May 15, 1984 - Francis Schaeffer Dies

Francis Schaeffer. Photo by Wim van Rossem via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

A prominent figure in 20th century Christian apologetics, Francis Schaeffer is frequently referred to as one of the greatest Christian intellectuals of all time. In 1955, he and his wife Edith Schaeffer founded The L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland as a place where people could ask honest questions about faith. “L’Abri” is a French word for shelter, and the ministry strived to aid those who were trying to intellectually come to terms with Christianity and the concept of God. Schaeffer was an ardent apologist for the inerrancy of Scripture and believed that Christianity provides coherent answers to life’s biggest questions. Two of his major works include The God Who is There and Escape From Reason; these works address the breakdown of truth in modern culture. He was involved in early discussions of Christian cultural engagement, including ethics and public life. Many who went to L’Abri later became influential Christian thinkers. Schaeffer died on May 15, 1984.

Schaeffer’s work remains relevant today as it addresses modern skepticism and secular worldviews. Additionally, his life represented the importance of intellectual engagement alongside faith. Oftentimes, society equates disagreement with argument, but Schaeffer demonstrated that Christians can create spaces for honest questions and meaningful dialogue. By looking to his example, believers are encouraged to cling to truth in a culture of relativism, and his legacy is a reminder that faith is not only spiritual but also intellectually credible and defensible.