Francis Schaeffer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Schaeffer in 1981 | |
| Born | Francis August Schaeffer (1912-01-30)January 30, 1912 Germantown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 15, 1984(1984-05-15) (aged 72) Rochester, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Christian philosopher, Evangelical church leader, author |
| Spouse | Edith Seville Schaeffer |
| Children | 4, includingFrank Schaeffer |
| Ordination | BPC (1938-1956) EPC (1956-1965) RPCES (1965-1982) PCA (1982-1984) |
| Signature | |
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Francis August Schaeffer (January 30, 1912 – May 15, 1984)[1] was an Americanevangelicaltheologian,philosopher, andPresbyterian pastor. He co-founded theL'Abri community inSwitzerland with his wifeEdith Schaeffer,née Seville, a prolific author in her own right.[2] Opposed totheological modernism (which prefers, e.g.,rationalism andreligious experience over following religious traditions based onrevelation), Schaeffer promoted what he claimed was a more historicProtestant faith and apresuppositional approach toChristian apologetics, which he believed would answer the questions of the age.
Born inGermantown, Pennsylvania, he graduatedmagna cum laude fromHampden–Sydney College in 1935 and studied atWestminster andFaith Theological Seminaries. Schaeffer became the first graduate and ordained minister of theBible Presbyterian Church and served pastorates inPennsylvania andMissouri. In 1948, he moved with his family to Switzerland, where they founded the L’Abri community in 1955, which later expanded internationally as a hub for philosophical and spiritual discussion.
Schaeffer developed a unique approach to Christian apologetics, combining elements of presuppositionalism andevidentialism. Influenced byCornelius Van Til,Herman Dooyeweerd, andHans Rookmaaker, he argued that non-Christianworldviews are internally inconsistent and that Christianity offers a coherent foundation for truth, morality, and meaning. He called his method “Taking the roof off,” exposing contradictions in secular thinking to lead others toward Christianity. His influential works, includingThe God Who Is There,Escape from Reason, andHe Is There and He Is Not Silent, explored the intersection of faith, culture, and philosophy.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Schaeffer became a prominent voice forevangelical political engagement, particularly aroundabortion andsecular humanism. His 1981 bookA Christian Manifesto encouraged Christians to challengecultural pluralism while rejectingtheocracy, influencing groups likeOperation Rescue and shaping theChristian Right. He also co-founded theSeven Mountain Mandate, advocating Christian influence in society’s key spheres, such aseducation, media, andgovernment. Schaeffer’s legacy endures through L’Abri, his writings, and institutions inspired by his work, making him one of the most influential evangelical thinkers of the 20th century.
Schaeffer was born on January 30, 1912, inGermantown, Pennsylvania, to Franz A. Schaeffer III and Bessie Williamson.[3] He was ofGerman andEnglish ancestry.[4]
In 1935, Schaeffer graduatedmagna cum laude fromHampden–Sydney College. The same year he married Edith Seville, the daughter ofmissionary parents who had been with theChina Inland Mission founded byHudson Taylor. Schaeffer then enrolled atWestminster Theological Seminary in the fall and studied underCornelius Van Til (presuppositional apologetics) andJ. Gresham Machen (doctrine of inerrancy).[5]
In 1937, Schaeffer transferred toFaith Theological Seminary, graduating in 1938. This seminary was newly formed as a result of a split between the Presbyterian Church of America, now theOrthodox Presbyterian Church, and theBible Presbyterian Church, aPresbyterian denomination more identified withFundamentalist Christianity andpremillennialism. Schaeffer was the first student to graduate and the first to be ordained in the Bible Presbyterian Church. He served pastorates inPennsylvania (Grove City andChester) andSt. Louis, Missouri.
Schaeffer eventually sided with the Bible Presbyterian Church Columbus Synod following the BPC Collingswood and BPC Columbus split in 1956. BPC Columbus reorganized as theEvangelical Presbyterian Church in 1961, and Schaeffer followed the EPC into theReformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod when the Bible Presbyterian Church's Columbus Synod merged with theReformed Presbyterian Church, General Synod in 1965,[6] a denomination which would merge with thePresbyterian Church in America, in 1982.
