Billy Graham,American Evangelicals,and Sino-American Relations

Abstract

Billy Graham, the most influential American Evangelical leader of the twentieth century, played a unique role in Sino-American relations during the second half of that century. Although an outspoken critic of communism in the 1950s, two decades later Graham was promoting the opening of Sino-American relations and paving the way for renewed missionary work in China. His evolving attitude toward China and its impact on Sino-American relations provide a significant commentary on the changing perceptions and interactions between two world powers. This paper explores the role American evangelicals have played in the recent history of Sino-American relations, using Billy Graham as a case study.