Tags
Christian Universalism, Pope and Jews, Rob Bell and Hell, The Wrath of God, Thinking Like A Christian
“Francis Schaeffer was not afraid to ask why, and he did not rest until he had an answer. Why are our most brilliant thinkers in despair? Why is our art so dark? Why have abortion and euthanasia become so easy on the conscience of a generation? What process of thinking has led to this ultimate denial of the value of human life? Though some may disagree with his answers, no one can gainsay the passion with which he sought them.” (John Fischer)
In our church’s Bible study this past Thursday (in 1 Corinthians 14), the layman who was leading the study mentioned Francis Schaeffer and his influence upon his own thinking about the importance of good thinking as a Christian. Good thinking helps us to engage the culture with the Gospel. I thank the Lord for raising up men like Schaeffer in the history of the church. (More on Schaeffer can be found in this article at Christianity Today by John Fischer.)
Some in our church are familiar with Nancy Pearcey (Total Truth, and Saving Leonardo) and Carl Ellis (Free at Last) – two of many who studied under Schaeffer and are blessing the contemporary church with writings that tell us how to think carefully and counter-culturally as Christians. In addition to the works by Peacey and Ellis, I would encourage you to pick up a work by Schaeffer. He is most well known for How Shall We Then Live? But if you want to start small and inexpensively, and yet enjoy Schaeffer, I would encourage you to start here:
He is There and He is Not Silent
Genesis in Space and Time: The Flow of Biblical History
Schaeffer’s works are important for today’s church. Learning to think well helps us proclaim the Gospel to a culture in which a pope exonerates all Jews for something of which the Scriptures clearly held a select group of First Century Jewish people responsible, but not them alone, for we all are sinners, and Christ died for sinners. Learning to think well also helps us proclaim the Gospel to a culture in which a protestant church leader questions the Biblical truth of the eternal wrath of God. Good thinking could have saved both of these leaders from what they have seen as apparent conundrums of our faith within the present culture. Good thinking also will help us to take advantage of these men’s unfortunate missteps in thinking – and denial of the Gospel – for the sake of the Gospel.
Schaeffer’s works are good for personal growth too. I hope you find one to be a blessing.
A Man from Issachar 
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