“Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984)” by Bruce Little

In the recent issue of Credo Magazine, “Francis Schaeffer at 100,” Bruce Little has contributed a feature article on the life of Francis Schaeffer. If you are unfamiliar with Schaeffer’s life, ministry, and theology, Little’s article is the perfect place to begin. But first, a little about Bruce Little.

Little is Senior Professor of Philosophy at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC) where he also serves as Director of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture.  He is also the editor of the book, Francis Schaeffer: A Mind and Heart for God.

Here is the introduction to Little’s article:

Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-1984) was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on January 30, 1912 to Franz A. Schaeffer III and Bessie Williamson and spent most of his adult life with his wife Edith and their four children (Priscilla, Susan, Deborah, and Frank) in Switzerland where eventually the well-known work of L’Abri Fellowship was established (1955). The Schaeffer’s youngest daughter Deborah recounts that often their father would remind the children how fortunate they were to have lived in Europe. In fact, she expresses with great fondness the rich family life they enjoyed together living in Europe.

Raised in a working-class neighborhood, after graduating from high school, Schaeffer attended Drexel Institute looking at a career in engineering. His life, however, turned in a different direction within a year as a consequence of his becoming a Christian.

At the age of eighteen (Sept, 1930) Schaeffer committed his life wholly to Christ at a tent meeting. He had read the Bible through over a period of some months (a yearly custom he would continue throughout his life as evidenced by the markings in his Bible) and was convinced that the Bible dealt with life seriously and honestly. He was struck with the forthrightness with which the Bible offered answers to the questions of life. For Schaeffer, the answers the Bible gave treated life as it really was, complicated and difficult at times but gave answers true to the reality of the universe. The Bible was not about a pretend world, but about the reality in which all humanity lived and explained how things were so out-of-joint and unfair. Precisely because this world was so unfair Schaeffer would repeatedly say that that was why he was a Christian. The truth of Christianity teaches that although humanity lives in the midst of a tragic situation because of sin there is a real answer in Christ that gives hope to the human heart.

While attending Drexel in the fall of 1930, Schaeffer experienced a growing tension in his soul. Late that summer at a tent meeting, he had given his life wholly to Christ. On that night, he left the meeting with a renewed sense of joy but in time it would also bring a growing sense that God was leading him to prepare for Christian ministry. The tension developed between honoring his father and mother, who at that time were of the opinion that pastors were not much use to society, and preparing for precisely that station in life. However, true to his commitment to live wholly for the Lord, he realized he must take proper steps in that direction.

Upon turning nineteen (Jan 30, 1931), he stopped attending evening classes at Drexel and enrolled in Latin and German classes at a local high school. In the fall of 1931 he entered Hampden-Sydney College focusing on pre-ministerial studies. As the story is told by Edith in her wonderful book, The Tapestry, the morning Francis left for Hampden-Sydney was a most difficult day in the life of both father and son. His dad was clear that becoming a pastor was not what he had in mind for his son, nevertheless at that early morning meeting, just before his dad left for work and Francis left for Hampden-Sydney, his father agreed to pay for the first semester of college. That morning as Schaeffer left for Hampton-Sydney he demonstrated that his commitment made almost a year before to give himself whole to Christ was no mere emotion of the moment. Moreover, his humble resolve to study for the ministry had a positive impact on his dad who later came to faith in Christ.

At Hampden-Sydney Schaeffer continued a life committed to Christ by faithful study and sustained witness although most students were more interested in the party life than salvation. But nothing deterred Schaeffer in his witness and commitment to follow the Lord’s leading in his life.  In 1935 he graduated from Hampden-Sydney magna cum laude which proved no small accomplishment considering the fact he was dyslexic.

In the summer of 1935, he married Edith Seville, daughter of missionary parents who had served with the China Inland Mission. That fall Francis entered Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to train for the ministry. However, in 1937 Schaeffer, along with Vernon Grounds and others, transferred to Faith Theological Seminary which had just been founded by Carl McIntire and Allan MacRae. In a letter to R. Laird Harris announcing his desire to make application to this new seminary which first held classes at Faith Bible Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware, Schaeffer expresses his high expectations for this new seminary. He notes the school’s clear pre millennial position, it’s committment to scholarship, spiritual life, and evangelism with an uncompromising (his word was militant) defense of God’s Word was the balance for which he had been looking.

Schaeffer also joined Carl McIntire’s International Council of Christian Churches (ICCC). That relationship continued until sometime later, after Schaeffer moved to Europe, the relationship (both personally and organizationally) would come to an end. McIntire had established the ICCC as a conservative counter to the liberal Federal and World Council of Churches which was what initially drew Schaeffer to the organization.

Schaeffer was among the first students to graduate from Faith in 1938. Furthermore, he was the first to be ordained in the newly formed Bible Presbyterian Church. For the next ten years, before going to Europe, he served pastorates in Grove City, Pennsylvania and in St. Louis, Missouri. Eventually Schaeffer would leave the Bible Presbyterian Church and join the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod which was a precursor of the Presbyterian Church in America. According to Edith, after serving at a Bible Summer Conference camp in New Hampshire, their desire was to go to New England and open closed churches (in fact, they would in the years to come pray for New England). As their story unfolded quite a different path lay ahead for the Schaeffers­ – a path none could have imagined.

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The year 2012 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984). It is difficult to think of an evangelical figure in the 20th century who so seriously engaged the philosophies and ideologies of the secular world and set them over against the Christian worldview than Francis Schaeffer.

But Schaeffer was no ordinary evangelical. The man wore knickers and knee high socks when he lectured, sporting not only long hair but a goat’s-chin beard! Most importantly, Schaeffer did not fear man, but feared God. Not only did he engage secular worldviews, but he confronted his fellow evangelicals, even rebuking them for doctrinal concession and compromise.

As many have observed, it is not an overstatement to say that the Schaeffers transformed, reshaped, and in many ways reformed American evangelicalism. Those writing in this new issue of Credo Magazine are proof, each writer bearing testimony to how Francis Schaeffer has made a monumental impact on how we understand and articulate the Christian faith and life in the world of ideas. Contributors include Bruce Little, William Edgar, Bryan Follis, and Stephen Wellum, and many others.