Christian Apologetics: Two Purposes Francis Schaeffer’s holds a rather basic view concerning apologetics. He explains there are two purposes of Christian apologetics. “The first is defense. The second is to communicate Christianity in a way that any given generation can understand” (The God Who Is There, 151). Schaeffer begins his approach to apologetics by pointing […]
Author Archives: davidsteele1966
We Stood Upon the Stars
Roger W. Thompson, We Stood Upon Stars, Waterbrook Books, 2017, 222 pp. $10.33 Finding God in lost places is the reoccurring theme in Roger W. Thompson’s book, We Stood Upon Stars. Thompson uses his storytelling skills and love of the outdoors in this fascinating account of a real-life adventure seeker. Thompson invites readers to joinContinue reading “We Stood Upon the Stars”
Why Francis Schaeffer Matters: Epistemology – Part 5
Dr. Schaeffer’s epistemology is integral to his approach to apologetics and may be described simply as follows. First, one must understand that pagan thought endorses a belief in the uniformity of natural causes in a closed system. Propositional and verbal revelation is nonsense in this scheme. Christian epistemology stands in stark contrast to the non-Christian […]
Why Francis Schaeffer Matters: Consequences of Pitting Rationality Against Faith – Part 4
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. It […]
Why Francis Schaeffer 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 German […]
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” (The […]
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, he […]
The Imperfect Disciple
Jared C. Wilson, The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2017, 233 pp. $13.21 I have a large section of books in my library devoted to the topic of discipleship and Christian living. I also have a much smaller section of books devoted to discipleship andContinue reading “The Imperfect Disciple”
Simple Church (2006)
It’s been several years since I first read Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger. The second time through was a good refresher as the authors remind readers about the importance of returning to “God’s process for making disciples.” Simple Church argues that healthy churches have a simple plan for making disciples. Four key words describeContinue reading “Simple Church (2006)”
Gospel-Centered Teaching
Gospel-Centered Teaching by Trevin Wax is a practical book that admonishes readers to put Jesus at the center of every lesson and sermon. Indeed, Spurgeon’s plea in the 19th century to preach the text and then “make a bee-line to the cross” is at the core of this work. The author adds, “Unless you understand theContinue reading “Gospel-Centered Teaching”
Veritas et Lux 