In 1948, the Schaeffer family moved to Switzerland and in 1955 established the community calledL'Abri (French for'the shelter').[1][7] Serving as both a philosophy seminar and a spiritual community, L'Abri attracted thousands of young people, and was later expanded into Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Schaeffer received numerous honorary degrees. In 1954, he was awarded anhonoraryDoctor of Divinity degree fromHighland College inLong Beach, California.[8] In 1971, he received an honoraryDoctor of Letters degree fromGordon College inWenham, Massachusetts.[9][10] In 1982,John Warwick Montgomery nominated Schaeffer for an honoraryDoctor of Laws degree, which was conferred in 1983 by theSimon Greenleaf School of Law,Anaheim, California in recognition of his apologetic writings and ministry.[11]
Schaeffer died oflymphoma on May 15, 1984, inRochester, Minnesota.[12][13] He opened a L'Abri branch there before his death. Schaeffer Academy, a private K-12 school in Rochester, is named after him.[14]
InCrazy for God, Schaeffer's sonFrank presents a portrait of his father that is far more nuanced and multi-dimensional than was suggested by his public persona. He states, for example, that Schaeffer's primary passions in life were not the Bible and theology but rather art and culture. "And what moved him was not theology but beauty".[15]
Schaeffer's son claims he had frequent bouts with depression and a verbally and physically abusive relationship with his wife, Edith.[8] Those in the inner circle at L'Abri challenge Frank's account.Os Guinness, who lived with the Schaeffers and was a close friend of both the younger and elder Schaeffer, describedCrazy for God as a "scurrilous caricature" and said, "[N]o one should take Frank's allegations at face value."[16]
Frank Schaeffer initially supported his father's ideas and political program, but has since distanced himself from many of those views, first converting to theEastern Orthodox Church[17] and later becoming aliberal and a self-described "atheist who believes in God."[18][19]
Schaeffer's approach to Christian apologetics was primarily influenced byHerman Dooyeweerd,[failed verification]Edward John Carnell, andCornelius Van Til, but he was not known to be a strictpresuppositionalist in the Van Tillian tradition. His approach to culture was heavily influenced by his friendship withHans Rookmaaker. In a 1948 article inThe Bible Today, Schaeffer explained his own apologetics and how he walked a middle path betweenevidentialism and presuppositionalism, noting that "If the unsaved man was consistent he would be an atheist in religion, an irrationalist in philosophy (including a complete uncertainty concerning 'natural laws'), and completely a-moral in the widest sense."[20]J. Budziszewski summarizes the article about thismiddle path approach by writing:
Presuppositionalists, he held, are right to assert that the ultimate premises of Christian and anti–Christian systems of thought are utterly at odds in relation to their origin. On the other hand, evidentialists are right to assert that between Christian and anti–Christian systems of thought there is always a point of contact in the shape of reality itself. The reason for this point of contact, he argued, is that nonbelievers cannot bring themselves to be completely consistent with their own presuppositions, and this inconsistency is a result of what many call common grace and is in fact the reality of God having made, and spoken into, a defined and unavoidable creation. "Thus, illogically", he wrote, "men have in their acceptedworldviews various amounts of that which is ours. But, illogical though it may be, it is there and we can appeal to it."[21]
Schaeffer came to use thismiddle path as the basis for his method of evangelism which he called "Taking the roof off".[22] An example ofTaking the roof off in written form can be found in Schaeffer's work entitledDeath in the City.[23]Nancy Pearcey also describes two books by Schaeffer,Escape From Reason andThe God Who Is There in this way:
In these books, Schaeffer explains the history of the two-story division of knowledge, often referred to as the fact/value split. He also describes his apologetics method, which combined elements of both evidentialism and presuppositionalism.[24]
In the 1960s Schaeffer read the works ofReconstructionist theologianRousas John Rushdoony with appreciation, and according to Barry Hankins, "it is quite likely that Schaeffer's belief that the United States was founded on a Christian base came in part from Rushdoony."[3] Schaeffer later lost this fervor because Rushdoony was apostmillennialist, holding the doctrine that the kingdom of God will be built on earth before the second coming of Jesus, while Schaeffer was apremillennialist, holding that the kingdom of God will only be ushered in with the second coming.[3]
