propaganda tool during the Cold War. While ultimately he was able to preach, his attempts to balance those conflicting forces were not always well executed. Within American culture, he gained a level of accessibility to presidents not duplicated by any other single person in history. While his relationships with each president varied in terms of closeness and trust, he was always there to provide counseling and wisdom when needed. In his later years, this counseling and consoler role played out in public during the 9/11 tragedies and his addresses given during national remembrances. Given the American public's disdain for mixing politics and religion, it's amazing that Graham was accepted in this role. If you were to try and replicate his experience in today's society, my guess is that the media would shred him over any minor misstep or misstatement. But given that his stature was developed and earned in a much different atmosphere than today, he's been able to retain his dignity and honor in these more cynical times. Aikman is sympathetic to Graham's image, but he's not afraid to look at areas where things didn't work out as Graham would have believed. F

Billy Graham: His Life and Influence David Aikman, former Time Magazine senior correspondent, has written a very readable and comprehensive life of the famous evangelist. Graham's progress from farm boy to friend and counselor for presidents is an American success story on one level. On another, his career illuminates the Protestant religious temper of a majority of the people in the United States during the twentieth century. That temper contributed to Graham's success, but as an evangelist, Graham also shaped the spirit and direction of his times. The book is well balanced. Aikman notes both Billy Graham's strengths and weaknesses as he chronicles Graham's life and its impact on society in America and in other nations over more than fifty years. He also portrays Ruth Graham Bell, Billy's remarkable wife, and gives the reader insights into the partnership which enabled Graham to succeed. The book is fascinating reading whether one is a devoted Graham admirer or not since it offers a remarkable analysis of Graham's influence on culture and events during the last century