The decisive result of falling below the line of despair is a pitting of rationality against faith. Schaeffer sees this as an enormous problem and details four consequences in his book, Escape From Reason. Pitting Rationality Against Faith First, when rationality contends against faith, one is not able to establish a system of morality. ItContinue reading “Why Francis Schaeffer Matters: Consequences of Pitting Rationality Against Faith – Part 4”
Author Archives: davidsteele1966
Why Francis Schaefer Matters: The Line of Despair – Part 3
The Loss of Antithesis The loss of antithesis in American culture led to what Dr. Schaeffer coined the “line of despair” or giving up all hope of achieving a rational unified answer to knowledge and life. Schaeffer outlines what he believes are the various steps below this line of despair. He begins with the GermanContinue reading “Why Francis Schaefer Matters: The Line of Despair – Part 3”
Why Francis Schaeffer Matters: The Turning Point in Truth – Part 2
The Truth Crisis Francis Schaeffer sets the tone for his apologetical procedure by explaining the crisis of truth in America: “We are fundamentally affected by a new way of looking at truth. This change in the concept of the way we come to knowledge and truth is the most crucial problem facing America today” (TheContinue reading “Why Francis Schaeffer Matters: The Turning Point in Truth – Part 2”
WHY FRANCIS SCHAEFFER MATTERS: An Introduction – Part 1
Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-1984) may very well be one of the most important Christian thinkers of the twentieth century. Schaeffer graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary and was heavily influenced by J. Gresham Machen, Cornelius Van Til, and the Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper. In 1948, after a ten year pastorate in the United States, heContinue reading “WHY FRANCIS SCHAEFFER MATTERS: An Introduction – Part 1”
SONGS OF THE NATIVITY – John Calvin (1562)
Songs of the Nativity by John Calvin is a collection of sermons taken from Luke 1 and 2. These sermons provide an inside look at the commitments of the great Protestant Reformer. The sermons demonstrate Calvin’s handle on Scripture and his exegetical skill. But above all, these sermons reflect the love that Calvin had forContinue reading “SONGS OF THE NATIVITY – John Calvin (1562)”
WHAT WE BELIEVE – R.C. Sproul (2015)
What We Believe, by R.C. Sproul captures the essence of the well-known Apostles’ Creed. Dr. Sproul alerts readers in the preface, “The renewed mind is initiated by the immediate, sovereign, supernatural work of God, the Holy Spirit, in regeneration. It is developed by the continued operation of the Spirit in the soul and by feeding uponContinue reading “WHAT WE BELIEVE – R.C. Sproul (2015)”
Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity – Tim Challies (2015)
Here’s a lofty claim: “I believe this book can improve your life.” This is a claim we’ve all heard before. Infomercials, hucksters, and television preachers make similar claims. The net result is generally less than satisfying. The consumer usually walks away from such a claim with a lighter wallet, a bruised ego, and more skepticismContinue reading “Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity – Tim Challies (2015)”
Awe: Why It Matters For Everything We Think, Say – Paul David Tripp (2015)
Some books are meant to be read. Others are meant to be devoured. Paul David’s Tripp’s new book is of the later sort. Awe: Why It Matters For Everything We Think, Say, And Do is a soul-searching work that draws readers in, grabs them by the throat, shakes them around, molds and transforms their heartsContinue reading “Awe: Why It Matters For Everything We Think, Say – Paul David Tripp (2015)”
AWAKENING THE EVANGELICAL MIND – Owen Strachan (2015)
In the late 1940’s, V.W. Steele resigned as the Senior pastor at Bethel Baptist in Everett, Washington. He stepped away from his pulpit at the height of a revival as he felt prompted by God to move to another ministry. He loaded up the car with his young family made the long journey to LosContinue reading “AWAKENING THE EVANGELICAL MIND – Owen Strachan (2015)”
A LOST GOD IN A LOST WORLD – Melvin Tinker (2015)
Augustine sounded the alarm in his magisterial work, The City of God. The date was 426 A.D. Augustine’s battle cry alerted Christ-followers to the beauty, majesty, and sovereignty of a holy God. Melvin Tinker sounds another alarm in his new book, A Lost God in a Lost World. His intent is to articulate the soberingContinue reading “A LOST GOD IN A LOST WORLD – Melvin Tinker (2015)”
Veritas et Lux 