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Trilogy: "The God Who is There", "He is There and He is Not Silent" and "Escape from Reason"
Considered foundational to his entire life's work, this text was revised shortly before Dr. Schaeffer's death. Includes: The God Who Is There, Escape from Reason and He Is There and He Is Not Silent.
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First published April 10, 1990
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About the author
Francis A. Schaeffer
95 books810 followersFrancis August Schaeffer was an American Evangelical Christian theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor. He is most famous for his writings and his establishment of the L'Abri community in Switzerland. Opposed to theological modernism, Schaeffer promoted a more historic Protestant faith and a presuppositional approach to Christian apologetics which he believed would answer the questions of the age.
Wife: Edith Schaeffer
children: Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
Wife: Edith Schaeffer
children: Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 26, 2023
A fine trilogy all working upon one another to show the intellectual and spiritual decline of the west, the philosophical foundations upon which the modern culture now rests, and the vision for an apologetic in which we return to first things as a method for defending the faith.
January 1, 2025
I finally got around to reading this book after an influential pastor in my town told me that this was the one book all Christians need to read in order to understand our world today. It was interesting reading Schaeffer after reading Carl Trueman's The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution and Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity since both authors trace the flow of ideas from the coterie of philosophers to the masses through pop culture staples of art, music, and movies. Schaeffer, writing in the 1980's, understood that the health or decline of the Church would depend on its response to the cultural developments of Hegelian synthesis, existentialism, rational humanism, and liberal theology. Whereas modern man separates faith and reason, meaning and reality, and universals and particulars, the historic Christian confession provides the bedrock upon which man can truly live: the Triune infinite-personal God is there, and He has spoken to us; and that changes everything about who man is and what he was made for. As I read these books, I found myself saying over and over again, "Yes! The Christian faith really is the answer," not just because it possesses intellectual coherence, but because it gives true Holy Spirit-filled life to a despairing, fallen man.
Schaeffer describes true genius as "understanding before your time." And by every measure of that meaning, Schaeffer was a true genius. Anyone interested in engaging the modern world with the gospel must pick up and reckon with Schaeffer's genius insight.
Schaeffer describes true genius as "understanding before your time." And by every measure of that meaning, Schaeffer was a true genius. Anyone interested in engaging the modern world with the gospel must pick up and reckon with Schaeffer's genius insight.
November 7, 2024
Dr. Francis Schaeffer was a Christian philosopher who lectured extensively in churches and college campuses exploring and expounding on the truth of Christianity and its relevance to our culture. He founded L'Abri, a retreat center in Switzerland, where many hungry souls sought him out to converse about life's biggest questions. He was able to impact many lost souls seeking answers to the great philosophical questions of our day such as "Who am I" and "What is the origin of the world." In this trilogy, three of his more popular books are in one volume. Many themes overlap and some are explored deeper than others in each of these books.
Somewhat wordy and repetitive, as well as hard to grasp, these books were thought provoking and extensive as they explain his worldview. He had a remarkable grasp on art and literature and how it descended into meaninglessness over the years, thus impacting society in serious ways.
He was an agnostic until he decided to read the entire bible in 6 months in search of honesty in his views. This dive through the Bible changed Dr. Schaeffer and so thoroughly answered all of his deep questions that he became a Christian. His themes are largely based on the premise that a serious shift happened in America after 1935- before WW1. Prior to this "line of despair" as he calls it, many were optimistic rationalists. After this time period, humanism took root and plunged the world into a void of despair and nihilism. Quoting often from many philosophers such as Plato, Davinci, Kierkegaard, Jaspers, ect.. he disects each of their views and their origins, then balances that against Christianity.
Perhaps Dr. Schaeffer was a genius, because many of his thoughts and ideas are so deep they are hard to comprehend for the average person. Still, these books are worth the read for any seeking person who has wondered about the most basic questions of our existence.
Somewhat wordy and repetitive, as well as hard to grasp, these books were thought provoking and extensive as they explain his worldview. He had a remarkable grasp on art and literature and how it descended into meaninglessness over the years, thus impacting society in serious ways.
