One Soul at a Time: The Story of Billy Graham (Library of Religious Biography

by Grant Wacker

Christianity Today  2020 Book Award of Merit in History/Biography

For more than five decades Billy Graham (1918-2018) ranked as one of the most influential voices in the Christian world. Nearly 215 million people around the world heard him preach in person or through live electronic media, almost certainly more than any other person. For millions, Graham was less a preacher than a Protestant saint. While remaining orthodox at the core, over time his approach on many issues became more irenic and progressive. And his preaching continued to resonate, propelled by his powerful promise of a second chance.  Drawing on  decades of research on Billy Graham and American evangelicalism, Grant Wacker has marshalled personal interviews, archival research, and never-before-published photographs from the Graham family and others to tell the remarkable story of one of the most celebrated Christians in American history.  Where Wacker’s previous work on Graham,  America’s Pastor , focused on the preacher’s relation to the nation’s culture,  One Soul at a Time  offers a sweeping, easy-to-read narrative of the life of the man himself.

Genres: Biography, History, Christian, Nonfiction, Church History, Biography Memoir

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 10, 2019

About the author

Grant Wacker is a historian of religion in America. He is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Christian History at Duke Divinity School. He specializes in the history of Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, World Missions and American Protestant thought. He is the author or co-editor of seven books, including Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture (2001, Harvard University Press) and America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation (2014, Harvard University Press). From 1997 to 2004, Professor Wacker served as a senior editor of the quarterly journal, Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture. He is past president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and of the American Society of Church History, and a trustee of Fuller Theological Seminary. Wacker is a lay member of Orange United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Reviews

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid. Fair. A picture of his times and of the contour of the man.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in an Evangelicalism which lauded Billy Graham as a premier Christian witness. My estimation of Graham has cooled somewhat, with the rise of Franklin Graham in BGEA, and the apparent drift into partisanship (again) in his later years. Plus the Nixon tapes, and Grahams private antisemitism belied a darker version of the evangelist than his carefully coifed public image, as a Christian statesman and person of integrity. Treatments of Graham in the media, either lionize him as a man of faith or dismiss him for the deep contradictions in his character, his politics, his anti-intellectualism, and his youthful war hawkishness.

Wacker's biography steers a path between hagiography and a takedown. Looking at the public record of 'Billy,' he explores 'scenes' from the evangelists life, from his early days as a fundamentalist, to his latter years. Wacker explores the impact of the man, in his crusades, in his social and political advocacy, in his genuine care and warm charisma, in founding Christianity Today and calling for the Lausanne conference, in his many trips abroad, and his magnanimous inclusive spirit.

Wacker is a friendly critic. As a fellow Evangelical, though one on the Evangelical Left, he once wrote Graham a letter (while he was a divinity student) criticizing the evangelist for his support for the Vietnam war. In these pages he gives Graham a fair assessment for his evolving (and slightly ahead of his evangelical peers') view's on race, while detailing some his political blind spots, his ecumenism, and his advocacy for nuclear disarmament (post 1978). He details places where his public words and persona differed from his practice (e.g. when he promised politicians on both sides of the aisle their support while privately campaigning for one over the other). While Graham identified as a life long democrat, Wacker places his political views right of center (with an evangelical commitment to pro-life causes and traditional marriage). He does criticize Graham for being slightly proud, seeking the limelight and celebrity acquaintances, etc., but this is balanced by Graham's disarming presence and genuine care for others.

Wacker's account of Graham reignited some of my appreciation of Graham, warts and all. There are definitely episodes that tarnish his reputation (Nixon!, Vietnam), but on the whole he remained a person of integrity, in his financial and moral dealings. Not perfect, but faithful.

[Gregory Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The minute I finished this book, I wrote an email to my longtime pastor recommending the book to him. If that's not an endorsement for a book about a preacher and evangelical leader, I don't know what is. Grant Wacker's work here is incredibly well done, creating a book that is both a ready reference for Graham's life as well as an inspiring account for believers.

I won't recount the exact content of the book here; it follows many of the typical stories you might expect from a biography tracing Graham's upbringing, education, and rise to prominence. There are many vignettes that make the man come to life, including witty quips between he and friends, as well as some sobering reminders of his mistakes. This is certainly a biography that strikes a balance between the hagiographic tendencies of biographers who love their subject too much and those who make a book an overly zealous critique of a person. It's well written, well researched, and well worth reading.

My favorite part of the book is the integration of letters that were written to Graham. It gives a "man of the people" impression about how people perceived him as their pastor, their professor, and at times a private counselor. These sections reveal a connection between Graham's famous crusades and the people that he reached that I had never really considered. More than the "celebrity" style preachers who preceded him, Graham's fame was built upon a plainspoken and hard-driving gospel message that presented itself in many different ways throughout the 20th century.

I would recommend this book to folks interested in American religious history overall. Further, I would consider this for a reading list on 20th century American history broadly speaking. Graham's involvement in matters of state and advising presidents could be useful to a wide range of scholars across disciplines. If I'm ever granted the privilege of teaching an American religious history class, I will certainly assign this book.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never heard Billy Graham preach, except for a few recorded clips, but I knew he was an American icon and pastor to presidents of both parties and other celebrities. I also knew he was criticized by fundamentalists as well as liberals. But thanks to Grant Wacker, I now know that my preconceived vision of Graham fell far short of the reality. With all that had been written about and by Graham over the decades, who knew there was so much more to be said now that his (near) century on earth was complete! This interesting and insightful biography is well worth reading. It depicts a remarkable man of God with flaws and foibles like the rest of us, combined with tremendous charisma, a sharp wit, incredible stamina, moral integrity, and most importantly, commitment to his calling. Wacker's writing skill makes it an absolute delight, not least the very last chapter, about the endearing letters Graham received from children. Every one of them will make you smile.

[Bruce Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 ‘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.

[Claudiu Nemeș · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well-written book about a great preacher of the 20'th century. The author portrays Graham not with an aura or as an angelic figure, but as a man. With ups and downs. I recommend it to anyone who's interested in reading an honest account of the life and work of Billy Graham. There are some small portions where it feels like the author is just presenting data (the letters Graham was receiving from listeners). I moved faster over that section.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ian Clary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very accessible and easy-to-read biography. Wacker is a phenomenal historian and knows his subject well. He treats Graham with admiration, but his work is balanced by an honest telling of a life. I come away from this book with a new-found admiration for Billy Graham as one of the most remarkable people in history. I'm very thankful to have read this book.

[Kimberly Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy Graham is an amazing person...not perfect by any means, but still pretty amazing! I appreciate that the author gives a complete picture of the famous evangelist--his struggles and mistakes--not just all his many strengths and successes.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this biography. I liked that the chapters were shorter and that the author focused on all aspects of Billy Graham's life and ministry. I feel like I learned a lot of new things about Pastor Graham.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read. This is a more personal portrait than Wacker's America's Pastor. But it still isn't quite what I would expect as a biography. Nevertheless, the approach taken here certainly gives the reader the impression that he is truly coming to know the man. Very insightful study.