Two Contents, Two Realities

by Francis A. Schaeffer

"There are Four things which I think are absolutely necessary if we as Christians are to meet the need of our age and the overwhelming pressure we are increasingly facing. They are Two Contents and Two Realities 1. Content 1 - Sound Doctrine 2. Content 2 - Honest Answers to Honest Questions 3. Reality 1 - True Spirituality 4. Reality 2 - The Beauty of Human relationships

Genres: Christian, Theology, Christianity, Philosophy

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Francis 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

Reviews

[Ryan Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a “position paper” written for the International Congress on World Evangelization; it is barely a booklet. Nevertheless, it is considered a “book” in his Complete Works due to it not belonging anywhere else.

And I’m glad it is included, because it is a great read. It sums up a lot of Schaeffer’s thoughts in around thirty pages. The outline of the book is seen in the title. In order to reach people for Christ, Schaeffer describes two contents we need, then two realities:

The first content is sound doctrine. The second, honest answers to questions. The first reality is true spirituality. The second, the beauty of human relationships.

For anyone familiar with Schaeffer, you can already imagine what he says for each. But having it in succinct form is nice, and as always, he often says things in new, compelling ways.

For example, my favorite part of this essay came toward the end, in the second reality (“the beauty of human relationships”). Here he talks about how we need “beauty.” He says he uses the word beauty, instead of love for a reason, namely, we have overused and so demoted the word love. What the world needs to see is our love displayed in real beauty in human relationships. Couple this with the two contents, the reality of a real spirituality (not just a head-knowledge), and the essay is a compelling read.

As with his other short essays, I say that if you’ve never read Schaeffer I wouldn’t start here. Yet this is a good summary of some of his thoughts after you’ve read him a bit. Totally recommended. An easy read.

[Katelyn Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have correct doctrine. Ask and answer questions. Live in the Holy Spirit on a moment by moment basis. Help and love people.

[Maxime N. Georgel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impact et crédibilité du Christianisme, Francis Schaeffer.

Ce livre contient 3 choses :

- un exposé en vue du congrès international pour l'évangélisation du monde (Lausanne, 1974)
- L'allocution au Congrès en réponse aux courriers reçus
- Un article publié dans Christianity Today.

Schaeffer expose ce qu'il reconnait comme les problèmes de l'Eglise évangélique de son temps et propose des solutions.

"Croire sans poser de questions n'est pas la marque d'une spiritualité supérieure ou spécifiquement biblique. C'est moins biblique et, en fin de compte, moins spirituel parce que cela n'engage pas l'homme dans sa totalité. C'est l'homme tout entier qui doit saisir que l'Evangile est la vérité ; il faut donc qu'il ait, au niveau de son intelligence, de bonnes et solides raisons de croire."

"Jésus n'a-t-il pas dit que pour être sauvé il fallait devenir comme un petit enfant ? D'accord ! Mais avez-vous déjà vu un enfant qui ne pose pas de questions ? Les gens qui se servent de cet argument, ou bien n'ont jamais prêté attention à la conversation d'un enfant, ou ne se rappellent plus du tout leur enfance !"

"Dans le livre des Actes, pas de trace de communisme, du moins selon le concept actuel. Pierre signifie clairement à Ananias et Saphira que leur champ leur appartenait et que, s'ils l'avaient vendu, ils auraient pu disposer librement de la somme reçue."

"On considère souvent qu'il est plus spirituel de donner à la mission que de secourir un frère dans le besoin. Cela n'est jamais suggéré dans la Parole de Dieu."

[David Campton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Re-read this booklet as part of a process of looking again at some of the reading that has shaped who I am, and it was an interesting, if slightly depressing experience. I still see what impressed me, the encouragement of the use of the intellect in theological pursuits, an emphasis latter championed by Guinness, but balanced by a cry for spiritual depth and compassion, with the brief appendix addressing the besetting sin of racism. However, what I didn't see at the time was how right of centre, not only theologically but politically Schaeffer's thinking was... painting liberalism as the great theological enemy and at every point denying that Biblical compassion should lead to any form of "communism." But most disturbing for me was seeing how much his call for the use of the intellect was really just putting a gloss on what is essentially fundamentalism, in many ways laying the groundwork for what has become the spurious "Creation-science". Schaeffer's namesake son regularly referred to his father as a fundamentalist, a description I baulked at, largely because I tend to see fundamentalism as an anti-intellectual movement. Having re-read this I see where he is coming from at least on this point.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Piper suggests we pick a Christian author or theologian and read all his works. Francis Schaeffer is that for me. This is the tenth (or maybe eleventh) work I have read of his (nearly halfway there). His writings are thoughtful and penetrating, meant to be savored and thought over. This small position paper is no different. His basic premise: If the church is to have the same effect in our generation that it did in the years after Christ, it must have two contents (sound doctrine and honest answers to honest questions) and two realities (true spirituality and the beauty of human relationships). I commend it to you. It will literally take you 20 to 30 minutes to read.

[Pat O'Keeffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schaeffer concludes: “So, there must be two orthodoxies: the orthodoxy of doctrine and the orthodoxy of community. And both orthodoxies must be practiced down into the warp and the woof of life where the Lordship of the Lord Jesus touches every area of our life.”

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short essay by Schaffer focuses on orthodoxy and orthopraxy. In a circle, one informs the other. Sound doctrine and honest answers to honest questions leads to true spirituality and the beauty of human relationships.

[Mark Roossinck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short by very much to the point. Though this was written to those in the later 1970s, these are timely exhortations that still need to be heeded today.

[Hugh Laybourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, clear thinking

[Bruce Menkveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any thinking Christian.