WiseReader

This article first appeared in ChristianWeek on March 1, 2009 (Vol 22 No 24).

____________________

Two new books explore the continuing influence of Francis Schaeffer

Two books published in time for the 25-year anniversary of the death of Francis Schaeffer remind us of the profound influence he left on 20th-century evangelicalism - an influence evident in the work of many privileged to sit under his teaching.

Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life (Crossway Books, 2008) by Colin Duriez is a full-length biography of the man behind the reputation. Duriez studied for several months under Francis Schaeffer prior to reading English and philosophy at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.

Tracking his life from a humble working-class home in Germantown, Pennsylvania, through his conversion and call to pastoral ministry within separatist fundamentalism; the broadening of his ministry base through the work of L’Abri; his crisis of faith; and his subsequent return to America where he became a key figure in the significant social issues of his day; Duriez portrays a man wholly committed to God and passionate to show that Christianity is a thoroughly reasonable faith.

In his Preface, Duriez comments on the recent publication of Crazy for God (Da Capo Press, 2007), the “confessional memoir” of Frank Schaeffer, son of Francis & Edith Schaeffer. He challenges Frank’s portrayal of his father’s “façade of conviction about his faith.” Duriez contends that Francis Schaeffer “did not divorce his inner and public life.” Os Guiness and others concur, having publicly refuted Frank Schaeffer’s harsh assessment of his own father.

In addition to extensive interviews with those who knew Schaeffer well, Duriez enjoyed full access to Edith’s Schaeffer’s family records, L’Abri history and unpublished Family Letters. The inclusion of 28 pictures provides a welcome visual to a gripping story of an authentic life lived for God’s glory. The book concludes with an interview Colin Duriez had with Francis Schaeffer on September 30, 1980.

If you are familiar with his writings, you will enjoy this finely crafted biography that Alister E. McGrath says effectively mingles “personal memories and theological analysis.”

An Absorbing Portrait

Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2008) by Barry Hankins, professor of history at Baylor University, is an absorbing study of Francis Schaeffer providing valuable insight into how he was perceived by other intellectual Christians then and now. Hankins paints a sympathetic picture of a man who did not always get it right.

While Hankins records significant life events in the Schaeffer family, the heart of this study is a critical analysis of Francis Schaeffer’s work. Tracing Schaeffer’s beginnings as a pastor in America, Barry Hankins skillfully maps the gradual move from American Fundamentalist bent on finding every vestige of doctrinal compromise, to European Evangelical intent on equipping Christians to effectively engage the cultural questions of their day, to social crusader calling America’s evangelicals to rise up and reclaim Christian America. Hankins rightly observes that, had Schaeffer not moved to Europe, he would likely have remained an unknown pastor mired in the swamp of separationist fundamentalism (my term, not Hankins’).

In God’s providence, Schaeffer’s move to Europe, a move aimed at organizing continental fundamentalists and conducting child evangelism, drew him into contact with men like Hans Rookmaker – a friendship that encouraged Schaeffer’s move toward exploring Christianity’s interface with culture. It was a move that catapulted Schaeffer into an international ministry of helping young Christians wrestle through their philosophical questions about God and truth.

Hankins organizes Schaeffer’s work into three broad categories: his fundamentalist beginnings in America, his broadening evangelicalism and engagement with culture in Europe, and his return to America with its subsequent return to a strident fundamentalist engagement with the social questions of the day. Whatever one’s view of Schaeffer’s work, all are compelled to acknowledge his profound influence on the way evangelicalism relates to the world around it.

Hankins notes that much of Schaeffer’s writing does not readily address the cultural questions of today, but observes that Schaeffer understood his own times, learning how to effectively capture a generation for Christianity.

Whereas Colin Duriez was afforded liberal access to the Schaeffer family and papers, Barry Hankins notes that “members of the Schaeffer family were unwilling to be interviewed” for his book. He does not tell us why. Despite this restriction, Hankins has provided a thoroughly satisfying study of the man who, perhaps more than any other, was used by God to bring evangelicals into the public square.