He was an agnostic until he decided to read the entire bible in 6 months in search of honesty in his views. This dive through the Bible changed Dr. Schaeffer and so thoroughly answered all of his deep questions that he became a Christian. His themes are largely based on the premise that a serious shift happened in America after 1935- before WW1. Prior to this "line of despair" as he calls it, many were optimistic rationalists. After this time period, humanism took root and plunged the world into a void of despair and nihilism. Quoting often from many philosophers such as Plato, Davinci, Kierkegaard, Jaspers, ect.. he disects each of their views and their origins, then balances that against Christianity.
Perhaps Dr. Schaeffer was a genius, because many of his thoughts and ideas are so deep they are hard to comprehend for the average person. Still, these books are worth the read for any seeking person who has wondered about the most basic questions of our existence.
March 31, 2020
Handy single volume collection of three of Schaeffer's foundational books. Although many of the references and allusions are dated (mid to late 20th century) Schaeffer is intellectually prophetic in his assessment of what is to come. Schaeffer writes about heady philosophy and "high" culture, but he writes with a pastoral heart in a conversational style. What he argues is where we are now and where we're headed: a post-Christian culture leading to a post-science and post-imagination culture. The present rejection of scientific facts and limits on academic freedom show this to be the case This, coupled with the tyranny of social ideologies along with the sequel frenzied and rehashing Hollywood films of our present day underscore the impending death of objective science, academic discourse, and creativity.
April 28, 2024
There is an infinite yet personal, diverse yet unified (triune) God who stepped into space-time history (verifiable) and communicates (not exhaustively, but truly) with mankind. Mankind is finite yet meaningful (having been made in the image of a personal God), diverse yet capable of unity, existing in space-time history, and communicating with language (not exhaustively, but truly). Thus, mankind's primary epistemological dilemma is completely, reasonably, and satisfyingly answered.
This is Schaeffer's premise in his trilogy, which he expands thoroughly (sometimes repetitively). His reasoned faith is apparent, and passion inspiring.
This is Schaeffer's premise in his trilogy, which he expands thoroughly (sometimes repetitively). His reasoned faith is apparent, and passion inspiring.
April 6, 2024
This book takes work to read, because it is intellectually engaging, mentally challenging, and requires thoughtful consideration on virtually every page. That said, the work is worth it!
As a compilation of three of Schaeffer’s works, it hangs together very well and makes the second and third volumes more accessible since they build on the first. Writing some 50 years ago, Schaeffer describes and critiques the various underlying philosophies of our world and shows that the only one supportable by reality is that which is attained only by faith, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As a compilation of three of Schaeffer’s works, it hangs together very well and makes the second and third volumes more accessible since they build on the first. Writing some 50 years ago, Schaeffer describes and critiques the various underlying philosophies of our world and shows that the only one supportable by reality is that which is attained only by faith, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
October 22, 2021
Schaeffer considered the three books in this trilogy as foundational for all his remaining works. They set forth the concepts, themes, and vocabulary he employs elsewhere. So, getting this foundational understanding of this thought is important if one wants to understand Schaeffer’s apologetic ministry. The God Who Is There, is a wide-ranging look at the intellectual decline of the West. In Escape from Reason, he traces – in somewhat repetitive ways – the ideas of The God Who is There in the theological realm. His focus in He Is There and He Is Not Silent is on epistemology, though he spends considerable time in metaphysics and morality and the interrelation of the three.
Schaeffer sought to demonstrate that modern man lives (or should live) in a state of despair if he understands his true condition. Instead, modern man often deludes himself into believing his life has meaning, but that cannot work for long. Schaeffer traces a line of despair through Western thought and culture over the last 200 years. He contends that the line commences in philosophy, primarily with Hegel, whose thought had corrosive effects on the history of philosophy, then moved in a downward trend, through art, music, culture, and theology, all of which fall like dominoes once the first domino – philosophy – falls. He examines the history of philosophy through the existentialists, then looks briefly at art since Van Gogh. Next, he examines music and general culture together. Finally, in the latter sections of The God Who is There and then in Escape from Reason, he examines how this line of despair influenced theology, turning most of his attention to what he calls modern mysticism.
