Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Winter 2013 | Page 29

Following are a few insights from Grant about the man whose legacy is tangible at Wheaton, where the Billy Graham Center has served as a resource for “accelerating global evangelism” since 1980. A UniqUe CoLLeCtion of essAys “We use Graham as a lens for looking at other issues such as global justice, American intellectual culture, racism. One of the things that strikes me about him is his broad appeal to the vast heartland of America. There was a time when hardly any American didn’t know who he was, and the majority greatly approved of him,” says Grant. the imPACt of WheAton CoLLege Many people know that Billy Graham not only walked away from Wheaton College with an anthropology degree, but also with his most trusted advisor and friend, his wife, Ruth Bell Graham, who was faithfully by his side until her death in 2007. But there were four, perhaps lesser-known, key influences that Wheaton had on Billy’s career. Billy himself often notes that he had not encountered African Americans as social peers until the Wheaton chapter in his life. He became comparatively progressive (especially as a white southern preacher in the ’50s and ’60s) on racial issues. The Wheaton circle provided Billy with the framework for extensive social networking. He was influenced by individuals such as Dr. Harold Lindsell ’38 (who later served as an editor for Christianity Today magazine, which Billy started with Dr. Carl F. H. Henry ’38, M.A. ’41, LITT.D. ’68) and Torrey Johnson ’30, D.D. ’45, president of Youth for Christ, which spring-boarded Billy’s evangelistic ministry. Wheaton’s global missionary focus, propelled by the end of World War II, also gave Billy an international vision for evangelism that he did not have until that time. Still today, “He has an openness to anyone without being intimidated or pretending to be an intellectual,” Grant says—an openness to the world. “Before, where evangelicals tended to be more parochial and inward-looking, he turned the lens around and said, ‘Let’s engage the world.’” It was also at Wheaton that Billy Graham developed his own selfidentity to a sharper degree. He realized that he was a Southerner and what that meant for his ministry and how he would come to be known—informal, unpretentious, and e normously likable. Defining eLements of BiLLy grAhAm’s PreAChing AnD infLUenCe Billy Graham taught Christians about living their beliefs through Christian outreach and building community. He didn’t get caught up in the finer details of theology by saying that a certain kind of baptism or doctrine was necessary. Instead, he kept his message simple and personal. In fact, when it comes down to it, Billy Graham’s legacy is as much about what he did not do as about what he did. He did not get rich off of the gospel, or run for political office, or fall into immorality. A rarity among figures in the spotlight today, the public “Billy Graham” has proven to be the real thing. Grant notes that, in fact, part of the reason for the longevity of his success and influence lay in his personal life. “He modeled absolute personal integrity—financial integrity, marital fidelity, honesty—however it is to be measured, integrity is integrity one’s entire life, public or private.” “He opened public space for evangelicals to move into American life,” Grant says. “Out of the shadows, into the sunlight, they became conspicuous to media, politics, the academy.” A friend to presidents on both sides of the ticket, over the years Billy Graham became outspoken in the public arena as the voice of evangelicalism. His legacy is not without criticism, though. Some theologians and academics thought him simplistic and narrow-minded. “The extremes continue to fascinate me,” Grant says. “How does one person become the touchstone for so much adulation and so much strong dislike?” “He didn’t really create many things from scratch,” Grant adds, “but he made everything possible.” Acknowledging exaggeration to make a point, Grant explains further that developments such as Christian broadcasting on radio and television, Youth for Christ, and even Wheaton College grew because of his influence. “His genius was to take trends in motion and amplify them.” He helped change the landscape of American religion. Even in his ninth decade, Billy Graham continues to call not economics or politics to the forefront of thought, but the heart of the Christian life—our fundamental calling to faithful discipleship and to proclaiming Christ’s forgiveness to the world. Watch and Learn Planning for adult education classes or small group studies? Recently expanding into the realm of video, the ISAE now has several offerings that might make leading a class or small group study easier. People of Faith: Christianity in America is a critically-acclaimed, six-part documentary series that examines themes, controversies, and people in the history of the American church. A similar DVD documentary on Billy Graham’s crusades is forthcoming in 2013. The ISAE has also created one stand-alone video: Saving the World: The Changing Terrain of American Protestant Missions. To find out more about the Institute, to order videos or other resources, and to see a schedule for upcoming conferences, including the “Worlds of Billy Graham” conference this fall, go to www.wheaton.edu/isae or email [email protected]. W H E A T O N     27