Read together, these books provide a complete account of the man behind the books, lectures and films, providing a valuable assessment of his continuing impact on evangelical Christianity. I highly recommend them both.

A version of this article first appeared in ChristianWeek (Vol 22 No 15 - October 15, 2008). 

From Scotland to Canada: The life of pioneer missionary Alexander Stewart
Glenn Tomlinson
Joshua Press, 2008
ISBN: 9781894400299
____________________

When Glenn Tomlinson began searching out the origins of his childhood church, he didn’t have in mind writing a historical biography of the founder of Toronto’s first Baptist Church. But his ten year quest, demanding work on both sides of the Atlantic, has produced a meticulously researched and well-written biography of a fiery, determined Scottish Baptist preacher.

As he pursued the origins of what became Jarvis St. Baptist Church (Toronto), Tomlinson realized he needed to learn more about its founding pastor. As he sought that information, he found his interests were changing: “The desire to discover the birth date of a church was supplanted by the challenge and spiritual benefit of reconstructing a life that was devoted to the cause of Christ.”

Fresh off the presses, From Scotland to Canada: The life of pioneer missionary Alexander Stewart is a fascinating account of God’s providence in saving, calling and using an unknown Scottish Highlander to plant a church in what would become Canada’s leading city - a church that would eventually impact the face of Baptist witness in Canada and give birth to a seminary that to this day continues to train individuals for worldwide gospel ministry.

Born in Perthshire, Scotland, the youngest of eight children, Alexander Stewart was born again during the great revival in the Scottish Highland community of Moulin, just a few miles from his birthplace. Shortly after, sensing God’s call on his life, Stewart was providentially brought under the influence of James and Robert Haldane, attending the theological seminary being operated by Robert.

Following those formative years, Stewart began a life of vocational ministry that included years of evangelistic church planting in Scotland and eventual emigration to Canada with his young family in 1818. During his Canadian years, Stewart planted the first Baptist congregation in York, now Toronto. That fledgling 19^th century congregation would become Jarvis Street Baptist Church, arguably one of the Dominion’s most influential Baptist congregations during the early to mid 20^th century.

In recent conversation with the author, I asked him what surprised he had encountered while researching his book. “What surprised me as I was doing my research”, he said, “was Alexander Stewart’s connections. It was neat to see his life intersect, in very close and intimate ways, the lives of prominent Scotsmen and Canadians of the time. Robert and James Haldane and William Lyon Mackenzie are two prime examples.” Readers will be delighted that, along with eight appendices and a bibliography of sources, the book includes a biographical glossary of fifty-four people whose lives were in some way connected with Alexander Stewart.

One reason many find biographies an interesting read is that they give context and perspective for why things are as they are. They provide important insights and lessons. Tomlinson shared two lessons he learned while writing this book:

Lessons learned

“The first lesson: Stewart’s persistent zeal to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Despite familial heartache, despite inner-church squabbling, despite pioneer hardships etc., he continually proclaimed to all the Gospel of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ. This, I am convinced he did, because he was so aware of God’s mercy to his own soul. He embraced the truth that God makes things grow and it was for him to simply spread the Good News. This he faithfully did, never being the instrument of a revival and never pastoring a mega church. The subsequent history of his field of labor demonstrates that his ministry was not in vain.”

As for why this story needs to be told, Tomlinson says, “This work is important because it tells a story of how God has worked in Canada. Unfortunately, there are too few books being written that accomplish this. We Canadians are a self-effacing lot and are so prone to look for ‘heroes of the faith’ outside our own country not recognizing that God has worked in this land as well.”

This is Glenn Tomlinson’s first book, but hopefully not his last. When I inquired about that, he confessed: “I’m getting the research and writing ‘bug’ again. I’m in the process of doing some preliminary research on a prominent 19^th century Canadian pastor who was much revered by the congregation and denomination in which he served. I won’t reveal his name but I’m thinking of entitling the work …. ”

Ok, we can wait, but please don’t make it ten years.
____________________
This book is available for online purchase at amazon.ca.