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Billy Sunday and the Redemption of Urban America (Library of Religious Biography
This is the first full-length treatment of mass-evangelist Billy Sunday to appear in 30 years. Lyle Dorsett makes a fresh and original contribuion to our understanding of this pugnaious baseball player-turned-preacher with his use of the Sunday family papers, a source previously unavailable to biographers.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1991
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About the author
Lyle Wesley Dorsett
25 books23 followersLyle W. Dorsett received his B.A. in history (1960) and M.A. in history (1962) from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia (1965). He began his teaching career at the University of Missouri, moving briefly to the Univ. of Southern California and University of Colorado at Denver, before he joined the history department at the University of Denver.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 7, 2016
Sure, there are saints, but more often that not Christians are both saint AND sinner. Billy Sunday was an eager and earnest baseball player-turned-evangelist who preached to over 100 million people and led hundreds of thousands to Christ, early on taking to the "kerosene circuit" and leaving his young family at home for long stretches of time. However, Sunday's success would also lead to worldly indulgence, entangling both himself and his family and leading some of his closest colleagues to criticize him. It's the complexity of the Fall and faith.
Lyle W. Dorsett writes sympathetically of Sunday. He chronicles the itinerant's humble and harsh beginnings, his father, serving in the Union Army, dying five weeks after Sunday was born. Sunday's mother was too poor to care for Sunday or his brother and both were sent to a soldier's orphan home where Sunday learned hard work and discipline. Though Sunday would go on to become a millionaire and live in sumptuous comfort, one must recall his childhood poverty and how this made him so susceptible to Mammon.
Providence led Sunday to become a professional baseball player famous for stealing bases. He played for Chicago, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, making more money than he ever had before. In this same period he both converted to Christianity and met Helen "Nell" Thompson, daughter of a wealthy businessman and a devoted Christian herself. Though initially hesitant about his advances, Nell eventually came to return Sunday's affections and she proved to be an invaluable companion; she helped him grow spiritually, taught him the etiquette of the upper class, provided him with "tough love" when he needed it and warm encouragement (for all his success and swagger, Sunday was a very insecure man) and she would eventually go on to help organize and administer his evangelistic campaigns.
Still in his prime, Sunday left professional baseball and all the money that went with it, convinced that God had called him to be an evangelist. He worked with the YMCA and then apprenticed under J. Wilbur Chapman (the second-most famous evangelist of the period after Dwight L. Moody). Sunday adopted the conservative evangelicalism of the day, railing against alcohol and calling country folk and urbanites to repentance. In the early days, Sunday would chip in and help locals construct barns and other buildings, endearing him to his audiences. He still maintained his country mannerisms, sometimes seeming outlandish to the sophisticated cosmopolitans.
It was after his apprenticeship with Chapman and after several years on the "kerosene circuit" that Sunday, with Nell's effective administration, began to gain mass success. Sunday began hosting revivals in larger cities such as New York City, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Chicago. Attendees blessed him with significant sums of money and the Sundays, who had lived very frugally early on, began to indulge themselves with first-class transportation and fine clothes. The Sundays, who had four children, often felt guilty leaving their children at home and also pampered them with clothes and later on, auto mobiles. Besides their firstborn, Helen, the Sunday children would be disappointments, reckless, greedy and scandal-ridden. But critics also chastised Billy and Nell for their own opulence while at the same time, newspapers reported the Sundays' campaigns and their forays among the nation's elite, including presidents (Sunday was a fervent Republican).
Sunday rallied Americans to participate in the First World War but after the conflict, his ministry entered into a decline. Contributions dwindled, colleagues (including music director Homer Rodeheaver) left, and Sunday no longer campaigned in large cities. Rodeheaver had tried to get Sunday to change his evangelism style but Nell kept such criticism away from her husband, fearing his insecurity. Eventually Sunday did get wind of Rodeheaver's remarks and he began to change his ways and reform.