Schaeffer says presuppositional apologetics would have stopped the decay from the beginning. But now that the decay has progressed as far as it has, Schaeffer’s apologetic method is to lead people to see their despair, help them recognize and confront it honestly, the shares the answer to their despair. “The Christian, lovingly, must remove the shelter and allow the truth of the external world and of what man is to beat upon him. When the roof is off, each man must stand naked and wounded before the truth of what is.” The Gospel is the only escape from that despair. “Christianity,” he said, “is realistic because it says if there is no truth, there is also no hope.” Christianity alone adequately explains the meaninglessness and existential angst that modern man feels or rather should feel.
Schaeffer often claimed he was not a theological or academic apologist but rather an evangelist. There is no denying his profound impact on a generation of apologists through his writings and his tireless work at the L’Abri community he established in Switzerland. While he was certainly well read and had a formidable grasp of the roots of so much of western culture, he tends to make highly generalized and unsupported claims – pronouncements really – that are not rigorously defended, nor are the actual writings of those he discusses ever examined. He offers very few quotes and no analysis of their thought other than general declarations of what they meant. His understanding of the thought of the philosophers he reviews has been disputed. It seems more important to him that they fit the narrative of decline he weaves.
Besides being repetitive at times, the book was just a slog for me. I like philosophy, generally, but he managed to make it dull for me. Perhaps because it was just too general, too much cherry-picking of phrases or themes to use as fodder for his argument. No sustained analysis appears. That just makes what he’s saying highly suspect at times. Is he really telling me what these thinkers, artist, writers think, or only what he wants to emphasize so he can make his points and bolster his narrative of the line of despair?
Schaeffer sought to demonstrate that modern man lives (or should live) in a state of despair if he understands his true condition. Instead, modern man often deludes himself into believing his life has meaning, but that cannot work for long. Schaeffer traces a line of despair through Western thought and culture over the last 200 years. He contends that the line commences in philosophy, primarily with Hegel, whose thought had corrosive effects on the history of philosophy, then moved in a downward trend, through art, music, culture, and theology, all of which fall like dominoes once the first domino – philosophy – falls. He examines the history of philosophy through the existentialists, then looks briefly at art since Van Gogh. Next, he examines music and general culture together. Finally, in the latter sections of The God Who is There and then in Escape from Reason, he examines how this line of despair influenced theology, turning most of his attention to what he calls modern mysticism.
Schaeffer says presuppositional apologetics would have stopped the decay from the beginning. But now that the decay has progressed as far as it has, Schaeffer’s apologetic method is to lead people to see their despair, help them recognize and confront it honestly, the shares the answer to their despair. “The Christian, lovingly, must remove the shelter and allow the truth of the external world and of what man is to beat upon him. When the roof is off, each man must stand naked and wounded before the truth of what is.” The Gospel is the only escape from that despair. “Christianity,” he said, “is realistic because it says if there is no truth, there is also no hope.” Christianity alone adequately explains the meaninglessness and existential angst that modern man feels or rather should feel.
Schaeffer often claimed he was not a theological or academic apologist but rather an evangelist. There is no denying his profound impact on a generation of apologists through his writings and his tireless work at the L’Abri community he established in Switzerland. While he was certainly well read and had a formidable grasp of the roots of so much of western culture, he tends to make highly generalized and unsupported claims – pronouncements really – that are not rigorously defended, nor are the actual writings of those he discusses ever examined. He offers very few quotes and no analysis of their thought other than general declarations of what they meant. His understanding of the thought of the philosophers he reviews has been disputed. It seems more important to him that they fit the narrative of decline he weaves.
Besides being repetitive at times, the book was just a slog for me. I like philosophy, generally, but he managed to make it dull for me. Perhaps because it was just too general, too much cherry-picking of phrases or themes to use as fodder for his argument. No sustained analysis appears. That just makes what he’s saying highly suspect at times. Is he really telling me what these thinkers, artist, writers think, or only what he wants to emphasize so he can make his points and bolster his narrative of the line of despair?
