Sunday, July 27, 2008
Finally, Objectivity: A Review of Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life, by Colin Duriez
As an admirer of Francis Schaeffer, one of the saddest things I have witnessed during the last few years is the attempts by both his own son and by other detractors to impugn his integrity or, at least, to redefine him as something he was not. Reading son Frank Schaeffer’s memoir, both father and mother are portrayed negatively, Francis as a reclusive, depressed, sometimes suicidal man and Edith as a perfectionist nut. Well, perhaps the title says it all --- “Crazy for God.” This book by biographer Colin Duriez, Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life, should set the record straight.Colin Duriez is sympathetic toward the Schaeffers and deeply appreciative of the time he studied under Francis, yet at the same time he is engaged in writing an authentic and carefully researched biography, of telling “true Truth” (to use Schaeffer’s nomenclature) about this extraordinary pastor, author, apologist, and founder of L’Abri, a worldwide ministry to seekers of truth. While noting Frank Schaeffer’s very subjective memoir, and even quoting from it on occasion, he acknowledges that it added little to what he already knew (little, that is, that can be documented, that actually squares with reality). What he takes issue with is Frank’s contention that his father kept up a “facade of conviction” in his latter years, something he says is not borne out by the evidence. And that’s about all we hear of the strange memoir until near the end of the book where, in a footnote, Duriez cannot seem to restrain his feelings, noting that “he [Frank] is at times in error over fact or interpretation . . . in his unashamedly subjective and at times bizarre memoir.” That’s a restrained critique by a historian.
But enough of what the book is not. What it is is the best biographical treatment of the man and his mission that has ever been written --- scholarly, without being pedantic or lifeless; sufficiently nuanced, without chasing every thread of the man’s life and work; sympathetic, and yet not avoiding the truth about the man’s weaknesses and struggles. If you want to feel what animated Francis and Edith Schaeffer, to be caught up in the emotion of what they felt, read Edith’s Tapestry and L’Abri. (Set aside sufficient time for their combined 906 pages, however!) But this is the biography for most to read, as it is concise and yet comprehensive enough not to miss any important detail of their story.
In eight chapters and a total of 208 pages, Duriez covers Schaeffer from birth in 1912 until death in 1984 from cancer. Along the way he speaks of his conversion, his years as a pastor, his involvement with the separatist movement and subsequent divergence from it, the L’Abri years, and the latter years of films and more political involvement. What emerges is a portrait of a man who, like any Christian, matured in faith and whose understanding of scripture and culture developed. And yet, looking at Francis Schaeffer’s whole life, there no sense that he was a wholly different person in 1975 than in 1955. What comes across is his integrity and consistency. And while Duriez acknowledges Schaeffer’s occasional anger or impatience, and even his depression, none of this does anything to damage his reputation. They endear him to us, demonstrating his humanity and his honesty (as these failings and struggles were acknowledged by him to those who knew him).
For most who are familiar with the Schaeffers and who have, perhaps, read Tapestry and L’Abri, much of what is written here will be familiar and unsurprising. What Duriez’s succinct book does, however, is provide a kind of condensation for those much longer stories. I found myself drawn back into memories of some details contained in those books that were not included here, a very helpful effect. But the book is more than a revised Tapestry. It also contains excerpts of fresh interviews with the daughters of Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Priscilla, Susan, and Debbie. Once again, there are no surprises, and yet it is helpful to hear their memories and to hear the respect they had for their parents. Then are many other interviews as well, with L’Abri workers like Os Guinness and Dick and Marti Keyes, and perhaps going back farther than any other, with Hurvey and Dorothy Woodson (who actually had a L’Abri in Italy in the late 1950s). Dorothy said that “When Mr. Schaeffer would talk to you, there was nothing else in the world that was going on. He was totally focused on you and what you were talking about. . . .” Great comment. And that’s how it goes. Real insights are given into the character of the man. Much is there to emulate.
I recommend Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life. If you think you already know him, this summary study of his character will sharpen your appreciation for him. If you don’t know much about him, you’ll meet someone you want to know better. And if all you’ve read is Frank Schaeffer’s Crazy for God, remedy ignorance: get the “true Truth” here.
Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 05:02 PM in Books, The Tapestry Project Permalink
Book Review of Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life
by Terry Delaney on July 21, 2008
http://saidatsouthern.com/
Theology with a Southern accent (Jdg 12:5-6)
Duriez, Colin. Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life.
Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008.
221pp. $24.99.
Buy From Westminster Bookstore
IntroductionColin Duriez was fortunate enough to not only have studied under Schaeffer when he was younger, but he was also able to interview him about his life when Schaeffer was near the end of his time here on earth. In this authoritative biography of one the great philosophical minds of the 20th century, Duriez writes from much oral history from many around the world who knew Francis Schaeffer. He also used the archives found in the Presbyterian Church of America as well as the many other writings by Francis Schaeffer and other family members. Needless to say, the subject of this book was studied and researched exhaustively before pen was put to paper.
Colin Duriez has written numerous other books ranging from literary works (six books) to biographies (three if you include this one) and a history book entitled AD 33: The Year that Changed the World. When Duriez writes a biography, you get the feeling that he attempted his best to walk a mile in that man’s shoes.
Summary of Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life
The book is a bit different in that it approaches the earlier life and “career” of Francis Schaeffer with much more detail than most other biographies. The chapters are broken down chronologically into eight sections. The first six sections comprise the first forty-eight years of his life (before L’Abri) while the final two chapters blitz one through the last twenty-four years of his pilgrimage.
Colin spends a chapter detailing his childhood leading up to Schaeffer’s role as a pastor and denominationalist in what would later come to be known as the PCA (Presbyterian Church of America). Of interest to some readers may be learning how much J. Gresham Machen influenced the young Schaeffer in his ministry. During this time in his life, he resided in St. Louis, Missouri.
The middle chapters detail the travels of the Schaeffer family from Holland to Switzerland and stops in between. By the end of the book, we wind up in L’Abri where Schaeffer set up a school of sorts to teach people how to wrestle with the culture and to look at situations from another’s point of view.
Perhaps the most poignant part of the book is at the very end where Duriez shares his interview with Schaeffer from 10 September 1980. In this interview, Schaeffer takes a very introspective look back at his life. This conversation is an interesting peek into the person we know as Francis Schaeffer. What is most amazing is to see how Schaeffer lived what he believed and how what he believed impacted his worldview thus changing his life forever.
Critique of Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life
I thought Duriez did a wonderful job of showing the early life of Francis Schaeffer to an audience that may not be aware of how the man came to be the man we know. What I would have liked to have seen is a bit more detail on the final twenty-four years of his life. I realize there is quite a bit of writings regarding this time frame in Schaeffer’s life, but I believe we all would have been blessed all the more to have read it from the detailed mind of Colin Duriez.
The writing style was extremely engaging. I could tell that much of what was written down came through oral history and conversation. Rarely was there a dry paragraph in the book. What I mean by “dry” is that most biographers feel the need to quote extensively from the works of the person about whom they are writing. While Duriez does quote extensively from Schaeffer, he does so strategically and with great care.
Conclusion
This is a must read for anyone who wants to know what made this prophet of the 20th century tick. Not only is this book a quick read, but it could easily serve as a devotional of sorts. Many Christian college students would do themselves a favor if they were to pick this book up and read it from cover to cover and plumb the depths of one of the greatest minds (not limited to just Christianity) in the 20th century.
Francis Schaeffer still helps people understand what they believe and why they believe it even 25 years after his death. We would all do well to sit at his feet and learn how God used this man to reach so many people.
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