The border between fame and celebrity is as undetectable as it is ill-defined, and not all detect or define it the same way. Katelyn Beaty, in her new book, Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church, explores Billy Graham in what I would call – she does not – the UnCelebrity. I say this because he did not play the part, or if he did, not well.
The Billy Graham rule is one of the single most damaging ideas for women in the church. Because of this, it is also one of the single most damaging ideas to the gospel of Christ. Pastors should fear celebrity because they are probably wrong about something, as we all are. If you're famous, that wrong teaching spreads across the globe and down through generations, with few people questioning the idea's validity. Unfortunately, that often means the most vulnerable suffer the most damage.
I have not read the book, but she was interviewed by Skye J. on the Holy Post Podcast that came out today. In it she discusses the difference between being a "celebrity", and being "famous".
I grew up on a raft of evangelists in the 1930s/1940s (including the popular Amy Lee Stockton/Rita Gould duo). As these passed from the scene, who would replace them? Of course in the very early 1950s it was the handsome southern Billy Graham who could use new methods of reaching thousands of listeners (rather than the smaller numbers in earlier years). I don't think we ever questioned his accession to the evangelist-microphone. So Beaty's discussion of celebrities for Jesus is new stuff for my old brain. Thanks for including this discussion. I will follow it with much interest.
I appreciate your writings. When I was in seminary in the late 1970’s I had met Billy Graham. I had written an article for my journalism class. It was to be published in Graham’s magazine. Since it was about how Gods love extended to Gays , Graham told me 1 it “was well written but it will never be seen in his magazine because God hates Gay people “
The Billy Graham rule is one of the single most damaging ideas for women in the church. Because of this, it is also one of the single most damaging ideas to the gospel of Christ. Pastors should fear celebrity because they are probably wrong about something, as we all are. If you're famous, that wrong teaching spreads across the globe and down through generations, with few people questioning the idea's validity. Unfortunately, that often means the most vulnerable suffer the most damage.
I have not read the book, but she was interviewed by Skye J. on the Holy Post Podcast that came out today. In it she discusses the difference between being a "celebrity", and being "famous".
I grew up on a raft of evangelists in the 1930s/1940s (including the popular Amy Lee Stockton/Rita Gould duo). As these passed from the scene, who would replace them? Of course in the very early 1950s it was the handsome southern Billy Graham who could use new methods of reaching thousands of listeners (rather than the smaller numbers in earlier years). I don't think we ever questioned his accession to the evangelist-microphone. So Beaty's discussion of celebrities for Jesus is new stuff for my old brain. Thanks for including this discussion. I will follow it with much interest.
My kind of working definition: A celebrity consciously curates an image that is widely accepted as better than most by the public at large.
I appreciate your writings. When I was in seminary in the late 1970’s I had met Billy Graham. I had written an article for my journalism class. It was to be published in Graham’s magazine. Since it was about how Gods love extended to Gays , Graham told me 1 it “was well written but it will never be seen in his magazine because God hates Gay people “