October 22, 2010
Escape From Reason
Years ago I read the first of the trilogy of essential books by Christian philosopher, Francis Schaeffer. I’ve had it in mind to continue with this book ever since, but just finally got around to it this year. Now I can’t believe I waited so long! One of the things that I love the most about Schaeffer’s writing is that it walks you through the fundamental philosophies that undergird our society and contrasts them with those of Christianity. The result, then, is that the reader is able to build from these ideas to form appropriate applications in every sphere of life.
In the foreword, Schaeffer emphasizes his belief that, “If we are to communicate the Christian faith effectively…we must know and understand the thought-forms of our own generation.” We don’t have to spend years studying every false religion or worldly philosophy, but if we learn to peel away the layers and expose the thought processes themselves, we can communicate effectively with any person on any topic.
Schaeffer leads the reader through the historical evolution of the relationship between Grace, the higher, and Nature, the lower. The essence of modern philosophy is that we create a dichotomy, rather than a unity, between the upper and lower so that we separate our physical being from our spiritual ideas. This separation is merely philosophical, though, because in reality “men act the way they think.” Later, Schaeffer emphasizes, “What makes modern man modern man is the existence of this dichotomy and not the multitude of types of things he places, as a leap, in the upper story. No matter what expression he places there, secular or religious, it still amounts to the same thing if it is rooted in this dichotomy.” This is a critical insight, for even Christians have a tendency to relegate God and His Word to spiritual matters that reside in the upper-story. But if we do this we are no different fundamentally than another who seeks meaning through any other leap from rational thought to pursuit of a philosophical ideal. Instead, we must recognize that “Christianity…provides a unified answer for the whole of life” and “God made the whole man and is interested in the whole man, and the result is a unity.” Therein lies the truth and beauty and meaning of life!
He Is There and He Is Not Silent
As soon as I finished Escape From Reason I couldn’t wait to start this third and final book of Francis Schaeffer’s trilogy. This statement, about a third of the way through the short 75-page book, expresses the heart of the message: “It is God Himself and His character who is the moral absolute of the universe…He must indeed not only be there, but He must have spoken. And He must have spoken in a way which is more than simply a quarry for emotional, upper-story experiences. We need propositional facts. We need to know who He is, and what His character is, because His character is the law of the universe.”
Schaeffer breaks down the big questions of life into the proposed answers to eventually conclude that Christianity is the only rational choice. He says, “The truth of Christianity is that it is true to what is there.” He addresses The Metaphysical Necessity, The Moral Necessity, and The Epistemological Necessity, and in each instance arrives at the conclusion that Christianity is not the best answer; it is the only answer. Truly a fascinating work that helps clarify your understanding and equip you to communicate more effectively with those who have questions about life and faith.
Years ago I read the first of the trilogy of essential books by Christian philosopher, Francis Schaeffer. I’ve had it in mind to continue with this book ever since, but just finally got around to it this year. Now I can’t believe I waited so long! One of the things that I love the most about Schaeffer’s writing is that it walks you through the fundamental philosophies that undergird our society and contrasts them with those of Christianity. The result, then, is that the reader is able to build from these ideas to form appropriate applications in every sphere of life.
In the foreword, Schaeffer emphasizes his belief that, “If we are to communicate the Christian faith effectively…we must know and understand the thought-forms of our own generation.” We don’t have to spend years studying every false religion or worldly philosophy, but if we learn to peel away the layers and expose the thought processes themselves, we can communicate effectively with any person on any topic.
Schaeffer leads the reader through the historical evolution of the relationship between Grace, the higher, and Nature, the lower. The essence of modern philosophy is that we create a dichotomy, rather than a unity, between the upper and lower so that we separate our physical being from our spiritual ideas. This separation is merely philosophical, though, because in reality “men act the way they think.” Later, Schaeffer emphasizes, “What makes modern man modern man is the existence of this dichotomy and not the multitude of types of things he places, as a leap, in the upper story. No matter what expression he places there, secular or religious, it still amounts to the same thing if it is rooted in this dichotomy.” This is a critical insight, for even Christians have a tendency to relegate God and His Word to spiritual matters that reside in the upper-story. But if we do this we are no different fundamentally than another who seeks meaning through any other leap from rational thought to pursuit of a philosophical ideal. Instead, we must recognize that “Christianity…provides a unified answer for the whole of life” and “God made the whole man and is interested in the whole man, and the result is a unity.” Therein lies the truth and beauty and meaning of life!
