How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture
Overview
As one of the foremost evangelical thinkers of the twentieth century, Francis Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. In this brilliant book he analyzed the reasons for modern society’s state of affairs and presented the only viable alternative: living by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God’s revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible’s morals, values, and meaning. How Should We Then Live? has become the benchmark for Christian worldview thinking today. This edition commemorates the 50th anniversary of L’Abri Fellowship, founded by Francis and Edith Schaeffer.
Top Highlights
“We can also express in a second way why the Christians were killed: No totalitarian authority nor authoritarian state can tolerate those who have an absolute by which to judge that state and its actions. The Christians had that absolute in God’s revelation. Because the Christians had an absolute, universal standard by which to judge not only personal morals but the state, they were counted as enemies of totalitarian Rome and were thrown to the beasts.” (Page 26)
“Aquinas held that man had revolted against God and thus was fallen, but Aquinas had an incomplete view of the Fall. He thought that the Fall did not affect man as a whole but only in part. In his view the will was fallen or corrupted but the intellect was not affected. Thus people could rely on their own human wisdom, and this meant that people were free to mix the teachings of the Bible with the teachings of the non-Christian philosophers.” (Pages 51–52)
“People are unique in the inner life of the mind—what they are in their thought world determines how they act. This is true of their value systems and it is true of their creativity.” (Page 19)
“Rome did not fall because of external forces such as the invasion by the barbarians. Rome had no sufficient inward base; the barbarians only completed the breakdown—and Rome gradually became a ruin.” (Page 29)
“Second, while the Renaissance was a rich and wonderful period, we must not think that all which it produced was good for man.” (Page 48)
- Title: How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture
- Author: Francis Schaeffer
- Edition: 50th L’Abri Anniversary Edition
- Publisher: Crossway
- Print Publication Date: 2005
- Logos Release Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Christian civilization; Civilization, Western
- ISBNs: 9781581345360, 1581345364, 9780786101382, 9781433511677, 9781433516719, 0786101385, 1433511673, 1433516713
- Resource ID: LLS:HWSHLDWTHNLV
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T00:41:16Z
Francis Schaeffer (1912–1984) was an evangelical missionary. After studying at Hampden-Sydney College, Westminister Theological Seminary (where he studied under Cornelius Van Til), and Faith Theological Seminary, Schaeffer pastored churches in Pennsylvania and Missouri.
In 1948, Schaeffer moved to Switzerland and founded L’Abri, a community where people discuss philosophy and religion. Thousands of people have passed through L’Abri, and it has expanded into several other countries. Schaeffer held a presuppositional approach to apologetics which many believe heavily influenced the Christian Right movement in the United States.
He was the author of many books, including Escape from Reason and How Should We Then Live?, which have sold millions of copies worldwide.