In a previous post (Francis Schaeffer, Pseudo-Calvinist) I criticized Francis Schaeffer’s apparent lack of conformity with Reformed soteriology later in his life. But I also referenced there a 1948 publication of his indicating that he did hold to a Calvinist view early in his career. Now I’ve found something of his from earlier (1942) and it is an even stronger statement. Here Schaeffer is explicitly a “particularist” who believes that with regard to salvation, “The choice is God’s alone.” This data point further strengthens my theory of an early Calvinist Schaeffer who slid over time into more compromise.
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Doug, I would very much like to read about any reflections you have regarding the “later Schaeffer” and how he may have contributed in that way to a corresponding decline of L’Arbi.
I’d like to read about my thoughts on that too! Haha. I don’t think I know much of the answer there. So far I’ve focused on Schaeffer’s slide from Calvinism to Arminianism, and the fact that L’abri has followed that path. One thing I’d point out though regarding a general decline is that L’Abri, so far as I know, has never had church or denominational oversight.
Really?