Schaeffer thought that Rushdoony's system would require a merger of church and state, which he opposed. He held that the principles, not the actual details, of Old Testament civil law were applicable under the New Covenant of Jesus. He wrote "The moral law [of the Old Testament], of course, is constant, but the civil law only was operative for the Old Testament theocracy. I do not think there is any indication of a theocracy in the New Testament until Christ returns as king."[3]
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The Francis A. Schaeffer Foundation inGryon, Switzerland is led by one of his daughters and sons-in-law as a small-scale alternative to the original L'Abri Fellowship International, which is still operating in nearbyHuemoz-sur-Ollon and other places in the world.Covenant Theological Seminary has established the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute directed by a former English L'Abri member, Jerram Barrs. The purpose of the school is to train Christians to demonstratecompassionately and defendreasonably what they see as the claims ofChrist on all of life.[25]
According to Michael Hamilton ofChristianity Today, "Perhaps no intellectual saveC. S. Lewis affected the thinking of evangelicals more profoundly [than Francis Schaeffer]; perhaps no leader of the period saveBilly Graham left a deeper stamp on the movement as a whole."[26]
In 1978, Schaeffer asked a group of Reformed Episcopal Clergy to research his thoughts and current trends, forming a church guild called "The Society of Reformed Philosophical Thinkers". This was merged in 1988 with "Into Thy Word Ministries", which was then transformed into "The Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development" in 1998. Its purpose is to strategize how to reach and train pastors and church leaders to focus on Christ centered principles. Its aim is to point the church back to "true-Truth" and "true spirituality". The foundation develops comprehensive curriculum for pastors, church planters and church leaders.[citation needed]
In 1975, along with fellow evangelistsBill Bright (founder ofCampus Crusade for Christ) andLoren Cunningham (founder ofYouth With a Mission), Schaeffer was one of the founders of what would later be termed theSeven Mountain Mandate. The idea would later go on to be popularized byBethel Church pastorBill Johnson andLance Wallnau, among others. The concept centers around Christians taking dominion of seven societalspheres of influence: "family, religion, education, media, art, economics, and government."[27][28]
Francis Schaeffer is credited with helping spark a return to political activism among Protestant evangelicals and fundamentalists in the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially in relation to the issue ofabortion.[29] In his memoirCrazy for God, Schaeffer's son Frank takes credit for pressing his father to take on the abortion issue, which Schaeffer initially considered "too political".[8] Schaeffer called for a challenge to what he saw as the increasing influence of secular humanism. Schaeffer's views were expressed in two works, his book entitledA Christian Manifesto, as well as the book and film series,Whatever Happened to the Human Race?.[citation needed]
Schaeffer's bookA Christian Manifesto[30] was published in 1981 and later delivered as a sermon in 1982. It was intended as a Christian answer toThe Communist Manifesto of 1848 and theHumanist Manifesto documents of 1933 and 1973. Schaeffer's diagnosis is that the decline of Western Civilization is due to society having become increasinglypluralistic, resulting in a shift "away from a world view that was at least vaguely Christian in people's memory… toward something completely different."[citation needed] Schaeffer argues that there is a philosophical struggle between the people of God and the secular humanists.[improper synthesis?]
In the sermon version of the book, Schaeffer definessecular humanism as the worldview where "man is the measure of all things".[citation needed] He claims that critics of theChristian right miss the mark by confusing the "humanist religion" with humanitarianism, the humanities, or love of humans. He describes the conflict with secular humanism as a battle in which "these two religions, Christianity and humanism, stand over against each other as totalities."[citation needed] He writes that the decline of commitment to objective truth that he perceives in the various institutions of society is "not because of a conspiracy, but because the church has forsaken its duty to be the salt of the culture."[31]
A true Christian inHitler's Germany and in the occupied countries should have defied the false and counterfeit state and hidden hisJewish neighbors from the GermanSS Troops. The government had abrogated its authority, and it had no right to make any demands.
