Customer Reviews

The Great Evangelical Disaster

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I have had this book on my shelf since 1985 (sorry Amazon.com, but it was before you were around) and was fearful of picking it up. The title, along with Franky Schaeffer's book Addicted to Mediocrity, and Franky's eventual abandonment of evangelical brand of Christianity for Eastern Orthodox, led me to believe that this might be a screed against evangelicalism. How silly was my fear. This book is a treasure!

Humbly written, full of love, strong in conviction, Dr. Schaeffer sounds a warning to all Bible-believing evangelicals of a form of theology that has, in many people's opinion, infected and killed the mainline denominations in the beginning of the 20th century. His is a warning against the Modernist (or Neo-orthodox) theology that questions Scriptural authority in matters of history and science (the cosmos).

This book is not meant as a proof text against liberal theology. It is directed at those who already believe in the infallibility of the Bible, but who are sleeping while Neo-orthodoxy spreads like a virus through out evangelical institutions. It is a call to action on behalf of those who care about the purity of the Church.

It is much more than a typical Fundamentalist call to arms though. Schaeffer places equal importance on the value of LIVING like we believe the Bible is infallible. He states with great humility, that evangelical accommodation to the spirit of our age is to blame for the negligible cultural impact we have had. This accommodation has harmed the Bible's authority every bit as much as Neo-orthodoxy. His is a call to be as ready to LIVE the Bible (with humility, prayer, and love) as well as DEFEND the Bible.

But the best part about the book is the concluding chapter called The Mark of a Christian. It is a reprint of an earlier booklet that Schaeffer wrote and could not be better placed. If the challenge herein does not cause you to re-think how you love your fellow Christian, or how unified (or un-unified) we as Christians are, then you need to check your pulse to see if there is a heartbeat. It is a must-read for all who care about these things.

If you are a liberal theologian, this is probably not your cup of tea. Nothing in here will change your mind. It is not "evidence" for a conservative theology. It merely describes the consequences of such a liberal mind set. This is a message from the General to his troops.

Don't wait 17 years to read this. Read it now.

Francis Schaeffer's predictions are coming true today! Schaeffer was an extraordinary apologist and evangelist. His ministry was rooted and grounded in the basic tenet that the Bible IS the Word of God. It is inspired and sufficient. He was one of the few to see that modern evangelicalism was quickly drifting from its biblical moorings. This volume points out numerous ways in which the church started to drift even during Schaeffer's lifetime. New authors such as David Wells are attesting to the validity of Schaeffer's well written prophecy. If you're interested in evangelicalism or the debate concerning the inerrancy and authority of the Bible then you will love this volume. This was the forerunner of all modern discussions concerning the church's constant need to be anchored in God's inspired Book--the Bible.

This was an excellent book showing the decline of the modern day church. Schaeffer shows that the church has lost its will to discern right from wrong. He does a terrific job critiquing what he calls the watershed of the Evangelical Faith. That is, the inerrancy of the Scriptures. Too many people are accepting people who call themselves "Evangelicals", but they are really are nothing but rank liberals.

This is a short pithy work, but it shows the sadness of the times we are in. I love the short history that Schaeffer gives. Since he was a Presbyterian, I love him talking about J. Gresham Machen (a brilliant defender of Orthodoxy). I also love him talking about how "Fundamentalism" got started. Most people see "Fundamentalism" as being anti-intellectual. But, historially speaking, "Fundamentalism" was actually an intellectual defense of Christian orthodoxy (it all started by a group of Christian scholars getting together defending historic Christian doctrine in book form, of which Machen was one of them).

This was a tremendous book for someone wanting to study how the Bible has been affected by liberalism and neo-orthodoxy. If it would have been a little more thorough, I would have rated it five stars.

As has been mentioned The Great Evangelical Disaster was Francis Schaeffer's last book before his death. Though, the book is now over two decades old Schaeffer's thoughts are just as relevant today as they were in 1984.

Schaeffer rightly identifies biblical inerrancy as a 'watershed' issue for Evangelical christians. This is where the rubber meets the road. Unfortunately, today those who call themselves Evangelical often are not strong on or even deny inerrancy. Schaffer argues that those who hold to the inerrancy of scripture and those who don't ultimately end up with much different worldviews. He further points out that accomidation in this area leads to the same problems as an outright denial of inerrancy.

