The Great Evangelical Disaster

by Francis A. Schaeffer

Have Christians compromised their stand on truth and morality until there is almost nothing they will speak out against? Has the evangelical church itself sold out to the world?

A provocative and challenging book--but one that is tempered by Dr. Schaeffer's deep commitment to Christ and love for the church.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Cultural, Christianity, History, Church, Politics

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1984

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 4 out of 5]

This is a better version of his *A Christian Manifesto* (although the title is worse). Both address the same topic, namely, the deterioration of culture due to its world view change and the evangelicals necessary response to it. In *A Christian Manifesto*, Schaeffer emphasizes the evangelical’s role; in this book he emphasizes the fact that evangelicals haven’t fulfilled their role well. The “great evangelical disaster” is that Christians have accommodated, both in truth (not standing for the full trueness of the Bible) and in morals.

There are still times in this book, like in *A Christian Manifesto*, where Schaeffer puts too much emphasis on evangelical participation in areas like politics and changing the society’s morals (apart from gospel influence). But this is better than the other book because here he more talks about the importance of standing for truth, and especially doing it by displaying both the holiness and the love of God. In this sense, this is much more like his *The Church at the End of the 20th Century* type books, and it’s much more on point. While his *Manifesto* is simply too gung-ho and charged.

So overall, I actually would recommend this, especially over and against his *Manifesto*. It’s almost like he wrote the *Manifesto* in 82, then realized right before his death that he needed to go back a bit to the emphasis on holiness *and* love. But still, just like in *Manifesto*, I think Schaeffer doesn’t emphasize the need for true evangelism and conversion here. Instead, it’s simply about influencing the culture in morals and truth. What he misses in both books is that the only real, substantial, lasting way for this to happen is by evangelism and conversion.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those books every Christian needs to read, especially those who are ministers of the Word. Se. Schaeffer is speaking to the Evangelical world of the early 80’s, and his words, warnings, and predictions are more true today than they were back then. For to long the Christian has had a mindset of accommodation and syncretism to the world, we are to quick to believe secular humanism and distrust the Word of God. Only an unrelenting trust in the Scriptures will bring back the Church to a place of right teaching and right practice. I highly recommend this book.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a contemporary take on Machen's Christianity and Liberalism. Schaeffer argues that the evangelical church is (as of 1984, when the book was published) at a watershed moment--where it can go one of two ways--each of which will end far from the other.

The church could turn back to a firm reliance upon Scripture as authoritative, speaking to all of life, or it can continue on the path of compromise, believing the Bible has errors, and only speaks authoritatively in matters of salvation.

Schaeffer is very solid, and it is easy to admire him for his prophetic stances, especially on abortion. He knew what was at stake before the church even engaged on the issue. That being said, the book is a little dated, but most of the book stands as an pillar from a different time (1984 seems so distant from 2015!), and it is sad to see that we've descended much lower from the time when Schaeffer wrote this work. However, as they say, the darkest time of day is right before the dawn! So I take hope, knowing Schaeffer's influence, and those like him, are still being read today, and their work is advancing, even if slowly.

This isn't the book to start with, on Schaeffer. Readers should begin with "How Then Shall We Live", "He is There and He is Not Silent", and "Escape From Reason". But this is perhaps one of his more pastoral works, at least that I've encountered, and I really appreciated that side of him.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Schaeffer describes the recent downfall of evangelicalism and gives his synopsis on the cause and the cure. The major cause that Schaeffer accounts to evangelicals is the sin of accommodation. Accommodating to the beliefs of culture and the denial of Christian truths. Rarely does it start out as a stark change from long held beliefs, but rather a slow, gradual, incremental changes has led to the point where we find ourselves today. To combat liberalism, we must return to the truths that we have held and believed - nothing less.

[Bojan Ostojić · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but sad from today’s point of view.

[Will Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is difficult to believe this book was written 40 years ago now, as it speaks directly to the evangelical church and her challenges today. Schaeffer does a masterful job explaining the modern church's "accommodation" to the "world spirit" of today; that is, the present way of thinking and ideologies that the secular world holds to.

In a word, much of the compromise and accommodation of worldly philosophies in the church today comes straight from the Enlightenment period of history, and from the humanist stream of thought. This humanism, the belief in the innate goodness of mankind and the perfectibility of human society and institutions, has opened the doors of the church to everything from feminism to transgenderism (a topic which even Schaeffer did not conceive of 40 years ago).

