On Francis Schaeffer and Presuppositionalism

Over twenty years after his passing, Francis Schaeffer's impact on the evangelical world can be clearly seen. His ministry to the troubled youth of the 1960's - characterized by a reliance on prayer and the working of the Holy Spirit - is a model for many ministries today. His books, from the trilogy of The God Who is There, Escape from Reason, and He is There and He is Not Silent, to works like True Spirituality, are still widely read. And his many students, ranging from Os Guiness to Nancy Pearcey, remain very visible in the evangelical community. Yet many Reformed scholars over the years have questioned his apologetical approach, and Schaeffer's style of apologetics and evangelism is one Bryan A. Follis seeks to clarify in his new book, Truth with Love: the Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer.

Being a student of Cornelius Van Til at Westminster Theological Seminary, it is important to note that there is much "common ground" between Schaeffer and advocates of presuppositional apologetics that is often overlooked. One of Schaeffer's favorite methods in dealing with non-Christians is "taking the roof off" -- putting oneself in the position of the non-Christian for argument's sake to show them the logical conclusions of their worldview, as Proverbs 26:5 says, "Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes."

And though many accuse Schaeffer of being a "rationalist," his reliance on prayer and the Holy Spirit to see lost people come to L'Abri and, ultimately, to Christ, is undeniable. In The God Who is There, Schaeffer answers the question "Where does the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit fit [in apologetics]?" by saying that no one will "believe without a work of the Holy Spirit." Thus though many apologists today seem to place such primacy on the human intellect, Schaeffer says that without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, no one will come to Christ - something any presuppositionalist will be quick to agree with.

However, it is clear that Schaeffer saw some downsides to the presuppositional method of apologetics. Many presuppositionalists seem to follow a very rigid approach in dealing with non-Christians, and at times seem to be arguing a philosophical point just for the sake of it. However, Schaeffer believed that "each man must be dealt with as an individual, not as a case or statistic or machine," and therefore he believed that no one apologetic fits the needs of all people.

Schaeffer also saw presuppositionalists as seemingly committing some of the same crimes as the existentialists. As anyone familiar with his writings will know, Schaeffer talks often about Kierkegaard's proposed "leap of faith" to non-reason which existentialists make because they see the hopelessness of their own worldviews and thus make a nonrational leap of faith in something else - whether drugs, music or religion. Presuppositionalists' insistence that nonbelievers believe in Christian claims without any rational judgment of their own certainly seems like a "leap of faith." Of course, presuppositionalists will say this is not what is being done - instead of the nonbeliever putting faith in Christ himself, the Holy Spirit works faith in the nonbelievers' heart so that he or she may become a Christian - but to the outside observer, Schaeffer says, it certainly seems like nonbelievers are being asked to take their own leap of faith to Christianity.

Follis notes, "In contrast [to presuppositionalists], Schaeffer believed in the importance of rational discussion not only for explaining the Christian faith to others, but also for helping to ensure that the faith they express - if they come to belief - is real. Schaeffer maintained that since Christian faith is turned outward - to the person and the work of Jesus Christ - it is a faith that 'rests on content. It is not a vague thing which takes the place of real understanding, nor is it the strength of belief which is of value.'"

How can Schaeffer reconcile his belief that rational discussion is necessary with the Bible's claims that man actually knows there is a God, but suppresses this truth by his unrighteousness, and therefore, as presuppositionalists say, man's real need is to abandon his autonomy and submit himself to the Scriptures? Schaeffer believed that the Holy Spirit works in the nonbelievers' heart as he engages in rational discussion. As Follis says, "He did not believe that you established by rational argument that Christianity is true, and then (and only then) did the Holy Spirit take over to lead you into faith. For Schaeffer there was 'a constant interchange of faith and reason all the time.' It was never either/or; rationality and the Holy Spirit always interacted." Schaeffer's belief in rational discussion along with the work of the Holy Spirit, Follis argues, puts him in a league of other Reformed theologians, from Jonathan Edwards to John Calvin (presuppositionalism did not really develop until the 1900's with the writings of Abraham Kuyper and Cornelius Van Til).

Nevertheless, whatever one's beliefs about apologetics, it must again be emphasized that Schaeffer put ultimate hope in an individual's salvation on the Holy Spirit, and that Schaeffer was no evidentialist, as the book goes on to discuss. In the end, Schaeffer's primary concern was not academic apologetics but evangelism - the task of speaking the truth with love, as the title of Follis' book suggests. And this is actually the heart of Follis' book -- Schaeffer had great compassion for the many youth that came through L'Abri and believed apologetics was futile if its end goal was not the unbeliever submitting himself to the Lordship of Christ.

Having said all these things, should you buy the book? If you are an admirer of Schaeffer, have ever wondered about Schaeffer's opinions on apologetics, or are interested in academic debates about apologetics, then you should certainly read this book. Though the book sometimes lacks focus, jumping from one author's criticism of Schaeffer to the next, overall Follis presents a very interesting and informative portrait of one of the twentieth century's most fascinating evangelists. But otherwise, you probably won't get much from this book. The book's targeted audience is obviously very specific (so specific that I have never seen it any bookstores -- I had to buy it online), and it is at a high reading level (it was originally a doctoral dissertation but has now been expanded and revised for book format). But, the rule of thumb here is that if you are interested by what you read in this review, you will probably enjoy the book.