Schaeffer also argues that this is an issue which must ultimatley lead to some confrontation within the visible church or we deny the Holiness of God. But, he also correctly points out that this must been done in Love. The task of the church is to simultaneously practice the Holiness of God and the Love of God. If we only practice the Holiness we end up hard and unloving. If we only practice Love we will accomidate on any issue and in the end to not in fact practice the Love of God but a distorted concept of Love. Also, we cannot keep this balance in our own power but we must rely on the Holy Spirit.

This book is well worth the read. It is a challenge for us to stand for Truth in a world that denies truth and a reminder that we must stand in love with tears in our eyes- not in arrogant pride.

Finally, this printing also has as an appendix Schaeffer's earlier booklet The Mark of the Christian, which is also an excellent book...something every Christian should read.

Schaeffer was a great thinker and author and this book is not a disappointment. What is the great evangelical disaster? In a word - accomodation. The author does a stupendous job building his case. All Bible-believing Christians would benefit from reading Schaeffers words.

Famous 20th Century theologian, Francis A. Schaeffer's last book before his death in 1984 is an examination of the accommodation of humanistic/secular ideas in the 'visible Church' which started with teh higher critical methods in the late 1800's, gained ground n the 1920's and 30's and led to a fruition in Western culture in 1960's and on.

There are many points in this book that are worthy for all Christians to heed. The book is very critical of liberal Chrsitian theology, but acknowledges where consrevative Chrsitians lost ground and the impending result of such mistakes by Evangelicals.

Schaeffer correctly points out the creeping compromise of relativism in the Christian community and shows this most profoundly in the idea of divorce. He writes about the consrevative schoalers of the 20's who produced the 'fundamentals', the social gospel, and the threat of secular/humanism and its devaluing of the sanicty of human life.

He offers words of wisdom as wellthat Chrsitian must remember and strive for, to uphold the 'purity of the visble church' but no matter what we must also, 'show forth the love of God'. There are so many good points here that asmall review cannot do this book justice. Then why the for stars, well, Schaeffer fails to see that part of the problem is that he, although he might not agree, holds to the Barthian notion of a visble Church, but in Protestantism, there is no visble Church. There are visble Christians, and the distinction is important because it often is the diffrence in the nethodology proposed. Otherwise an improtant work.

Would you like to be more as a Christian? Francis Schaeffer challenges us how to do this in today's world with scriptural reference. He uses brilliant practical insight that is an encouragement to any Christian. He helps motivate by real world examples. This book is not difficult to read.

Written in the 1984 Schaeffer seems prescient to the present realities of the evangelical faith. His understanding of history, philosophy and theology combine to help the readers understand why we are where we are, and the possibilities of where we will be if we continue on the present course.

His use of the watershed concept concerning the acceptance of the Bible as the inspired word of God is being played out even today. There are scholars who see the Bible as a collection of stories, others who try and take the cultural realities out and make the words fit their desired understanding, and those who accept the Bible as the truth of God, and each of these foundational beliefs ends up in a different place theologically. Few today Schaeffer allow the Bible to serve as critic and judge of culture, and for that he says we pay the price by undermining the very beliefs that criticism and judgment can happen. As a friend of mine says, when the Bible goes the way of relativism then you're at a baseball game with no ball, no rules, and thus no game.

Too many people who want to identify with evangelicalism today did not and do not heed the words of this wise man. Accomodation is accepted as a form of making Christianity relevant, and thus diluted and deluded, and Schaeffer noted where this could lead, and he was, spot on.

Only read this book if you want want to know why you are where you are today, either standing frm in the validity of the Scripture, or playing baseball with no ball, or at least with major rules changes.

A good part of the division we see today within Christianity concerning the infallibility of the Bible took off during the free autonomy of the 20's. Sadly, very few Christians understand the battle that rages. In this, another great work by Schaeffer, he strongly emphasizes the need for us to live the Christian life in its entirety, "in every area of culture and society". It concerns the greatest problem we face and the critical situation we live in today.

Reaffirming material from earlier works and leading in with wonderful analogies, Schaeffer touches on these areas: The need for a proper balance between form and freedom; Liberalism and relativism that is sweeping through the church, compromising God's word; Mistakes Christians make in adopting socialism; Dangers of the World Council of Churches; And practical steps we as Christians must take.

We must be radicals, radicals for truth, and live it. Because many times the secular world sees the hypocrisy in the church clearer than the church itself.
Wish you well
Scott

Excellent condition.
The book is timeless. This book still speaks to us today
He is right on even prophetic.