The church is indeed at a "watershed" moment, and has been for quite some time. Those who would ultimately hold to the inerrancy of Scripture in word and practice must stand firm on all that the Bible speaks to, for the glory of God, the purity of the church, and even the health and stability of human society. And Schaeffer's book is an immense help in this endeavor.

[Rex Blackburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit repetitive in places, but some good thoughts on worldview and accomodation of the Church to the culture..

[Randy Corn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book back in 1984 and honestly couldn’t remember much of it. It is somewhat different from Schaffer’s other books in that it is not really an apologetic. Instead, this book is something of an observation on the part of a keen student of contemporary culture. Essentially, the book is about how the Bible, and how we understand it, is the water shed of Christianity. As the topic of inspiration and inerrancy were hot topics in the 1980s. He goes on to connect this to homosexuality in general and abortion in particular. I just wonder what Schaffer would think of the situation now?

I read this book in connection with my upcoming class at Welch. This will be my first time with a class about Christian worldview and I wanted to have more than the textbook to fall back on. I think it is good to have all of this in historical perspective. Perhaps I will supplement further with Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism since that grows out of some of the same issues a generation earlier.

This is a very worthwhile book and one that I can certainly recommend. It is sad to me that a writer like Schaffer could be so popular in his day and now hardly known by the newer generation of Christian scholars.

[Josh Dockter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this one in my in-law's library a while back. Schaeffer takes Christians to task for being "accommodating Christians". He pleads with Christians to stand up and draw a clear and loving line between true Christianity and "blue jean" Christianity. He does an excellent job of pointing out the consequences of what happens when Christians sit idly by. This is a prophetic book especially when he deals with the sexual revolution.
Schaeffer rightly understands Jesus' Lordship as "The Lordship of Christ in the totality of life." Put another way, if Christ is not lord of all then he is not lord at all.
If you want to be spurred on to love and good works then I suggest you buy this book and read it carefully.

[mike hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schaeffer makes a great point stating that the influence of the Enlightenment created a shift that has taken place in the 20th century whereby man now sees himself over all things with authority to pick and choose what is right and wrong in his own eyes.

[Jayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book Schaeffer wrote, and the capstone to all his other writings, this book gives a sobering view to where the world and the church are headed. Being published over thirty years ago, it would appear his predictions are spot on. Great work!

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Karla Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read! Written in the 80's but clearly addresses our time. We must get back to the authority of Scripture - both in belief and practice.

[Jason Garwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good. He sounded the alarm, what will we do?

[Mark Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first time in decades, I picked up and read my well marked copy of Francis Schaeffer’s The Great Evangelical Disaster this week. And I noticed more the sadness of it than I did in my callow 20’s. In both the preface and text, Schaeffer acknowledged his health was failing, and he died a few months after publication in 1984. This was to be his last book.

I think his health affected the book. He told in the preface of his hospitalization with a deadline to meet. With help he made the deadline. But the result does not seem as well written or as tightly reasoned as his earlier work.

Nonetheless – and this is part of the sadness as well – it is a prophetic work. Most of what he decried in culture and church in the West have only gotten worse. Perhaps his saddest statement comes early on: "It is a horrible thing for a man like myself to look back and see my country and my culture go down the drain in my own lifetime."

His warnings about the direction of Evangelicals may have seemed alarmist at the time. But the Neo-Evangelicals of today have pretty much proved him right.

Schaeffer’s warnings about American culture have proven too true as well. Have I mentioned this is not a happy read?

And, although I revere the man, I concede his last book is probably not his best book. Nonetheless, it should not be neglected by those who acknowledge the importance of Francis Schaeffer and of his critique of church and culture in the West. Nor should it be overlooked by those concerned by the current direction of evangelicalism.

[Daniel Kleven · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for his proposed method: loving confrontation as a simultaneous expression of holiness and love.
2 stars for his historical analysis on America's "Christian consensus and ethos."

Schaeffer tries so hard to have a balanced approach, noting carefully that "we have had blind posts and serious shortcomings, particularly in the area of race." He acknowledges that "there was slavery based on race, and also racial prejudice as such... and often both were present when Christians had a stronger influence on the consensus than they now have. And yet the church, as the church, did not speak out sufficiently against them... As Christians, by identification with our forebears, we must acknowledge this wrong and twisted view of race and beyond this make every effort to eliminate racial prejudice today."

