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Christianity Today, April, 2007 |

Learning to Cry for the Culture

Let's remember Francis Schaeffer's most crucial legacy--tears.

John Fischer | posted 3/19/2007 09:23AM

He was a small man—barely five feet in his knickers, knee socks, and ballooning white shirts. For two weeks, first as a freshman and then again as a senior, I sat in my assigned seat at Wheaton College's ...

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Eric	Posted: April 01, 2007 6:32 AM


Schaeffer loved the enemies of the gospel enought to listen to them and to take their concerns and criticisms seriously. Sure his mind was troubled; that was and is an appropriate response to a world gone mad.

Stephen Fox

Posted: March 29, 2007 8:42 PM

Most of you know Barry Hankins of Baylor U is about to publish a book about Schaefer. Given Hankins has written about Al Mohler and Karl Rove's operative in the SBC, Richard Land, his book should be seminal, coloring the lament in this CT Essay. I am waiting for Mark Noll's assessment of Hankins book when it is published. I fear Schaefer may finally be put in some analogy to Robert E. Lee, where folks like Randall Balmer and Jim Wallis will be remembered as the Lincolns of the culture war within the evangelical community. Would make Schaefer something of a tragic figure. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, his tragedy may be more a function of how his legacy was abused by the likes of Mohler and Land to distort in the Baptist world at least, a nobler legacy of how justice politics nuances the critical foundation of Separation and Church and State. I am cashing in with Carter and Clinton and the new Baptist Covenant, as holding more promise than Schaefer's legacy.

Greg Livingstone

Posted: March 29, 2007 8:13 AM


Before I went to L'Abri I was secretly "ashamed of the Gospel". After being there, I came out as a lion...never to doubt the Bible or the Gospel again! I realized it was the non-Christians who were hiding their heads in the sand! And Schaeffer modeled compassion, and sent me back to lay down my life for the Muslims Dr. Greg Livingstone, Founder, Frontiers

Phil Lueck

Posted: March 24, 2007 9:08 AM

As a grad student at Wheaton, when Schaeffer came to campus in 1965, I was hardly prepared for the impact he would have on students, staff, faculty, and the administration. He was to be the annual fall spiritual life speaker, which usually took the form of a well-known Bible teacher spending his time taking us through some appropriate Bible book related to some particular aspect of the Christian life. We were all most pleasantly surprised when he broke out of the box and gave us "Speaking The Historic Christian Position into The 20th Century." I still have my copy of the transcribed lectures and printed by the Christian Service Council of Wheaton College. I still have my copy of the British version (Hodder and Stoughton, 1968) of what was to later became "The God Who is There." I suppose only ternity will reveal the full impact of Schaeffer on the evangelical lanscape both during his life and since his death.

Jan Louw

Posted: March 23, 2007 3:34 AM


Very informative. Becoming, more and more relavant

Kristin

Posted: March 22, 2007 2:38 PM

Excellent article. In 1996 I visited the L'Abri in England, and it was there that I was introduced to Schaeffer's book, True Spirituality. That book has had a huge impact on my life! Although I've read all of Schaeffer's books, True Spirituality still remains my very favorite. Also, John Fischer is correct. In order to understand Schaeffer, one needs to read the entire body of his works. At the heart of this man was a gentle evangelist. To be honest, I can no longer relate to the Christian right at all, and I often wonder what Schaeffer would have thought of them. Even though I, too, am Bibically conservative, (pro-life, etc), I find the harsh rhetoric of the Christian right to be counter-productive in our culture. As I have learned to weep for my lost friends as well as to try and understand them, I have found God providing many opportunities to share His love and His ways.

Jason

Posted: March 22, 2007 12:54 PM


Correction - it's not Covenant College that holds the resources on Schaeffer, it's Covenant Seminary. The URL is correct, text isn't.

Tim	Posted: March 22, 2007 8:32 AM


Francis Schaeffer v. Lindsay. Nice.

Jason

Posted: March 22, 2007 7:28 AM


I read "How Then...." a few years ago and I still remember the sensation of my paradigm shaking and then shifting. This article stoked the fire within me a bit more to be a pastor/person who breaks over the the brokenness around us in our city that looks dead in many parts. If post-modernism has come then is there anyone comparable to Schaeffer for our time?

