The Miracle Lady by Amy Collier Artman

Charismatic Christianity is now an accepted form of Christianity in America but it was not always that way. Artman takes the life of Katherine Kuhlman as a framework in exploring the movement, including its origins in Pentecostalism.

Artman includes the expected aspects of Kuhlman's life, such as her childhood, prior evangelists who influenced her, her early ministry, marriage and divorce, and her use of television. She also adds insights into the culture of the time. I appreciated her comments on the fact that Kuhlman was a woman in a time when women could be evangelists but not pastors. Artman also includes other insights into the era, such as the use of television and what that meant to culture in general and Christianity specifically.

This is a good book for those interested in the history of the American Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. Artman has done a good job in explaining how Kuhlman's controversial ministry and healing services related to and shaped those movements. She has also done a good job in bringing back to memory such an interesting woman with her flowing gowns and well scripted television programs.

My rating: 4.5 stars.

Amy Collier Artman teaches in the Religious Studies Department at Missouri State University. She holds a PhD in the history of Christianity from the University of Chicago.

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 248 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.