The Church at the End of the Twentieth Century - review

The Church at the End of the Twentieth Century by Francis Schaeffer gives thoughts and concerns for the church as it approaches the year 2000. It was an interesting book since (1) I could see how some of Schaeffer's insights have come to pass and (2) I read it in Kenya where some of Schaeffer's concerns were all the more poignant (and others seemingly irrelevant). While much of Schaeffer's book focused on liberalism and the demise of truth, here is a sampling of a few other issues that he touches on.

Concerning hypocrisy: "Gauguin tried to find the ideal in Tahiti, while his family starved in Europe. ... Rousseau wrote on raising children while his own children were institutionalized." (p. 17)

Concerning the church and political alliances: "We should be political co-belligerents not allies." (p 38)

Concerning conservatism: "One of the greatest injustices we do to our young people is to ask them to be conservative and not revolutionary." (p 78)

Concerning flags: "Does two flags in your church mean that Christianity and the American establishment are equal? ... These are not two equal loyalties. Caesar is second to God. Patriotic loyalty must not be identified with Christianity." (p 79)

Concerning hospitality: "Open your home." (p 100)

Concerning denominational splits: "Those who come out tend to be hard and absolutist. ... Those that stay in tend towards liberalism." (p 151)

Concerning Christian absolutes: "Christian doctrine lays down a circle with freedom to move and not a point." (p 158) He goes on, however to call the edge of a circle a cliff that we must never fall off of.

Concerning history: "The historic fall is not an interpretation; it is a brute fact." (p 166)

This being my first Schaeffer book, I was surprised to see how much his tone (as much as you can read tone from a book) shifts on the different subjects he addresses. I enjoyed the book and look forward to more; he is quite thoughtful. If you want to stay on his good side, however, don't kick people out of a church service for wearing jeans.