Billy Graham and the Rise of Evangelical Christianity in South Africa

This presentation explores the role of American evangelist, the Rev. Billy Graham (b. 1918), in the rise of Evangelical, Pentecostal, and charismatic Christianity in southern Africa. I review scholarship that explains the... [ view full abstract ]

This presentation explores the role of American evangelist, the Rev. Billy Graham (b. 1918), in the rise of Evangelical, Pentecostal, and charismatic Christianity in southern Africa. I review scholarship that explains the current rise of Pentecostalism in Africa from early to mid- 20th century revivals and missions, where Africans sought to meet religious needs caused by European colonization, especially by the British. Then I argue that the case study of Billy Graham’s crusade in South Africa helps fill important gaps in our understanding of why and how American Evangelicals played a role in postcolonial African Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity.