A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original article appears below. Alan Hartley is writing his Master’s thesis at Regent College, and is a member of Knox Church, Toronto.
A Christian Manifesto. Francis A. Schaeffer, Westchester, Illinois: Crossway Books. 1982, 157 pp.
Contrary to the opinion of some, Francis Schaeffer is not a prophet. But he does give clear expression to compulsive thinking with intelligence and insight. So with the anticipation of being challenged I sat down to read this his latest.
The book is dedicated “to all those who have said: ‘Here I stand’ facing oppressive authoritarian civil and church power.” That line sets the tone for the polemic. It is rousing stuff. This manifesto is meant to create opposition to the breakdown of Christian values in American society.
The argument runs as follows. The Reformational world-view produced a political balance of order and freedom. This Christian balance of values lay at the basis of American society. However the rise of humanism eroded this foundation, resulting in authoritarianism, arbitrary law and loss of liberty. Christians must oppose the undermining effect of this false humanistic world-view. Under certain circumstances it is our duty to oppose the state. And this opposition may have to be active and forceful.
Dr. Schaeffer rests this argument on a quick survey of Reformational ethics and American political history. The account and the conclusion are highly selective. He asserts that Reformational ethics lay behind the general consensus that governed Northern Europe and the United States until recently. But things have changed and Christian values are decreasingly plausible in a society being over-run by humanism. The church has tended to focus on the bits and failed to get the whole picture. Thus we are generally blind to this pervasive destruction of values.
Restitution of this balance between order and freedom will require active involvement by Christians in society. Dr. Schaeffer is specific about where and how that should happen. And he is confident that Christianity can transform a culture. But Christians need to have their eyes opened to the problem as a whole, and to the possibility of solutions. Moreover we need to act. The presentation of these cogent convictions is the first reason we should read this book.
Francis Schaeffer has a history of getting to the heart of issues before most of us do. He has seen problems and proposed answers well ahead of his contemporaries. So while the book conveys the impression that he is constrained to say important things hurriedly, we should read it carefully. Respect for Dr. Schaeffer’s insight is the second reason for reading this book.
Crossway Books has demonstrated admirable boldness in publishing the manifesto. Though it deserves to be, it may not be widely read. So they are to be congratulated for taking the risk. Unfortunately the large type and wide margins unnecessarily inflate the cost of a book that needs to be read widely.
The book is primarily for an American readership, but the issues are similar here. That the book is not primarily for Canadians is to our advantage. The distance facilitates making critical distinctions between Christian convictions and contemporary culture (Os Guinness’ terms). Reading A Christian Manifesto will help your thinking. And if Francis Schaeffer succeeds in convincing you it may also prompt some action.