Grant Wacker

9/10 (excellent): Not a typical biography, America’s Pastor looks at the relationship between [a:Billy Graham|40328|Billy Graham|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1392535010p2/40328.jpg] and the United States. It’s well-written, seems to be fair, and it’s both comprehensive (within its aims) and well-researched. What struck me most about Graham’s success was the vital importance of character, particularly humility; his ability and desire to bring the gospel not just to anyone but show more to everyone; and, of course, God’s timing in raising up the right man at just the right time. Well-worth reading if you’re interested in the influence of Graham on America, or if you want to know more about 20th-century evangelicalism in the States. show less

History slides quickly into myth and legend.

In 1901, Agnes Ozman received the "baptism with tongues" in Charles Fox Parham's school in Topeka, Kansas. Parham's own baptism followed quickly. Two years later Parham took his school on the road to Houston where he taught William J. Seymour. Seymour took the message to California where the new movement exploded in 1906.

In Heaven Below, Grant Wacker tells the story of that first generation of American pentecostals. Since almost every new show more expression of pentecostalism had its corresponding magazine and mailing list, Wacker mined a mountain of primary material to arrive at his nuanced understanding of the pentecostal movement.

Wacker described his overall thesis in one sentence:

"The genius of the pentecostal movement lay in its ability to hold two seemingly incompatible impulses in creative tension" (10).

Wacker shows how through a variety of topics (women, tongues, worship, war, testimony, etc.), pentecostals were able to be both primitivists (people who returned to what they considered the New Testament faith) and pragmatists (people who thrived in the world).

Context always influences research and Wacker is up-front with his. He was raised pentecostal but now identifies more broadly as an evangelical Christian. He confesses, however, that "in many ways my heart never left home" (x). He is neither a dispassionate sceptic nor a fawning hagiographer.

Now, a word about the context of this reviewer. I too was raised as a pentecostal and still identify as one—I pastor a Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada church. Wacker's research opened my eyes to the origin of many of the quirks I have encountered over the years.

While reading Heaven Below, I was alternately inspired by my spiritual ancestors who bragged that "the color line has been washed away in the blood," and disgusted at Parham's racist insistence that black evangelist William Seymour sit outside the school by the open window so he could get the teaching without mixing his race with the whites inside. The same feelings held true with many other issues: women in ministry, poverty v. wealth, and pacifism v. war to name a few.

That God did something world-shattering in the early pentecostal movement is beyond question—its effects are still resonating throughout the entire word. I hope pentecostals of our day can take inspiration from our mothers and fathers in the faith while at the same time repudiating the errors that have become clear with the benefit of hindsight. show less

One Soul at a Time, The Story of Billy Graham, by Grant Wacker (audio book, 12 hours). Published 2019. NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. My interest in Billy Graham came from having a general knowledge of him during my lifetime, and also having attended one of his crusades in Denver when I was a youngster living at the U.S. Air Force Academy. My recollection of the event is rather sketchy, but I’m guessing I filled out an show more ‘Inquiry” (commitment) card. Alas, despite getting a followup call or two from a volunteer, he probably guessed that I’d signed up as a function of peer pressure or whim (I’m guessing the former), and quit calling. I suppose I’m doomed. Anyway, this biography is quite interesting, in large part because it portrays Graham warts and all. Billy’s admirers will probably howl with outrage, and his critics will probably consider this a whitewash. If so, it’s appropriately balanced. It’s certainly not hagiography: there’s already plenty of that. The book is mostly about his adult years, tracking his Southern Presbyterian upbringing, his switch to Southern Baptist evangelism, to his long and storied career as America’s (and the world’s) preeminent evangelical preacher before his death in 2018. His warts included occasional tone deafness to national and international sensitivities (for which he typically publicly apologized), impetuousness, admitted lack of scholarship, embracing Nixon and being pro-war (impeachment & Vietnam), private anti-Semitic remarks (also with Nixon), slow embrace of integration (though ahead of his evangelical peers), perceived duplicity in political contests by saying he was avowedly neutral while surreptitiously supporting candidates, and other dubious actions. The author contends Billy was never known as a great speaker with respect to content, but was wildly successful due to charisma, speaking style, and overall persona. Also, as a non-academic preacher, he assiduously avoided taking on anyone in debates about the fine points of the gospel. As the author noted, thousands of people were critical of, or even hated Graham for one reason or another, while millions adored him. He was accurately criticized for fuzzing his evangelical roots, embracing non-evangelical Christians (including Catholics!), reaching out to those of other religions, never professing the literal truth of the Bible (though believing it was the definitive guide to saving one’s soul), and refusing to take stands promoted by many hardliners. He was also criticized for his close ties to politicians (and being blinded by those associations), hobnobbing with the rich and famous (he did), profiting excessively from his ministry (he didn’t), and other faults. Those criticizing him have proved — shockingly — that he was human. Despite his faults and errors, he remained true to his aim of promoting the love of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible (literally hundreds of millions worldwide). He was steadfast in reaching as many people as possible with the simplest of messages: accept Christ. To his credit, he did not build a television empire, did not establish his own denomination, did not pile up riches, and did not create a megachurch like so many other popular and arguably inauthentic evangelists. He made many mistakes, misjudgments, and was otherwise human, but remained true to his calling. He also refused (most of the time, to criticize his evangelical peers. If anyone is interested in listening to this Audible recording, I was especially impressed that it was if the narrator was across the room telling me personally about the life of Billy Graham. Yes, I know it’s a book, but it’s read in an amazingly conversational way. That contrasts with quite a few other audio book narrators. It’s a balanced look at one of the most recognized names in American theology, and I highly recommend it if you’re interested in digging beyond the highly publicized face of Billy Graham. show less

This is a biography of a real person who did his best to make everyone aware that they were the children of God. He has left an admirable legacy and has helped many people whether they accepted his teaching or not. The book is not boring nor one sided but is easy to read. I enjoyed it!
I won a giveaway from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Trevor Thompson performs the audiobook with just the right tone and presentation.