He Is There and He Is Not Silent
As soon as I finished Escape From Reason I couldn’t wait to start this third and final book of Francis Schaeffer’s trilogy. This statement, about a third of the way through the short 75-page book, expresses the heart of the message: “It is God Himself and His character who is the moral absolute of the universe…He must indeed not only be there, but He must have spoken. And He must have spoken in a way which is more than simply a quarry for emotional, upper-story experiences. We need propositional facts. We need to know who He is, and what His character is, because His character is the law of the universe.”
Schaeffer breaks down the big questions of life into the proposed answers to eventually conclude that Christianity is the only rational choice. He says, “The truth of Christianity is that it is true to what is there.” He addresses The Metaphysical Necessity, The Moral Necessity, and The Epistemological Necessity, and in each instance arrives at the conclusion that Christianity is not the best answer; it is the only answer. Truly a fascinating work that helps clarify your understanding and equip you to communicate more effectively with those who have questions about life and faith.
August 26, 2019
This one was so good that I am re-reading it again immediately. Some comments he has to make about our being on the trailing edge of the science-based age of reason bear careful consideration, although I am quite sure I would need another look at the current landscape of the field of philosophy to accept his claims in their entirety. It was an excellent companion to the reading of NT Wright's "Simply Good News" and follow on to Mary Poplin's "Is Reality Secular?"
On my second read, in Chap 6 of "Escape from Reason," Schaeffer has a passage that reads, "I have come to the point where, when I hear the word Jesus - ... - I listen carefully because I have with sorrow become more afraid of the word Jesus than almost any other word in the modern world. The word is used as a contentless banner, and our generation is invited to follow it." It struck as one of the major truth he has written of, and causes me to keep it ready on my shelf to pull down again soon. It is a rich work.
On my second read, in Chap 6 of "Escape from Reason," Schaeffer has a passage that reads, "I have come to the point where, when I hear the word Jesus - ... - I listen carefully because I have with sorrow become more afraid of the word Jesus than almost any other word in the modern world. The word is used as a contentless banner, and our generation is invited to follow it." It struck as one of the major truth he has written of, and causes me to keep it ready on my shelf to pull down again soon. It is a rich work.
March 30, 2007
A must read for anyone wishing to enter the realm of christian philosophy. Francis Schaeffer was one of the most influential christian authors of the late twentieth century.
This work is a good starting point for those wondering what a "christian worldview" looks like.
This work is a good starting point for those wondering what a "christian worldview" looks like.
April 15, 2021
Actuala ruptură dintre generaţii a fost provocată aproape în întregime de schimbarea survenită în conceptul de adevăr.
Oriunde priveşti astăzi, prevalează acest nonconcept. Consensul din jurul nostru este aproape monolitic, fie că luăm în considerare artele, literatura sau citim pur şi simplu ziare şi reviste cum ar fi Time, Life, Newsweek, The Listener sau The Observer. Putem simţi din toate părţile strânsoarea sufocantă a acestei noi metodologii – şi prin „metodologie” înţelegem modul în care abordăm adevărul şi cunoaşterea. Este ca şi cum te-ai sufoca pe o ceaţă londoneză deosebit de rea. Şi întocmai cum ceaţa nu poate fi ţinută dincolo de ziduri sau de uşi, acest consens ajunge să ne împresoare până când încăperea în care locuim nu mai este nepoluată, deşi abia dacă ne dăm seama ce s-a întâmplat.
