Twenty-five years after the philosopher-evangelist's death, Os Guinness recalls a great man's influence.
Francis Schaeffer influenced (to some degree) almost every future evangelical pastor and institutional leader of my generation. (What generation? you ask. Well, I squeezed the adventures of both high school and college into the '60s, paralleling the Beatles' journey from their early Hamburg recording of "My Bonnie" to their late psychedelic movie "Yellow Submarine.")
Schaeffer was a man of contradictions, but his passion for pursuing truth--and pushing others to do the same--was unflinchingly unambiguous and brought many young adults in an experiential generation back to reason.
Christian social critic Os Guinness was one of those so influenced. To mark the 25th anniversary of Schaeffer's death (coming up next week on May 15), Justin Taylor interviewed Os for his "Between Two Worlds" blog.
Some highlights:
[A] friend took me to hear a strange little man in Swiss knickers, with a high-pitched voice, terms all of his own such as ‘the line of despair,’ and appalling mispronunciations and occasional malapropisms. But I was intrigued and then hooked. Schaeffer was the first Christian I met who was ... capable of connecting the dots and making sense of the extraordinary times that puzzled and dismayed most people. Two years later, I went to the Swiss l’Abri ... [T]he summer of 1967 became the most revolutionary period in my entire life. I have never been the same since.
I have never met anyone with such a passion for God, combined with a passion for people, combined with a passion for truth. That is an extremely rare combination, and Schaeffer embodied it. It is also why so many of his scholarly critics completely miss the heart of who he was, and why his son’s recent portrayal of his father is such a travesty and an outrage.
[H]e had a massive impact on the lives of individuals, including me, but his wider significance was as ... a door opener. When almost no Evangelicals were thinking about culture and connecting unconnected dots, Schaeffer not only did it himself but blazed a trail for countless others to follow. Many who trumpet their disagreements with him today owe their very capacity to disagree to his influence a generation ago. A little man in stature, he was a giant in influence ...
Read the full interview here.
Posted by David Neff on May 8, 2009 3:43PM
Comments
I don't know about him in person, but in his writings, he comes across as condescendingly bigoted and compulsively manipulative instead of judicious and thoughtful, and a pretentiously insecure man...though I can certainly identify with the latter...lol.
Posted by: Gregory Peterson at May 9, 2009
For a more objective view of Francis Schaeffer, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the memoir "Crazy For God," written by his son, Frank (aka Franky).
http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-God-Helped-Religious-Almost/dp/0786718919
It's always best to consider a person through the eyes of those closest to him. In reading the book, you also come to understand how (and, at least to some extent, why) Evangelical Christianity is dying, not growing.
http://richarddawkins.net/article,2671,The-Great-Evangelical-Decline,Huffington-Post
Posted by: Sam at May 9, 2009
Francis Schaeffer helped me to leave Christianity. I visited his community in Switzerland in 1975 in hopes of finding a viable intellectual Christianity. I found intellectual Christianity to be just that intellectualism dressing up Christianity. Later as I traveled to missions in Pakistan and India I was further disillusioned. Through documentaries by Schaeffer's son, Frank, I later learned more of the colorful side of this Intellectual missionary.
Posted by: Sabio at May 10, 2009
Gregory, Sam and Sabio are you writing get attention or do you believe what you wrote?
Greg read Schaffer's essay on no little people and see if he is a bigot.
Sam, you realize that Frank has been trying to sabotage Evangelicalism since they turned down his film ideas.
Sabio, I am not sure what L’Abri you saw but I went in 1976 found a Christianity that was fundamentally sound and encouraged asking questions.
I agree with Os.
Posted by: Bruce at May 11, 2009
I visited L'Abri in '73, after Edith Schaeffer spoke at my boarding school in Africa. From her accounts and my personal experience, I agree with Os.
Posted by: lori at May 11, 2009
Frank Schaeffer is no objective source on his dad. For instance, in a CT interview with him about _The Passion of the Christ_, he for no apparent reason brings up both his parents. He calls his dad a "fundamentalist preacher" and sarcastically labels him a "guru" to millions. He likewise calls his mother a "fundamentalist." Both, however, had left fundamentalism (i.e., Carl McIntire's group) by the end of the 50's, identifying clearly with evangelicalism over against the harshness of McIntire's position. Though Francis Schaeffer was critical of evangelicalism in his last days (criticisms shared by other evangelicals like Harold Lindsell and even Carl Henry before his passing), he never returned to the separatist position needed to be truly called fundamentalist.
Posted by: John Hale at May 11, 2009
Bruce,
Thanks for your insight on those comments. So many people use this website to post distressing and hateful comments. I am a conservative Christian and stand for the gospel of Christ and the purity of scriptural teaching, but I am so tired of people tearing other Christians down. Galations 5:15
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
What happened to Christians being known by their love for each other? What happened to hating sin but loving the sinner.
What happened to speaking the truth in love and teaching for edification?
These people are destructive vehicles to destroy the reputation of
Christianity, make it look hypocritical and prevent people from coming to Christ. Why would such an attitude draw an unbeliever
to desire a personal relationship with Christ? It's certainly
not a testimony to be desired: Pride and Arrogance were what toppled
Lucifer from his aerie.
Sin is sin, not subject to relative judgments but thank God for
Grace, amazing grace; forgiveness through the shed blood and hope
for a new life through renewal of the mind. (Romans 12:2)
Posted by: nancy austin at May 13, 2009
I saw Schaeffer help his son (crippled by polio) walk up the long hill from the chapel.
I saw him make the time to come down to the basement of Les Melezes and critique Franky's paintings.
I experienced patient, unrushed, considerate, greeting when ironing shirts on my first job at L'Abri in 1969.
Schaeffer was a sinner modeling the love of Christ for us . It seems like Franky has forgotten these things.
Posted by: Nan Powlison at June 1, 2009
I have read some of his writing and I considered it very insightful. I think that we are not always looking for the truth so we dont find it. We need to open our eyes to what has happened to true christinaity. We need to look at the bible for truth not our own understanding.
Posted by: Kevin Green at October 13, 2009
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