A Prophet with Honor : The Billy Graham Story [Paperback]

William Martin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 1992

For more than 40 years, Billy Graham has been the dominant figure in the burgeoning worldwide movement of Evangelical Christianity. In this fascinating biography, Martin chronicles Graham's ascent from futile preaching in front of saloons to addressing huge throngs in the world's largest arenas, and his pursuit of expanding religion in Eastern Europe and the People's Republic of China. 24 photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Martin's first book is an immense and appealing study of how Billy Graham became the "world's most influential Christian leader" and how Early America virtually became a Christian nation. The account starts 350 years ago with the Pilgrims spreading evangelical fervor, then progresses to portray Graham, now 72, as following the leads of evangelists like D. L. Moody and Billy Sunday. Martin, professor of sociology at Rice University, conducted some 100 interviews; he discovered no scandals but he found Graham to be a man of party politics as well as religious principles. We learn, for instance, that Graham successfully courted the favor of then North Carolina governor Strom Thurman and of Harry Truman years before his support of the Republican ticket in 1956, well before he became known as Nixon's pope.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Martin (sociology, Rice Univ.) chronicles the 40-year career of Graham, the foremost modern evangelical prophet, and offers an overview of the foundations of evangelism and the conflicts with fundamentalists. Martin gives a sense of Graham as a man of theology, not of administrative work, with influence on the world and politics. Graham describes an evangelist as "a person with a special gift and a special calling from the Holy Spirit to announce the good news of the gospel." Sources used include interviews and texts. Graham has reviewed the work for accuracy. Recommended for most libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/91.
- L. Kriz, Sioux City P.L., Ia.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (September 28, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688119069
• ISBN-13: 978-0688119065
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #586,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( G ) > Graham, Billy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A friendly take on Graham, November 28, 2007

By 

Cecil Bothwell "Author of "Whale Falls: A... (Asheville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Prophet with Honor : The Billy Graham Story (Paperback)

While this book ranks as the most comprehensive take on Graham's life and career, it suffers from two shortcomings. William Martin is rather too uncritical of his subject, and, like most other Graham biographers, he depends too heavily on Graham's memory. Graham has repeatedly proven to be an unreliable source concerning his own history as I documented in my own research for The Prince of War: Billy Graham's Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire. Unlike Marshall Frady whose Billy Graham - a Parable of American Righteousness reported out some of the preacher's less admirable endeavors, Martin participates in the general canonization of Graham.