Tragedia în care ne găsim astăzi este că oamenii sunt fundamental afectaţi de noul mod de a privi adevărul, dar cu toate acestea nu au analizat niciodată devierea care a avut loc. Tinerii provenind din familiile creştine sunt crescuţi în vechea înţelegere a adevărului. Apoi sunt supuşi cadrului modern. Cu timpul devin tot mai derutaţi deoarece nu înţeleg alternativele care le sunt prezentate. Confuzia devine dezorientare şi, în scurt timp, aceasta îi copleşeşte. Din nefericire, acest lucru este adevărat nu doar în rândul tinerilor, ci şi în cazul multor pastori, educatori creştini, evanghelişti şi misionari.
Astfel, după cum văd eu lucrurile, această prefacere în înţelegerea modului în care ajungem la cunoaştere şi adevăr este cea mai importantă problemă cu care se confruntă creştinismul azi.
Oriunde priveşti astăzi, prevalează acest nonconcept. Consensul din jurul nostru este aproape monolitic, fie că luăm în considerare artele, literatura sau citim pur şi simplu ziare şi reviste cum ar fi Time, Life, Newsweek, The Listener sau The Observer. Putem simţi din toate părţile strânsoarea sufocantă a acestei noi metodologii – şi prin „metodologie” înţelegem modul în care abordăm adevărul şi cunoaşterea. Este ca şi cum te-ai sufoca pe o ceaţă londoneză deosebit de rea. Şi întocmai cum ceaţa nu poate fi ţinută dincolo de ziduri sau de uşi, acest consens ajunge să ne împresoare până când încăperea în care locuim nu mai este nepoluată, deşi abia dacă ne dăm seama ce s-a întâmplat.
Tragedia în care ne găsim astăzi este că oamenii sunt fundamental afectaţi de noul mod de a privi adevărul, dar cu toate acestea nu au analizat niciodată devierea care a avut loc. Tinerii provenind din familiile creştine sunt crescuţi în vechea înţelegere a adevărului. Apoi sunt supuşi cadrului modern. Cu timpul devin tot mai derutaţi deoarece nu înţeleg alternativele care le sunt prezentate. Confuzia devine dezorientare şi, în scurt timp, aceasta îi copleşeşte. Din nefericire, acest lucru este adevărat nu doar în rândul tinerilor, ci şi în cazul multor pastori, educatori creştini, evanghelişti şi misionari.
Astfel, după cum văd eu lucrurile, această prefacere în înţelegerea modului în care ajungem la cunoaştere şi adevăr este cea mai importantă problemă cu care se confruntă creştinismul azi.
June 16, 2021
A compelling read on how the Christian worldview provides the answers to life's big questions - meaning, morals, origin - in a way that modern philosophy and science simply can't. Schaeffer explains how the modern man, starting in the Renaissance, has made himself autonomous through rationalism, but how this away stripped away any answers for existence. He can be a little repetitive at times, within chapters and within paragraphs, but he was clearly a brilliant mind and a gift to the Church. Of the three, He Is There and He Is Not Silent was probably my favorite.
"In conclusion, man, beginning with himself, can define the philosophical problem of existence, but he cannot generate from himself the answer to the problem. The answer to the problem of existence is that the infinite-personal, triune God is there, and that the infinite-personal, triune God is not silent."
"...no matter what a man says he is, we know who he really is. He is made in the image of God; that’s who he is. And we know that down there somewhere -- no matter how wooden he is on the outside, or how much he has died on the outside, or even if he believes he is only a machine -- we know that beyond that facade there is the person who is a verbalizer and who loves and wants to be loved."
"In conclusion, man, beginning with himself, can define the philosophical problem of existence, but he cannot generate from himself the answer to the problem. The answer to the problem of existence is that the infinite-personal, triune God is there, and that the infinite-personal, triune God is not silent."
"...no matter what a man says he is, we know who he really is. He is made in the image of God; that’s who he is. And we know that down there somewhere -- no matter how wooden he is on the outside, or how much he has died on the outside, or even if he believes he is only a machine -- we know that beyond that facade there is the person who is a verbalizer and who loves and wants to be loved."
