Having recently reread many of the works of Francis A. Schaeffer, I am compelled to list several lessons he can teach Bible-believing Christians (and others) today. Schaeffer was a pastor, prolific writer, prophetic generalist, apologist, and primarily an evangelist. That latter is how he typically described himself. Schaeffer inspired a generation of evangelicals--including me—to honor the Lordship of Christ over all of life and to reclaim the mind and culture for Kingdom causes.
Schaeffer was "a man of the Reformation," who, nevertheless, was not doctrinaire or haughty about his Calvinism. Schaeffer realized that the Reformation was necessary and that we must remain "a reformed church always reforming." The Reformers, while hardly perfect, brought the Scripture back to its rightful centrality and also opened up social and cultural wonders for the West, as Schaeffer pointed out in How Should We Then Live? and A Christian Manifesto......In a time when some, such as emergent author Brian McLaren, are calling us to be "post-Protestant," this means needs to be heard and headed.In 1977, reading Schaeffer's How Should We Then Live? opened my mind to the implications of a Christian world view. That book made me pro-life. Everything he wrote is worth re-reading, and hopefully will continue to impact present and future generations.
Yes, I know what Dr. Schaeffer's son Frank has recently written about his parents and childhood experiences, painting his parents in a negative light, although I have not (yet) read his book Crazy for God. See John Whitehead's interview with Frank about the book here and Os Guinness' response to Frank here. However, even if all that Frank wrote is true, it only demonstrates the God used a fallible man to do and say great things, not that the message was wrong or that God was not active in Schaeffer's words, deeds and books and the ministry of L'Abri.
Read and judge for yourself.
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