Customer Reviews

How Should We Then Live? (DVD)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is Francis Schaeffer at his best. Francis gives calm, well-reasoned, and interesting analysis of history. He teaches with the view that history is going somewhere, it isn't just an endless flow of nothingness. And he give a sensible view of why both form and freedom are necessary, and why society needs a stable basis for what it tries to accomplish.

This video contains some drama and acting, but a lot of it is Francis standing a talking, usually to a semi-interesting backdrop (ie. historical sites, etc.).

This video is wonderful as study material and should be mandatory viewing for anyone who wants to understand history, particularly the history of culture from a Christian perspective. The interview with Edith & Francis is also a great treat!

I recommend the purchase of this wonderful resource!

This is more than just an informative historical overview of history. Schaeffer's knowledge of history, philosophy and theology increases understanding of the past and helps comprehend the present (even though the film dates from the seventies, I think). The thread that ties all of history together, however lies in the central theme that through the person and work of Jesus Christ God has come to rescue sinful men of all generations. The series begins with the Roman Age and progresses through to the twentieth century. The beautiful places he visits and his explanation of works of art are fantastic as well. We see how people in the past have lived according to their faith in spite of hardship, thus we are encouraged consider how to live and confess our faith in this age.

If you have never read a general book on apologetics or seen a DVD on this subject or perhaps the history of philosophy, How Should we then Live is an excellent start. Schaeffer not only has a deep appreciation of scripture (which is not preachy & sparingly used) but also see the philosophies of the past & realizes how important it is to know that "IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES". Understanding this, Schaeffer creates a systamatic approach toward today's cultural shortcomings by taking the manhy pieces of history, theology & philosophy & weaving this patchwork pieces into a grand blanket of scriptural, historical & social truth of our age.
My favorite part is not very enjoyable but a vivid reminder of the 21st century foibles as seen from the 1st century. Early in the DVD, Schaeffer answers the questions, Why did the Roman Empire persecute the Christians?" Many think it is because they worshipped Christ that they underwent so much punishment in the first 400 years of the church. But schaeffer skillfully shows that it was the treason of the church to buck the trend of the time and worship Christ along with Jupiter, and many other gods. The church was seen as hardheaded & treasonous because everyone was expected to say "Caesar is Lord!!" in public & then allowed to worship any religion they wanted to in private. But the Christians said "Christ is Lord" alone & would not bow to any other god/goddess. Thus they were sent as a threat to the culture of your scratch my politcal-religious back & I'll scratch yours. The Christians seemed so bull-headed & then people tried to condemn them by pointing out they could not be trusted, they were blasphomous toward emperor worship & thus, were seditious because the Christians seem to "eat blood & flesh"in secret meetings they called a Lord's supper, so they were obviously up to no good for the Empire.
Schaeffer does a great of showing that which gave the western civilization Lex Rex and the present Constitution the US has.
This is enjoyable for religious, spiritual, historic or philosophic students.

I have watched and used this DVD series many times both for myself and to teach classes. This is an amazing and in-depth treatment of: the birth of Christianity, its influence on society, the changing social morality over the centuries to its final irrelevance in our current society.
Schaeffer uses the mediums of Music, Art, Philosphy and even Film to demonstrate with vivid (on location) examples of these changes in the current of societies morality and understanding of Truth.
I can find no flaw in his reasoning nor in his approach to this subject. I would recommend this as of monumental importance to all Christians bent on understanding the changes in morality and to establish a strong base of Apologetics.

After watching this DVD series, I can say one thing: If only this book, rather than Atlas Shrugged, had become the manifesto for the Tea Party. Rather than espousing every man for himself, How Should We Then Live espouses returning to our Biblical foundations. Schaeffer makes many good points: That the culture should be so immersed and absorbed in Christianity that even those who don't believe still feel the effects; and that a society founded upon the ability of man will always fail (he begins with the example of the Roman Empire and moves up through the ages to the present time, but even better might have been the Tower of Babel). Throughout America's history we have ebbed and flowed in regards to being a truly Godly society, but we need to make a decision. Moral decline begets societal collapse.
My Tea Party comment may seem out of place, but my point is this: The Tea Party, though noble, will fail if it focuses only on the goal of financial solvency rather than standing firm on our moral principles.
Please don't take from my review that this DVD and book solely, or even chiefly for that matter, pertains to the United States. It's universal, but I'm speaking out of my own experience.

Show your teenagers, Show your College Students,Show your Small Group.This Dr.Schaeffer is doing exactly what God's Word require's all whom have been trusted to teach,rebuke,correct with patience,and gentleness what a great-work for "Christ's Kingdom and His workers."

This is frighteningly good. It took me a few times watching to really start taking in everything Dr. Schaffer is putting out there. A whirlwind tour of Christianity, culture, philosophy, religion and the historical disintigration of all. Once you've soaked it up one understands Dr. Schaeffer has penned one of the great historical apologetics for Christianity of all time. Deep but well worth the effort spent mining this treasure. I give it five thumbs up.

Francis Schaeffer made this classic sometime in the 1970's. He examines world history through the arts, sciences, and cultural developments to understand what the consequences of our world views are. In a nutshell he explores two threads of thinking, the growth of the humanist world view that makes man the center of life, and the biblical world view that makes God the center of life.

The humanist thread always fails and ends in wars, despair and suicide. The biblical thread that relies on God's intervention, not man's strength given to God, brings life and equity in justice.

I especially enjoyed his explanation of the arts and why the different trends developed over the centuries, as men exalted men, resulting in confusion as represented in the changes of art throughout.

This is a very thoughtful study worth viewing again and again.

Dr Schaeffer treats the viewer to a historical review of the centuries since Christ's first coming. The viewer will enjoy the lessons of history and the fact that they are linked by a common theme of nature versus grace-the spirit of man versus the Spirit of God. The only thing to have improved this series would have been a Bible study guide as the narration refers often to the Bible; thus references that would allow someone to see the Bible itself comment on themes/thoughts would be nice. The disc does give an outline of the content but again, as a study the Scriptural addition would be of great help. A qualified theologian or astute Bible student could supply this themselves and get even more out of this series along with the suggested book of the same name. Overall, quite enjoyable as a series and useful in expanding the usually limited worldview of the modern mind.

This one will make a person think. It's a big picture overview of Western Culture by Dr. Schaffer.