Peter Knapp

Posted: March 22, 2007 6:15 AM

I first read Schaeffer while at Houghton College. His combination of intellect, spirituality, passion and compassion were powerful influences on me. I later had a chance to meet with him at a gathering of leaders and writers at Buck Hill Falls, PA. There he and I debated biblical pacifism informally in a public setting. I will always remember his statement to the effect that "...while I believe this young man is wrong in his biblical interpretation...we must not break fellowship with him and others like him who are working to speak their understanding to the church and to society..." We later continued our correspondence as I worked through a decision on whether to stand trial or immigrate over the draft issue. His support was invaluable as others in the church to us to task for our position. While we disagreed politically, he became my model for discourse. The Mark of the Christian says it all.

plc	Posted: March 21, 2007 6:05 PM


dude... seriously...great. really.... off to borders/amazon/somewhere to get Death in the City...

dipaolor@yahoo.com

Posted: March 21, 2007 3:07 PM

While unoffended, referring to someone as bipolar - even if a play on dipaolor - because one disagrees with his/her view is quite uncharitable and an ad hominem argument that diminishes the writers credibility. My comments are from reading Schaeffer. Escape from Reason & The God Who Is There were decent books that provided some of the benefits mentioned in other comments. However A Christian Manifesto & The Great Evangelical Disaster marked a definitive change in Schaeffer's thinking, and like it or not - and I don't - resulted in the Religious Right. Those who don't believe Schaeffer saw the Christian faith as propositional rather than experiential or relational need only pick up a copy of the first 2 books mentioned above and read them. He spells out his view quite clearly. Moreover, Schaeffer's apologetic method was inconsistent, he misread Kirkeggard and unfortunately some how lost his way, getting caught up in the rising tide of the Religious Right, which for me was unfortunate.

Larry

Posted: March 21, 2007 1:25 PM

It was Francis Schaeffer’s “The God Who is There” that introduced me to the world of philosophy and choosing that subject as my major in college. For this I too am greatful. I have never been the same. Ironically, it was not his agenda that attracted me. Having grown up in orthodox Christianity, my heart felt “strangely warm” as I read about the existentialist thinkers that he was trying to argue against, as they touch my own feelings of existential angst, from which my own church tried to protect me from. Thus, I must have been able to plug into the empathetic heart that Schaeffer had for his culture, that John Fisher so heartfully relates in his fine article. How strange that in daring to be open, Schaeffer open the world of modern thought to me. In my own studies Schaeffer’s arguments where among the first that I rejected.

John	Posted: March 21, 2007 11:35 AM


Jesus began his teaching on discipleship by saying "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Schaffer, as much as any modern theologian, understood the weight of that thought. Thanks for a great article!

Greg Laughery

Posted: March 21, 2007 2:16 AM

Thanks John for the article. I like much of your portrayal of Schaeffer, but am not sure that it's helpful to divide his words and tears or his gracious call to arms and his loving call to care. In following the crucified and risen One, Schaeffer always emphasized that the mark of a Christian was love - he even called this the final apologetic - whether Christians love each other and all people. Remarkable and deeply biblical! I don't think, especially the last sentence in 'dipalor', is fair to Schaeffer. Perhaps, it would be helpful to read Scaheffer's, The Church Before the Watching World, The Mark of A Christain, or True Spirituality. From these works it is clear that a personal relationship with Christ is central to him and his work in L'Abri. My recent book, Living Spirituality, stresses the same thing.

Linda Mehus-Barber

Posted: March 20, 2007 11:53 PM

It was by reading the writings of Francis Schaeffer that I came to an understanding that my faith should permeate all of life, that it must not be compartmentalized. Shedding legalism, I became truly free in my faith, yet this freedom did not lead me towards liberalism but towards a closer relationship with Christ. For many years I was involved in environmental education, and as a Christian, I struggled as so many of my colleagues were drawn to the spiritual side of environmental activism. Then I found Schaeffer's book, Pollution and the Death of Man, and I was able to reconcile my Christianity with my love of the outdoors and a desire to promote environmental concerns. Over the years, I devoured many of his books, and believe his writings have influenced me more than anything other than the Bible itself. He caused many in my generation to THINK, and demolished the foolish idea that Christians had to check their brains in at the church door.