September 2, 2019
Wow! I frequently associate w/intellectual secularists who go round & round in circles in an effort to cause me to hurl from the merry go round out of sheer dizziness. How convoluted & superficial they can be and yet, I'm left dancing like a squirrel trying to get inside their heads until Francis & his explanations came along. It honestly never occurred to me that they're running from despair, but so much makes sense now. How sad to not have a ground to stand on. How blessed we are as Christians to be able to follow reason and logic to our personal and infinite God who created us in His image. This collection is part explanation, part playbook, and all around an easy-read in understanding why we know what we know as Christians. Fabulous questions to ask uncertain believers and those who refuse to admit that Christianity has answers that they don't have.
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September 3, 2019Hello Lisa! Thank You for these recommendations. As it just so happens... I was reading Francis Schaeffer when I was a junior and senior in high school. Schaeffer had a HUGE influence on me which I remain grateful for to this day. It was because of Schaeffer that I knew I wanted to study philosophy AND because of Schaeffer that I wanted to study philosophy at Wheaton College (which I did... for 2 years, anyway). Another very important work of Schaeffer's - one which really anticipated the work of John Taylor Gatto in many respects - is "Beyond Freedom and Dignity".
Oh.... When my parents asked me what I wanted for my high school graduation present, I told them that I wanted to go to the L'ABRI Conference that was held in Minnesota that summer (because Francis Schaeffer was at the Mayo Clinic there).... and, yes, I DID attend that seminar.
Oh.... When my parents asked me what I wanted for my high school graduation present, I told them that I wanted to go to the L'ABRI Conference that was held in Minnesota that summer (because Francis Schaeffer was at the Mayo Clinic there).... and, yes, I DID attend that seminar.
January 29, 2018
Read the God Who Is There and Escape from Reason during the fall of 1972. He is There and He is Not Silent by the next summer. I learned a lot from these books and enjoyed reading them. One thing I took away was that he gave a reasonable basis of why baby boomers were different from the previous generations. We had grown up with TV and under different conditions hence the changes in our perceptions and ways of thinking. My later reading of Marshall McLuhan would further clarify and explain this. I read these after a faith crisis in my life. The books did not convince but pushed me away from the distinctives of evangelical style Christianity. Nonetheless my heart has always been with my heritage if not my head.
June 8, 2019
Thick—meaning difficult to read/follow. Don’t know if it’s his writing or my slowness but it was a struggle. It’s very philosophical, basically a history of philosophy from a Christian perspective. I read it because John Piper said the first book had an influence on him.
Schaeffer is trying to get at why modern people have no meaning and no hope and why Christianity is the only system that gives meaning and hope. He seems to say that we need to understand modern people’s philosophical underpinnings in order to reach them and communicate the gospel. I don’t think most modern people understand all of this philosophical background to why they think what they think. I wonder if his writings inspired the “be relevant” church growth mindset.
Schaeffer is trying to get at why modern people have no meaning and no hope and why Christianity is the only system that gives meaning and hope. He seems to say that we need to understand modern people’s philosophical underpinnings in order to reach them and communicate the gospel. I don’t think most modern people understand all of this philosophical background to why they think what they think. I wonder if his writings inspired the “be relevant” church growth mindset.
May 17, 2020
The unexamined life is not worth living, but that is often our case today. Schaeffer takes an honest look at why the culture of the latter half of the 20th century must live an unexamined life in order to function in the world as we know and experience it. He explores the problems that come out of questioning and doubting our ability to reason, and why philosophy had no choice but to began questioning it in the first place. He asks the question: what is left to us if these assumptions lead to either impractical irrationality or fatalism? Do we accept these answers or ought we to search for a different set of assumptions, one that explains our significance and also assures us that we can trust what we know.
May 13, 2024
Absolutely the most the most influential book I have ever read. He has put on the words something that you have just sensed and wondered.
Explains the postmodern worldview and philosophy by showing its forming during the history.
Explains how that and every other worldview than Biblical Christianity is in despair or absurd.
Shows wisdom and love towards others for Schaeffer does not just crush worldviews, but he wants to cure them by the real one. He really helps the reader also to that.
