Francis Schaeffer: The Theologian Who Mobilized the Christian Right to Challenge Secular Culture

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Francis Schaeffer was a Presbyterian pastor who transformed evangelical politics in the 1970s and 1980s. By arguing that secular humanism threatened Western civilization, he inspired a generation of activists to engage in civil disobedience. His intellectual legacy remains a subject of intense debate among historians and religious scholars today.

Born in 1912, Francis Schaeffer spent decades as a pastor before founding the L'Abri community in Switzerland in 1955. While his public persona was that of a staunch defender of historic Protestant faith, his son Frank later described a more complex man whose true passions were art and culture. Schaeffer’s apologetic method, which he called 'taking the roof off,' aimed to expose the internal contradictions of non-Christian worldviews. He believed that by highlighting the inconsistencies in secular thinking, he could lead people toward a coherent, Christian foundation for truth and morality.

In the 1980s, Schaeffer became a pivotal figure in American political life. His 1981 book, A Christian Manifesto, argued that the United States had drifted away from its biblical roots toward a secular humanism that placed man, rather than God, at the center of all things. This work, which sold 290,000 copies in its first year, encouraged evangelicals to challenge cultural pluralism and abortion. Figures like Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, have cited Schaeffer as a primary influence for their activism, marking a significant shift toward political engagement for many American Protestants.

Despite his influence, Schaeffer’s political philosophy is frequently contested. While some critics link him to Dominionism—the idea that Christians should take control of societal spheres—others, like Irving Hexham, argue this misconstrues his work. Schaeffer explicitly rejected theocracy, maintaining that while moral laws were constant, Old Testament civil laws were not applicable under the New Covenant. His complex legacy continues to shape the Christian Right, with institutions like the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute still training leaders to defend what they define as the claims of Christ on all of life.

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