Yet, in the end, I think he himself fails to take full account of this "shortcoming" and the devastating effect it has on any notion of a "Christian consensus." Dr. Carl Ellis has an illuminating graph illustrating these drastically different views of American historical trajectories.

But when Schaeffer proposes "loving confrontation" as the answer to resist accommodation to the world spirit of the age, he is brilliant and absolutely right. I love his methods, and I want to sharpen his historical (and present) analysis a bit more.

[Pastor Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francis Schaeffer is thought of by most people as "a voice in the wilderness" (of Switzerland at his L'Abri community) calling out to the secular world to re-think it's Agnosticism and immorality, and to the churches of Jesus Christ to recommit to the word of God as the only infallible source and basis for culture, law and doctrine. This one is for the churches.

I was not a Christian when this book came out. I ran across a copy in a now-defunct Christian bookstore (Cornerstone in Columbus, Ohio). I stood there and read the introduction and first two chapters. A salesman said, "Can I help you?" I assured him I was going to buy the book and go home and read it. I did just that.

I generally agreed with Schaeffer's observations and much of what he warns of in this book have, sadly, come to pass. He was largely ignored, even though many millions agreed with his case. He was ignored by denominational leaders, Bible college and seminary leaders, church leaders and possibly a majority of professing Christians.

Schaeffer warned that evangelicalism was becoming Laodicea. And that is exactly what it has become with the exception of a remnant of Bible believers who have yet to bow the knee to Sodom.

[Adrian]

I hate it when I am put in a box. College days I read a lot of Francis Schaeffer, particularly on philosophy. I think it was great. So now reading this one to say I am disappointed might be an understatement. Usually, in discussions with famous Atheists, I find it they who put me in a box. What do I mean by that, well they tell me what I belive, which I don't, then tell me why its wrong, and then tell me why I am stupid for believing it which I didn't. Sadly in this book, Schaeffer does the same thing. He tells me what socialists believe, which they don't. Tells me where that will take us, which it won't and then tells me how stupid (not in so many words) as to taking on board this communism which I have not because it isn't. So I read it all through, and yes there are some interesting bits. He strangely does the same thing with the Ecclesia, talking about how it is organic, again not in so many words. And then making it all about structure and organisation. Very disappointed.

[Ryan Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

He gets a lot of things right, and it's nice and short, but there is a lot of room to go deeper. He is absolutely right about the spirit of accommodation to the world. Sadly, it's still the dominant spirit of evangelicalism, 37 years later.

Largely, I think his call toward a radical response on the part of young Christians didn't go deep enough. But he did start peeling back the layers of the modern spirit that has built up around a truly Christian faith and culture. Others have picked up his mantle since and we are getting closer to throwing of the enlightenment mantle. Still more work to do around gender, political theology, joyful living, and race, etc. The abandonment of the word of God is not easy for a culture to recover from.

One of his later books, not as good as some others of his I've read.

[Brian Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content of this book is no less important today (2020) than when it was written, even though a lot of water has flowed beneath the “evangelical” bridge since that time. The content is four stars, at least.

Unfortunately, the style of the writing is (as others have observed) repetitive. (And not just by way of refrain, as in a style of writing that reflects oral delivery.) The book could have been half as long and said the same things just as effectively. The style is three stars, at best.

The appendix is incredible. It is well written and its message is staggeringly important. Five stars on both.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, written in 1984 near the end of Francis Schaeffer's life, reflects on the modernist/fundamentalist division of the 1920s and 30s and when America's Christian consensus was lost, and proclaims that the contemporary state of evangelicalism is equally disastrous.

Schaeffer says the fault lies with vast numbers of American Christians who are unwilling to bring the fight to the enemy and stand for Christ in their communities. Furthermore he says that the watershed issue for which we must stand is the inerrancy of scripture. "The real chasm is between those who have bowed to the living God and thus also to the verbal, propositional communication of God's inerrant Word, the Scriptures, and those who have not" (77). He warns of a new wave of neo-orthodox evangelicals, not just those in liberal denominations, who are abandoning Biblical absolutism. Evangelicals have become worldly, he says, because of their accommodation of the spirit of the age, their refusal to engage the enemy while their freedoms, based upon the Christian consensus inherited from the reformation period are slipping away.