Gary Lynch

Posted: March 20, 2007 7:54 AM

I believe Fischer hits the nail right on the head, being compassionate and sharing in both the pain and the joy of others is the only way to truly get to know them, and if we don't ever get to know them, how can we share the love that Christ has placed in our hearts with them. Compassion = to suffer together. For the only way to get to know a person is to enter into a relationship with them, as Christ entered into a relationship with us. Thanks to Francis Schaeffer for inspiring John Fischer to write this article as a reminder to us all of the love that Christ had for each of us. For if He had never entered into our suffering, where would we be? He was loved and he loved, what a wonderful way to be remembered.

Tim Johnson

Posted: March 20, 2007 7:33 AM


Francis Schaeffer was the first person to introduce me to the idea that our cuture was not something to be feared or rejected, but to be honestly and thoughtfully engaged. While he may not be the easiest author to read - his books are dense and dry - they are altogether rewarding to those who will make the effort.

Scott McCarty

Posted: March 20, 2007 3:13 AM

I address my comments directely to Mihaly's last sentence, so indirectly to Bro. Schaeffer. Jesus said that He came to save sinners; Paul preached repentance to God then faith in Christ. The sinner who does not have the sentiment of guiltiness will not come to God. and sees no need of a Saviour. The evangelical world has forgotten what sin is and no longer preaches it to itself, so it doesn't preach it to the pagan world. It is a travesty to preach salvation if it is not preceded by denoncing sin. Let us put the cart before the horse. Evangelical preaching and books have become so anthropocentric that the Lord Jesus is dishonored and shelved. Sin has become a nasty word not to mention. We evangelicals need to read more carefully our New Testament and decide to walk in its footsteps. We are Laodicea ! Yes, I have wept over the lost. We need more of Schaeffer, but most of all Christ, then the Apostles.

Antonio

Posted: March 20, 2007 1:26 AM


Great article! I never knew such a man existed after Jeremiah and Jesus. I am sure those precious tears together with the other saints before him quenched God's anger on humanity. We need more Francis Schaeffers in this generation. Praise God for men like him.

denise

Posted: March 19, 2007 10:05 PM


I still go into Christian bookstores checking for a new Francis Schaeffer book - knowing better but hoping anyway.

Ken	Posted: March 19, 2007 9:24 PM

I had the privilege in 1979, as a young pastor, to sit in on a seminar led by Dr. and Edith Schaeffer, C. Everett Koop, and Dr. Mildred Jefferson. The topic was the introduction to "Whatever Happened to the Human Race" and a very Biblically, historically, medically and culturally informed case against abortion and the general cheapening of life. Sadly, shockingly few attended this seminar. We want to be happy, even when God isn't. We want to build our churches and get big and important. You can't do that crawling into God's pain. He must feel ours! When He insists that all is not right, we just plug our ears and insist that we only want to hear how He plans to make us happy...now, thank you! If the Scriptures were still being written in our era, we might have a book much like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Haggai and Jeremiah. It would be titled "Francis," and it would tell how the prophet wept and spoke God's heart-broken truth yet nobody listened. Sounds familiar doesn't it?

Elizabeth

Posted: March 19, 2007 8:37 PM


Schaeffer formed my early faith. Like a primer on sentence construction, he showed me how to take apart a statement. How many futile conversations could be saved by seeking presuppositions. How many souls could be saved by revealing the bankrupt nature of the same.

David Bates

Posted: March 19, 2007 8:06 PM

I used to listen to Francis Schaeffer on the radio in 1975-76 when he had a short 15 min. broadcast on Sunday afternoons. I had never heard anyone speak like this man before: what he said and how he said it held me transfixed on the radio, and I taped as many of these short messages as I could. Then I began reading his books. The books many times got over my head but still they held my attention all the way through. He is one man that I will always admire and I miss him greatly.

Judy Lai

Posted: March 19, 2007 7:37 PM

Thank you for the introduction to Schaeffer's voice and work. It was very helpful to me who haven't read any of his books before. What you articulated as Schaeffer's legacy - 'Schaeffer never meant for Christians to take a combative stance in society without first experiencing empathy for the human predicament that brought us to this place.' - reminds me of the most fundamental and universal call as a disciple, to come to know of our own depravity and God's grace and to care as He would have cared.

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