cover image The Reason for My Hope: Salvation

The Reason for My Hope: Salvation

Billy Graham. Thomas Nelson, $19.99 (218p) ISBN 978-0-8499-4761-2

In what could be his final book, the world-renowned evangelist (whose Nearing Home has sold more than 700,000 copies) mixes Bible stories with anecdotes and present-day headlines to offer hope to believers and nonbelievers alike. From the Garden of Eden to modern-day politics, not much really has changed, Graham asserts: people can accept the rescue God offers or refuse it. He urges the former, speaking with authority, wisdom, and sincere desire to share the salvation that has given him hope through the decades. Believers will appreciate Graham's profound maturity, which gives him such confidence that his account of Noah's experience, for example, sounds as if the preacher was standing on the ancient ark itself. Those on the fence about the claims of Christianity will be challenged to dig further. A section on questioning facts and defining history is particularly engaging, and there's a trademark invitation for those who are willing to take the leap. The book's release coincides with a My Hope national campaign organized by the Billy Graham Evangelical Association. (Oct.)