My only critique of this book is that I wonder whether Biblical inerrancy is in fact the "real chasm" or the ONLY chasm, the only watershed issue. Aren't there plenty of Christians who believe every word of the Bible or at least claim to, including all that it says about history and science and morality, and yet still do not take the fight to the enemy? I think there are far to many Christians who just lack vision. They are sheep without shepherds. They don't work together and do courageous things because no one is out in front saying "forward!" Or perhaps even though there are a few of these leaders who have a vision for American Christian life, people are just too distracted, too focused on making money or trying to drag their spouse to counseling or whatever it may be.

QUOTES I LIKE:

"When the memory of the Christian consensus which gave us freedom within the biblical form is increasingly forgotten, a manipulating authoritarianism will tend to fill the vacuum. At this point the words 'right' and 'left' will make little difference. They are only two roads to the same end; the results are the same. An elite, an authoritarianism as such, will gradually force form on society so that it will not go into chaos--and most people will accept it" (23).

"The primary battle is a spiritual battle in the heavenlies. But his does not mean, therefore, that the battle we are in is otherworldly or outside of human history. It is a real spiritual battle, but it is equally a battle here on earth in our own county, our own communities, our places of work and our schools, and even our own homes.... In the realm of space and time the heavenly battle is fought on the stage of human history" (25).

"There is only one perspective we can have of the post Christian world of our generation: an understanding that our culture and our county deserves to be under the wrath of God. It will not do to say the United States is God's country in some special way. It will not do to cover up the difference between the consensus today and the Christian consensus that prevailed sixty years ago. The last few generations have trampled upon the truth of the Bible and all that those truths have brought forth" (29).

"But do we really believe that we are in a life and death battle? Do we really believe that the part we play in the battle has consequences for whether or not men and women will spend eternity in hell? Or whether or not in this life people will live with meaning or meaninglessness? Or whether or not those who do live will will live in a climate of moral perversion and degradation? Sadly, we must say that very few in the evangelical world have acted as if these things are true. Rather than trumpet our accomplishments and revel in our growing numbers, it would be closer to the rtuh to admit that our response has been a disaster" (32).

"Then in the mid 1930s, there occurred an event which I would say marks the turning point of the century concerning the breakdown of our culture. By 1936 the liberals were so in control of the Northern Presbyterian Church that they were able to defrock Dr. J. Gresham Machen.... It was the culmination of a long trend toward liberalism withing the Presbyterian Church and represented the same trend in most other denominations" (35).

"Many who left [the mainline liberalizing denominations] broke off all forms of fellowship with true brothers in Christ who had not left. Christ's command to love one another was destroyed. What was left was frequently a turning inward, a self-righteousness, a hardness. The impression often was left that coming out had made those who departed so right that anything could then be excused. Having learned such bad habits, they later treated each other badly when the resulting new groups had minor differences among themselves" (75).

"Some people think that just because the United States of America is the United States of America, because Britain is Britain, they will not come under the judgment of God. This is not so" (90).

"Jesus cannot be said to be Savior unless we also say he is Lord. And we cannot honestly and rightly say he is our Lord if he is only a Lord of part of life and not of the totality of life, including all the social and political and cultural life" (91).

[Jasmine Shadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate an author that does not dodge truth and strong statements. Schaeffer was not one to dodge. This was his final book, as he died just a few months after this was published. As you read this one you can almost hear sadness and feel his tears. Yes I appreciate this book and recommend it to all those that desire to have a diligent walk and dedication to the truths of the Lord and His Word, especially young adults. It was published in 1984, but the words are just as needed today.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This hasn't aged well. Schaeffer's concern for the future of the evangelical church is commendable. However, he comes across as ranting, uncompassionate and worried about his legacy, rather than nurturing a future church.

[Brian Kehler · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book that helped spark the decades of theocratic hideousness of the "Moral Majority," which culminated in the election of Donald Trump.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written almost 40 years ago, this book is a must read to understand the problems we face today in the church.

[Michael Cranford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very compelling at certain points, but a bit scatter shot on the whole. Very atypical of Schaeffer. For me, Christian Manifesto is much better, though his imagery of the watershed is very helpful.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some references younger readers my not recognize example, McLuhan.

[Jack Wilkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Should be required reading for all church leaders today.

[Derek Herrema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Must read. Written 40 years ago and highly relevant

[Travis Daggett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fundamentals, though much of it is dated.
Unfortunately, most of the problems Schaeffer identified have gotten worse.