Francis Schaeffer, American pastor and theologian (d. 1984)

Francis August Schaeffer (January 30, 1912 – May 15, 1984) stands as a highly influential American evangelical theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor of the 20th century. Renowned for his intellectual rigor and passionate defense of historical Christian faith, Schaeffer played a pivotal role in shaping contemporary evangelical thought, particularly regarding its engagement with culture and philosophy.

The Visionary L'Abri Community

A cornerstone of Schaeffer's legacy is the L'Abri (French for "the shelter") community, which he co-founded in Huémoz, Switzerland, in 1955 alongside his remarkable wife, Edith Schaeffer, née Seville. L'Abri emerged as an extraordinary Christian study center and a unique residential community, offering an open, welcoming space for individuals from around the world to openly discuss their questions about life, truth, and God without judgment. It provided a haven where intellectual inquiry, spiritual exploration, and practical community life intertwined, attracting countless students, artists, and seekers grappling with the philosophical dilemmas of the modern era. Edith Schaeffer, a prolific and respected author in her own right, was instrumental in shaping the community's distinctive atmosphere of hospitality and intellectual honesty, often documenting their life and work in her influential books.

Championing Historic Protestantism Against Modernism

Schaeffer was a vocal and staunch critic of theological modernism, a movement he perceived as eroding the foundational truths of historic Christianity. Theological modernism, prevalent in the 19th and 20th centuries, often sought to reinterpret Christian doctrines through the lens of scientific rationalism, philosophical skepticism, and a more subjective understanding of faith, frequently questioning biblical inerrancy, miracles, and traditional theological tenets. In direct opposition, Schaeffer passionately advocated for what he termed a "historic Protestant faith." This embraced the core tenets of the Protestant Reformation, emphasizing the authority and infallibility of the Bible, the sovereignty of God, the doctrine of original sin, and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. He argued that abandoning these foundational truths led to a fragmented worldview and the eventual disintegration of society's moral and intellectual fabric.

The Presuppositional Apologetic: Answering the Age's Dilemmas

Central to Schaeffer’s methodology was his robust presuppositional approach to Christian apologetics. Unlike evidential apologetics, which typically begins by attempting to prove God's existence or the Bible's reliability through empirical evidence, presuppositionalism starts with the premise that the existence of the triune God, as revealed in the Bible, is the necessary precondition for all knowledge, morality, and rationality itself. Schaeffer contended that all non-Christian worldviews are ultimately inconsistent and cannot account for logic, objective morality, or the meaning of human experience, leading to despair and relativism. He believed that only the Christian worldview, with God as its ultimate presupposition, could provide coherent answers to what he identified as "the questions of the age." These profound questions encompassed the rise of existentialism, nihilism, moral relativism, and the perceived meaninglessness of life in a post-Christian Western society. Schaeffer sought to demonstrate the bankruptcy of secular humanism and the logical necessity of a Christian framework for understanding reality, thereby offering a comprehensive and compelling intellectual response to contemporary challenges.

Legacy and Family

Francis A. Schaeffer's extensive body of work, comprising over twenty books and numerous lectures, profoundly impacted evangelicalism, influencing generations of pastors, scholars, and laypeople. His emphasis on a comprehensive Christian worldview and cultural engagement remains highly relevant. He was also the father of Frank Schaeffer, who carved his own distinct path as a noted author, filmmaker, and painter, contributing significantly to cultural discourse from a different perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions About Francis A. Schaeffer

What was Francis A. Schaeffer's primary contribution?

Francis A. Schaeffer is primarily recognized for co-founding the L'Abri community, his strong opposition to theological modernism, and his development and promotion of a presuppositional approach to Christian apologetics, which sought to address the intellectual and spiritual challenges of the 20th century by demonstrating the coherence and necessity of the Christian worldview.

What is L'Abri?

L'Abri (French for "the shelter") is a unique Christian study center and residential community co-founded by Francis and Edith Schaeffer in Switzerland. It was established as a place where people, particularly young adults, could openly explore and discuss profound questions about faith, truth, and life from a Christian perspective, integrating intellectual inquiry with practical community living.

What is presuppositional apologetics as taught by Schaeffer?

Presuppositional apologetics, as advocated by Schaeffer, posits that the existence of the triune God of the Bible is the fundamental presupposition necessary for all knowledge, logic, and morality to make sense. Rather than trying to prove God's existence through empirical evidence alone, it argues that a non-Christian worldview is inherently inconsistent and cannot account for the intelligibility of the universe, whereas the Christian worldview provides the coherent framework for reality.

What were some of his most influential books?

Among Francis A. Schaeffer's most influential works are "The God Who Is There," which introduces his apologetic method; "Escape from Reason," exploring the decline of Western thought; "He Is There and He Is Not Silent," further developing his philosophical arguments; and "How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture," which provided a sweeping historical and cultural analysis from a Christian perspective.