DISCLAIMER: If you read the trilogy, you will face repetition, but hang on for as my pastor said, "Schaeffer hits always the same nail". And this makes you really dwell in it and learn.
It is a refreshing, delighting, and monumental reading. I love that man. May God bless his memory.
Explains the postmodern worldview and philosophy by showing its forming during the history.
Explains how that and every other worldview than Biblical Christianity is in despair or absurd.
Shows wisdom and love towards others for Schaeffer does not just crush worldviews, but he wants to cure them by the real one. He really helps the reader also to that.
DISCLAIMER: If you read the trilogy, you will face repetition, but hang on for as my pastor said, "Schaeffer hits always the same nail". And this makes you really dwell in it and learn.
It is a refreshing, delighting, and monumental reading. I love that man. May God bless his memory.
July 28, 2017
A deep, thoughtful exploration of modern thought and belief, contrasted with Christian faith and truth. I found this book to be both extremely interesting and extremely enlightening, as it delves into difficult ideas like the meaning of life and the purpose of man. This book was written almost twenty years ago, so some of the things he talks about, which would have been very current in the culture back then, are a bit obscure to me. However, I enjoyed it anyway, and it was certainly very thought provoking.
December 16, 2025
Extremely helpful, clear thinker, even if a little dated
- "faith" versus faith
- true, but not exhaustive communication
- connotation word versus word having content/denotation (fact and value)
- man being nothing/a machine versus man being fallen (still in the image of God)
- modern hopeless gap between upper and lower stories = no hope of true truth
- metaphysical problem versus moral problem of man
- dividing up things by being infinite versus by having personality
- importance of history, space & time
- "faith" versus faith
- true, but not exhaustive communication
- connotation word versus word having content/denotation (fact and value)
- man being nothing/a machine versus man being fallen (still in the image of God)
- modern hopeless gap between upper and lower stories = no hope of true truth
- metaphysical problem versus moral problem of man
- dividing up things by being infinite versus by having personality
- importance of history, space & time
December 23, 2022
Immediately apparent why Schaeffer is so well respected as a Christian apologist. Schaeffer's writing is clear, conversational, and well-informed by philosophy. His ability to tackle modern philosophical issues from a Christian perspective is impressive. Schaeffer's pond is the existentialist philosophers of the 1960s and 70s so that's where he spends most of his time. This is one I'll pick up every few years to dig into further.
May 7, 2018
This was a lot harder to read than I was expecting. Schaefer goes into extensive analysis, but the structure and pacing is very unpredictable and a lot of his writing is at times a struggle to adjust to. Some points also feel rather dated for being such a recent philosophical book. For those interested, read a summary and save yourself the time and effort.
February 23, 2023
It's a challenging read. You have to read it at least twice to get a good grasp of it. His basic argument is that there is an uncreated infinite personal God who created all things. Furthermore, he created humans as beings capable of communicating with him. Therefore, we can know him objectively and personally.
August 18, 2021
The fact that the narrator can track the evolution of ideas (and that of God) and how arts took the mission within their cadence, colors, emotional spectrum.. Is just eye opening. Got my mind wheels running.
Someone who enjoys Patapievici will find this book a rare gem too.
Someone who enjoys Patapievici will find this book a rare gem too.
June 21, 2019
I read the God who is there 10 years ago, and escape from reason just now. Escape from reason was really short and really tight.
July 19, 2020
Insightful and thoughtful dive into ideas that shape our culture’s presuppositions regarding the existence and the character of God.
September 27, 2020
An excellent book covering so many subjects. Schaeffer heirs the arts and all of human life. Ultimately he helps to define what is Christian and what is not
November 16, 2020
One of the first attempts of modern orthodox evangelicals to break from pietism.
December 29, 2021
Very deep and philosophical. I can't claim to have been able to follow everything 100% but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this volume. Very thought-provoking and important. Highly recommend.
January 11, 2023
an essential for christian philosophy, theology, and apologetics. schaeffer thinks and writes like cs lewis but is a lot less famous. truly a brilliant mind.
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