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In short, Graham became for the youth of the Age of Aquarius what he had been for the zoot-suiters and bobby-soxers of the 1940s: not only a culturally savvy evangelist but an influential friend and advocate.

His final impact on the "Jesus Generation" is impossible to measure. But in a fascinating account of this period, "'One Way': Billy Graham, the Jesus Generation, and the Idea of an Evangelical Youth Culture" (Church History 67 from March, 1998), historian Larry Eskridge suggests a thought exercise to help us gauge that impact:

"It is tempting to speculate," says Eskridge, "what might have occurred had someone as visible and important in evangelical circles as Billy Graham actively led a fight against the Jesus People, their music, worship styles, and relational stance to the larger youth culture. Surely, such a crusade would have slowed the development of the evangelical youth culture that evolved in the 1970s and 1980s."

More positively, Eskridge argues, "Without the welcoming arms of Billy Graham and other evangelical leaders, there would have been no bridge 'back' for thousands of refugees from the counterculture—just another disillusioning hassle and prolonged battle with another facet of the Establishment." What the sympathetic advocacy of a prominent figure like Graham did was to preserve a "middle ground" upon which the day's adolescents could negotiate the "mine fields of culture and identity" that perennially confront that age group.

Graham's high-profile sojourn with the Jesus People, like his earlier efforts with Youth for Christ, helped ensure the continued growth of Christian youth culture. And it did so by smoothing the way for thousands of prodigal sons and daughters to return to the "old-fashioned" Christian faith of their parents.

Chris Armstrong is managing editor of Christian History magazine.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

More Christian History, including a list of events that occurred this week in the church's past, is available at ChristianHistory.net.Subscriptions to the quarterly print magazine are also available.

For more on Graham's role in the early Christian youth movement, see such biographies as John Pollock's Billy Graham: The Authorised Biography.

Christian History Corner appears every Friday at ChristianityToday.com. Previous editions include:

Advent—Close Encounters of a Liturgical Kind | 'Tis the season when even the free-ranging revivalist pulls up a chair to the table of historic liturgy. (Dec. 6, 2002)

Dig that Billy Graham Cat! | How the grand old man of evangelism helped create Christian youth culture in the zoot-suit era. (Nov. 22, 2002)

From Swamped Creatures to Separated Brethren | Non-Catholics' spiritual status improved dramatically from Unam Sanctam to Vatican II, but where are we now? (Nov. 15, 2002)

An 'Ordinary Saint' in Wartime | William Wilberforce saw two long charitable campaigns through, even in war's distracting shadow. (Nov. 8, 2002)

Just War, Just Nation? | World War II preacher points America back to the nation's soul. (Nov. 1, 2002)

No Sex (Before Marriage), Please … We're Christian | Miss America preaches a 2000-year-old message. (Oct. 25, 2002)

The King Is Coming, Eventually | What if you announced the rapture, but God didn't show up? (Oct. 18, 2002)

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December (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46