Francis Schaeffer: Intellectual and Christ-lover

Friday, May 15, is the 25th anniversary of the home-going of Francis Schaeffer, intellectual and Christ-lover. When I was a new believer, I was profoundly influenced by what he wrote; Schaeffer's philosophical and apologetic writings, among them He Is There & He Is Not Silent, shaped my thinking in the seventies. (For those unfamiliar with Schaeffer, you can find excerpts from nearly all of his books at www.rationalpi.com/theshelter/sitemap.html)

A Life of Humility

After seeing my recent post about Francis Schaeffer, my friend Doug Nichols, founder and international director emeritus of Action International Ministries, emailed me this story. To me, given my respect for both men, it's priceless. Thanks for sharing it with us, Doug. And thanks for being the same kind of man Francis Schaeffer showed himself to be the night you met him.

Question and Answer of the Week: Is the Bible inerrant?

I believe in the inspiration and authority of Scripture, but I don't think this means I have to believe in inerrancy. The Bible isn't meant to be a textbook, and we don't need to believe in the details of the creation account, and the first man and woman in the garden, or about Jonah being swallowed by a whale. The Bible contains parables and metaphors. Do I really have believe it has to be correct in all the little details to be God's Word?

Usually when people say they believe the Bible contains errors, I ask ...

Remembering Edith Schaeffer

Edith Schaeffer was a Christ-loving, creative, caring, and classy woman. She entered the presence of Jesus this past weekend, at age 98.

Some of my Spiritual Heroes—who are yours?

I have only one Lord, but many spiritual heroes. I'd love to hear about some of yours. Here are seven of mine.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

I spoke this weekend at the Peacemaker Conference in Charlotte, NC. Peacemakers works to resolve conflicts within churches, Christian ministries and between brothers and sisters who wish to obey God’s command not to bring before civil authorities conflicts between Christians (1 Corinthians 6).

My Favorite Nonfiction Books

Books and bookstores have had an enormous influence on my own life. I came to Christ as a teenager, at Powell Valley Covenant Church in Gresham, less than a mile from where I live now. My first youth pastor, Paul Siwick, did me a huge favor—he gave me a key to his office, so I could go in any time and read his books, hundreds of them. I read everything I could get my hands on.

Expressing Our Concerns about Same Sex Marriage in a Pluralistic Culture

Last week, same sex couples were married all over California.

The future is predictable. Streams of people will come from all over the country to be married in California, and then will go back to their home states and argue that their marriage licenses should be honored. What will the states decide?

The Kiss of an Old Godly Man

As a brand new Christian in 1970, I read every Christian book I could get my hands on. Several, including Born Crucified, were by L. E. Maxwell, who my friend Doug Nichols speaks so fondly of in this reflection. I asked Doug if I could use it in my blog. Some of you will remember another powerful story of Doug’s I featured in this blog, concerning Francis Schaeffer, who made a profound impact on my life.

What have you been reading lately?

I've recently been reading G. K. Chesterton's book Orthodoxy and his little book on St. Thomas Aquinas.





Also, I've read several books on intelligent design, by Johnson and Dembski, and Stephen Meyer’s excellent Signature in the Cell, regarding DNA and its incredible complexity.