On Feb. 21, Billy Graham, the evangelical Christian minister who was widely regarded as “America's pastor,” died at the age of 99.
Graham is best known for his global “crusades” – rallies that attracted crowds in the millions – and for the spiritual counsel he provided to American presidents for over a half-century. But, what is less widely known is his contribution to the religious language in American public life.
Billy Graham with former President George H.W. Bush. AP Photo/Gerry Broome
Americans before the mid-20th century were often ambivalent about religious language and images in public life. Graham helped change that reality.
