8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
required reading for fundamentalists, July 13, 2007
This review is from: Letters of Francis A. Schaeffer: Spiritual Reality in the Personal Christian Life (Paperback)
As a young man trying to find his place in the world, I have found Francis Schaeffer to be an indispensable help. His work helped move me from a vague quasi-theism, to a thinking Christianity. Several years later it helped me understand a Biblical christianity in the face of the vague watered down version. And now, as I wrestle with my own fundamentalisms, his experiences are again informing my thinking.
I didn't know that Schaeffer was involved in bitter separation disputes among fundamentalist Presbyterians in 1930s and 40s. The first third of these letters are related to his realizations as he rejected the spirit of these disputes. As someone who identifies with much of the doctrinal integrity in fundamentalism, yet sees the unloving spirit in which these convictions are sometimes lived out, I found Schaeffer's perspective incredibly valuable. The dates span 3 decades, so we get the chance to see him grow in his understanding of certain issues.
The middle third deals with "Spirituality in Daily Living" and the last third, "Spiritual Reality in Marriage, Family, and Sexual Relations."
These letters are a chance to know Schaeffer as a real person, and see how he addresses specific issues in light of Scriptural truth. After reading these, and understanding more of his historical context in american christianity, I have even more respect for his work, more trust in his fidelity to scripture, and better insight into how to speak the truth in love. I highly recommend this work.
The following are quotes that I especially connected with.
For increasingly the realization has welled up in my own soul that although this principle [of separation] is of tremendous importance, nevertheless there are other principles in the Word of God which must be kept with equal fidelity if God's full blessing is to be upon us.... (35)
But we could have remembered that, wrong though they are, they are for the most part brothers in Christ. (39)
Doctrinal rightness and rightness of ecclesiastical position are important, but only as a starting-point to go on into a living relationship - and not as ends in themselves. (46)
"Our own strength, zeal and enthusiasm ends, usually like Peter's sword attack, in betraying the One we love" - this has become my own experience. (68)
Thus, the solution is not to intellectually and coldly just shout out the right doctrines and try to shout down the false liberal doctrines. It is to go back to a cure of the basic error. It is to say "yes" to the right doctrines, and, without compromise, "no" to the wrong doctrines of both Romanism and liberalism - and then to commit our lives to the practical moment by moment headship of Christ and communion of the Holy Spirit. (71)
If we would only allow the Agent of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to lead each individual instead of living in the areas of rules which are man-made and quite apart from the absolutes laid down in scripture. (76-7)
Thus, we cannot start with our human reasoning autonomously and have it come out right. But with the open Bible before us, we do not have to park our reason outside the door. Emotion in Christianity can be right or it can be wrong. We should have emotion as a result of knowing how much God loves us and knowing we belong to him. But the emotion can never be the basis of our faith. The basis of our faith is the content of the Bible; the emotion should be a natural result. (124)
Worldliness is seeing anything in life from a materialistic perspective - that is, from a perspective which makes the material world the final reality, and in which man's finite wisdom (rather than Scripture) is everything. In other words, worldliness is removing any area of life or culture from under the judgment of Scripture. (169)
I strongly feel that one of the great curses of much evangelical Christianity is people feeling they have a right to tell other people what the will of the Lord is for them;" (197)
If we try to have a spirituality higher than the Bible sets forth, it will always turn out to be lower. (197)
The basic problem in all these things is the same: We must exhibit simultaneously the holiness of God and the love of God. Anything else than this simultaneous exhibition presents a caricature of our God to the world rather than showing him forth. We are in a day when evangelicals tend to let down the absolutes in the Word of God in doctrine and in life, and we must be careful not to contribute to this. On the other hand, we are in a day when other evangelicals are becoming more and more heartless, and we must be careful not to contribute to this as well. The problem is in being those who insist upon the absolutes of God and yet show forth beauty to the world, which is strangling for the need of both absolutes and beauty. These things are beyond us in our own strength, but not in His strength as we allow Him to bring forth His fruits through us in this sinful and ugly world and generation. (202)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For anyone who wanted a pastor to listen...., July 11, 2000
This review is from: Letters of Francis A. Schaeffer: Spiritual Reality in the Personal Christian Life (Paperback)
Francis Schaeffer does not produce much among the "light reading" category. This book is refreshingly different than his others in that you catch a glimpse of the man behind the mind. It's subject matter focuses on specific advice/counseling for people that have written questions ranging from organized religion to intimacy in marriage and friendship. The "letters" have been compiled over 30 years ('53-'83) from individuals that had written to Schaeffer. They are categorized into three sections: 1) The Reawakening of Spiritual Reality, 2) Spiritual Reality in Daily Living, 3) Spiritual Reality in Marriage, Family and Sexual Relations. His answers are biblical, humble...always personal. In a day when radio and even church counseling resembles a fast food chain...(hasty & premature answers), this book provides an ear that truly listens to those seeking guidance.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Man Offers Simple Help, November 26, 2004
These letters reveal the compassion and gentlenss of Schaeffer. Normally a heavy thinker (often beyond my comprehension) I found this book to be impressively personal. Through these letters Schaeffer passes to us ideas and beliefs that are thoroughly practical and useful for daily living.
Many times, when I would be suffering with some question on life, love, or faith, I'd open his book, read a letter and find the words I desperately longed for. There's a good chance the reader can save the $125 a counselor would charge to give similar help.
Most reassuring is that the book stays on message. The Christian Gospel is obviously the bedrock that all of the man's thinking stands on. Christ is the reference point for all of Schaeffer's responses.
It's a winner.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