He then suggests that similar tactics be used to stop abortion. But Schaeffer argues he is not talking about a theocracy:
State officials must know that we are serious about stopping abortion…First, we must make definite that we are in no way talking about any kind of theocracy. Let me say that with great emphasis. Witherspoon, Jefferson, the American Founders had no idea of a theocracy. That is made plain by the First Amendment, and we must continually emphasize the fact that we are not talking about some kind, or any kind, of a theocracy.[32]
Christian ReconstructionistsGary North andDavid Chilton were highly critical ofA Christian Manifesto and Schaeffer.[33] Their critical comments were prompted, they wrote, by the popularity of Schaeffer's book.[34] They suggested that Schaeffer supports pluralism because he sees the First Amendment as freedom of religion for all; and they themselves reject pluralism.[35] Pointing out negative statements Schaeffer made about theocracy, North and Chilton then explain why they promote it.[36] They extend their criticism of Schaeffer:
The fact remains thatDr. Schaeffer's manifesto offers no prescriptions for a Christian society. We mention that merely in the interests of clarity, for we are not sure that anybody has noticed it up to now. The same comment applies toall of Dr. Schaeffer's writings: he does not spell out the Christian alternative.[37]
Christian conservative leaders such asTim LaHaye have credited Schaeffer for influencing their theological arguments urgingpolitical participation by evangelicals.[38]
Beginning in the 1990s, critics[who?] began exploring the intellectual and ideological connection between Schaeffer's political activism and writings of the early 1980s to contemporary religious-political trends in the Christian Right, sometimes grouped under the nameDominionism, with mixed conclusions.[citation needed]
Sara Diamond and Frederick Clarkson[39] have written articles tracing the activism of numerous key figures in the Christian Right to the influence of Francis Schaeffer. According to Diamond: "The idea of taking dominion over secular society gained widespread currency with the 1981 publication of...Schaeffer's bookA Christian Manifesto. The book sold 290,000 copies in its first year, and it remains one of the movement's most frequently cited texts."[40]Diamond summarizes the book and its importance to the Christian Right:
Frederick Clarkson explains that this had practical applications:
Analyses of Schaeffer as the major intellectual influence onDominionism can be found in the works of authors such as Diamond[42] andChip Berlet.[43] Other authors argue against a close connection with dominionism, for exampleIrving Hexham of theUniversity of Calgary, who maintains that Schaeffer's political position has been misconstrued as advocating the Dominionist views ofR. J. Rushdoony, who is a Christian Reconstructionist. Hexham indicates that Schaeffer's essential philosophy was derived fromHerman Dooyeweerd, not Rushdoony, and thatHans Rookmaaker introduced Schaeffer to his writings.[44] Dooyeweerd was a Dutch legal scholar and philosopher, following in the footsteps ofNeo-CalvinistAbraham Kuyper.
Congresswoman and2012 United States presidential candidateMichele Bachmann has cited Schaeffer's documentary seriesHow Should We Then Live? as having a "profound influence" on her life and that of her husband Marcus.[45]
Francis A. Schaeffer wrote twenty-three books, which covering a range of issues. They can be roughly split into five sections, as in the edition of hisComplete Works (ISBN 0-89107-347-7):
TheComplete Works set omits his bookletBaptism (1976). In addition to his books, one of the last public lectures Schaeffer delivered was at the Law Faculty, University of Strasbourg. It was published as "Christian Faith and Human Rights",The Simon Greenleaf Law Review, 2 (1982–83) pp. 3–12. Most of his writings during his Bible Presbyterian days have not been collected, nor reprinted in decades.
In addition to the five volumeComplete Works listed above there were also two books by Dr. Schaeffer published after his death:
Schaeffer was persuaded to adapt his bookHow Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture to film by Gospel Films, Inc. CEO and executive evangelical media producerBilly Zeoli who pitched the idea of hiring Schaeffer's then recently married son, teenage father, and painter Frank Schaeffer as a producer for the film project. Zeoli was instrumental in providing the Schaeffers with introductions to wealthy American evangelicals who would eventually bankroll theHow We Should Then Live film project. This book is still being read and used today in American Universities as well as in various small group studies to help shed light on the contemporary cultural problems of the past and how they have led to many of the issues that America is facing today.[46]
Issues such as race, apathy, abortion, and the non-compassionate use of wealth are topics still relevant today. Schaeffer argues that the humanist base for morals is fundamentally a weak base upon which to build a moral framework for society. By contrast, the Bible, understood as the revealed revelation from God is able to provide a fundamentally sound basis for societal norms as well as a base for science. The president ofChristian Leaders Institute (CLI), Henry Reyenga Jr., secured rights to post this film series in an ethics class at CLI. Thisfreemium ministry training school lists "deceased" Francis Schaeffer on its faculty.[47]
The American distribution of the book and film was responsible for bringing many evangelicalProtestants into the then largelyRoman Catholic public protest movement against theUnited States Supreme CourtRoe v. Wade decision,410 U.S.113 (1973) supportinglegal abortion in the United States.[48]