Dorsett's is a fair but empathetic narrative. He calls out Sunday's faults while also suggesting how Sunday fell into those faults. He includes a couple of sermons at the back of the book to give readers a taste of Sunday's sermon style. In many ways, reading Dorsett's biography of Sunday reminds me of Sunday's "spiritual heir," Billy Graham. Both reached out to Christians of other denominations, especially Roman Catholics, while maintaining their conservative evangelicalism. Neither were viewed as erudite scholars (Sunday poked fun of his ignorance of church history, pg 76-77; Sunday's contemporary Dwight L. Moody had refused ordination, pg. 75). Both schmoozed with presidents. Sunday also was good friends with John D. Rockfeller Jr. who applauded Sunday's tireless advocacy of prohibition. This is interesting since Rockfeller is also well known as the financial champion of Riverside Church, the pulpit of which was occupied by famed liberal minister who preached the notable sermon, "Should the Fundamentalists Win?" Like Graham, Sunday was also very progressive when it came to reaching out to African Americans (pg. 96-97) and made special arrangements to minister to them. Dorsett also notes the origins of the phrase "sawdust trail" on pg. 91-92.
This is an excellent, brief biography of one of the most important evangelists of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykn8Y...
Lyle W. Dorsett writes sympathetically of Sunday. He chronicles the itinerant's humble and harsh beginnings, his father, serving in the Union Army, dying five weeks after Sunday was born. Sunday's mother was too poor to care for Sunday or his brother and both were sent to a soldier's orphan home where Sunday learned hard work and discipline. Though Sunday would go on to become a millionaire and live in sumptuous comfort, one must recall his childhood poverty and how this made him so susceptible to Mammon.
Providence led Sunday to become a professional baseball player famous for stealing bases. He played for Chicago, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, making more money than he ever had before. In this same period he both converted to Christianity and met Helen "Nell" Thompson, daughter of a wealthy businessman and a devoted Christian herself. Though initially hesitant about his advances, Nell eventually came to return Sunday's affections and she proved to be an invaluable companion; she helped him grow spiritually, taught him the etiquette of the upper class, provided him with "tough love" when he needed it and warm encouragement (for all his success and swagger, Sunday was a very insecure man) and she would eventually go on to help organize and administer his evangelistic campaigns.
Still in his prime, Sunday left professional baseball and all the money that went with it, convinced that God had called him to be an evangelist. He worked with the YMCA and then apprenticed under J. Wilbur Chapman (the second-most famous evangelist of the period after Dwight L. Moody). Sunday adopted the conservative evangelicalism of the day, railing against alcohol and calling country folk and urbanites to repentance. In the early days, Sunday would chip in and help locals construct barns and other buildings, endearing him to his audiences. He still maintained his country mannerisms, sometimes seeming outlandish to the sophisticated cosmopolitans.
It was after his apprenticeship with Chapman and after several years on the "kerosene circuit" that Sunday, with Nell's effective administration, began to gain mass success. Sunday began hosting revivals in larger cities such as New York City, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Chicago. Attendees blessed him with significant sums of money and the Sundays, who had lived very frugally early on, began to indulge themselves with first-class transportation and fine clothes. The Sundays, who had four children, often felt guilty leaving their children at home and also pampered them with clothes and later on, auto mobiles. Besides their firstborn, Helen, the Sunday children would be disappointments, reckless, greedy and scandal-ridden. But critics also chastised Billy and Nell for their own opulence while at the same time, newspapers reported the Sundays' campaigns and their forays among the nation's elite, including presidents (Sunday was a fervent Republican).
Sunday rallied Americans to participate in the First World War but after the conflict, his ministry entered into a decline. Contributions dwindled, colleagues (including music director Homer Rodeheaver) left, and Sunday no longer campaigned in large cities. Rodeheaver had tried to get Sunday to change his evangelism style but Nell kept such criticism away from her husband, fearing his insecurity. Eventually Sunday did get wind of Rodeheaver's remarks and he began to change his ways and reform.
