CELEBRATING FRANCIS SCHAEFFER'S LIFE

Francis Schaeffer would have been 100 years old yesterday.  Chuck Colson describes the life and influence of this remarkable man in the short clip below. I count myself as one of many deeply affected by Schaeffer.  In college I heard him deliver a series of lectures that formed the basis for his book, "The God Who Is There."  He powerfully impressed me with his obvious passion and deep concern for "Speaking Historic Christianity into the 20th Century."  Like many others, I found his grasp of the ramifications of Christian faith for the whole of life and culture foundational and formative to my thinking.

 

In the clip above, Chuck Colson sounds a call for Christians to "get out of the pew and engage culture!" and urges people to sign the Manhattan Declaration.

Recommendations of T.A. Moore at the Colson Center:

Bing Davis, “Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer”
Barry Hankins, “Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelicals” (podcast)
Peggy J. Haslar, “Francis Schaeffer’s Double-edged Ethic”
Todd Kappelman, “The Need to Read: Francis Schaeffer”
Fred Sanders, “Come, Christian Triune God Who Lives”

Links from the "Colson Library" include:

Ranald Macauley - Learning from Francis Schaeffer: The Legacy and Relevance of His Vision

Francis Schaeffer, the founder of L’Abri Fellowship, espoused two main concepts in his vision for genuine and effective Christian living: “true truth” and “true spirituality.” The idea of “true truth” came out of Schaeffer’s love for Scripture, which forms a lens through which all other reality makes sense. He encouraged others to recognize the falseness of all worldviews other than a biblically Christian one from his home in Switzerland, which he called L’Abri (or, “the Shelter” in French). The ministry of Francis and his wife Edith slowly grew to become the first of eight communities and study centers that now exist around the world. The idea of “true spirituality” was implemented at L’Abri by substituting organization and programs with prayer in an effort to emphasize the importance of experiencing and imitating Christ. Though influential both in Europe and America, parts of Schaffer’s message were either misunderstood or ignored. However, his concerns are still relevant today, nearly fifty years later, in light of the condition of modern society.

Barry Hankins - Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelicals

Timothy George interviews Barry Hankins about his biography Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America.  Although initially an ardent separatist-fundamentalist, Schaeffer became one of the most influential components of evangelical cultural engagement.

Peggy J. Haslar Francis Schaeffer's Double-Edged Ethic (Fall 1989)

The life of Francis Schaeffer stands as a testament to how to live an uncompromising Christian life while expressing genuine love for others, both Christian and non-Christian. Even when caught up in controversy, as is unavoidable when living a life guided by orthodoxy, Schaeffer unceasingly loved those with whom he disagreed.

As for me, I think one of the foremost contemporary thinkers in the Schaeffer tradition would be Nancy Pearcey.   Her book Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity is extremely helpful.  I'm delinquent in not having yet read her latest book, Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning.   David Limbaughs says of her:

Nancy is scholarly. A great thinker and a great writer. She grasps worldview issues as much or more than anybody writing on them today. I consider her the modern-day successor to Francis Schaeffer. As a student of his, and as someone carrying on his work, she brings to the discussion a knowledge of theology, as well as a knowledge of politics and social issues. I think she is the whole package.”

For a valuable review of Saving Leonardo click here.