Dorsett's is a fair but empathetic narrative. He calls out Sunday's faults while also suggesting how Sunday fell into those faults. He includes a couple of sermons at the back of the book to give readers a taste of Sunday's sermon style. In many ways, reading Dorsett's biography of Sunday reminds me of Sunday's "spiritual heir," Billy Graham. Both reached out to Christians of other denominations, especially Roman Catholics, while maintaining their conservative evangelicalism. Neither were viewed as erudite scholars (Sunday poked fun of his ignorance of church history, pg 76-77; Sunday's contemporary Dwight L. Moody had refused ordination, pg. 75). Both schmoozed with presidents. Sunday also was good friends with John D. Rockfeller Jr. who applauded Sunday's tireless advocacy of prohibition. This is interesting since Rockfeller is also well known as the financial champion of Riverside Church, the pulpit of which was occupied by famed liberal minister who preached the notable sermon, "Should the Fundamentalists Win?" Like Graham, Sunday was also very progressive when it came to reaching out to African Americans (pg. 96-97) and made special arrangements to minister to them. Dorsett also notes the origins of the phrase "sawdust trail" on pg. 91-92.
This is an excellent, brief biography of one of the most important evangelists of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykn8Y...
October 10, 2021
This bio on Sunday is as advertised, it is not overly critical or overly applauding. I found it instructive in regard to the pressures of ministerial “success”, the intermingling of politics and the gospel, and the allure of money and esteem. Here Sunday is shown as a man who finally did attempt to take criticism and mourned his failures, perhaps too late to shape culture with his repentance as opposed to his successes. Worth the read, as history seems to repeat itself.
April 30, 2022
Good and balanced view of the man. It is brief but gives a good picture of the good and the bad. This is a good read for our day as we see that pastors and evangelists are just men, sinful men with faults and failings but God uses men and that is His choice. This book will help us look at our spiritual leaders through realistic glasses and maybe develop realistic expectations for our spiritual leaders and more importantly they for themselves.
January 31, 2019
I was disappointed. This biography doesn't add significant new insight into Billy Sunday. It does gloss over some parts of Sunday's life, e.g. his racism. Seemed more interested in making Sunday a hero than in understanding him or, through him, his time, and Christianity in American culture.
Read McLoughlin's Billy Sunday was His Real Name instead.
Read McLoughlin's Billy Sunday was His Real Name instead.
October 27, 2020
A lively portrait of short-term baseball player turned big-tent revivalist Billy Sunday. Sunday is something of a tragic figure: starting with good intentions, but ultimately corrupted by fame and wealth, which reeked disastrous effects on his family. He's an interesting product of a prominent segment of early 20th century Christianity in America.
March 8, 2015
Great biography written by Lyle Dorsett. It is critical and highly readable.
Billy Sunday's story is a tragedy, however, he was very influential in evangelism. It becomes very clear that when Billy Sunday was at his best: preaching the gospel, caring for the poor, etc., he was great. However, when he deviated into money, fame, and other causes (such as prohibition and Republican politics), he was pretty awful.
His life is an example of the incredible dangers and shortcomings of a love of money and a love of status.
One shouldn't evaluate Billy Sunday without considering his positives and his negatives. Thanks to Dr. Dorsett for a good biography.
Billy Sunday's story is a tragedy, however, he was very influential in evangelism. It becomes very clear that when Billy Sunday was at his best: preaching the gospel, caring for the poor, etc., he was great. However, when he deviated into money, fame, and other causes (such as prohibition and Republican politics), he was pretty awful.
His life is an example of the incredible dangers and shortcomings of a love of money and a love of status.
One shouldn't evaluate Billy Sunday without considering his positives and his negatives. Thanks to Dr. Dorsett for a good biography.
May 13, 2015
A very straightforward, balanced, and nuanced narrative of Sunday's life. The reader will emerge with a thorough understanding of Sunday's motivations, and how those connected to his methods as his campaigns grew from small, midwestern, rural hamlets to million-man rallies in New York City. In part, a picture emerges of a highly sincere man, who started a small, earnest ministry, but soon witnessed it grow into a realm where he was often compelled to speak about issues and topics far beyond his intellectual level--issues the impact of which he perhaps never fully understood.
June 22, 2013
He preached for 39 tears, to 100,000,000 people and over a million responded to the Gospel. Far from perfect, with children who walked the wrong path and greed becoming a problem, God used him. Dorsett is one of my favorite biographers after reading bio on A.W Tozer. It's interpretative in his view of Sunday, but well written. Sources as footnotes or endnotes would have made it better. Pictures or links for them would have made it superb.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews