A Schaefferian Sociology: The Social theory of Francis Schaeffer. by James Henson, B.S.W. A Thesis In SOCIOLOGY Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved Dr. Charlotte Dunham Chair Dr. Jerome Koch Fred Hartmeister Dean of the Graduate School December, 2008 Copyright 2007, James Henson Texas Tech University, James Henson, December, 2008 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank my committee for their help and understanding in the process of completing this thesis. Dr. Dunham has been exceptionally patient and open to new ideas as my thesis gradually morphed into an entirely different paper than was originally planned. Her help and insight was invaluable throughout the process and I would not have completed it without her. Dr. Koch offered guidance and insight that greatly changed the nature of what I was looking at with this thesis, making it much more interesting and worthwhile to pursue. I greatly appreciate both of them. I would like to thank Dr. Yung-Mei Tsai for consistently pushing me in his classes and opening new avenues of interest for me in my time at Texas Tech. I also appreciate his conversing with me on various topics, often outside the realm of what was pertinent to the issue at hand, I have learned a lot from him. The content analysis for this thesis would not have been completed without the help of Dr. Jason Wasserman. His depth and insight allowed me to see past what were surface level ideas and find something more in the work I was reading. I appreciate the friends I made in the program. I have never been part of a group as accepting and supportive of one another as they were. Coming in with little understanding of academia made their help invaluable to me and I liked them enough to marry one of them. That being said, I also thank Barbara for being a source of constant support in my life. ii Texas Tech University, James Henson, December, 2008 My parents have tolerated more than any parent should have to from a child and I am appreciative of their patience. There is little doubt I would be in prison or the ground without them. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Julie Harms-Cannon for her years of friendship and support. She stopped me from dropping out of college years ago and was the reason I came to graduate school in the first place; without her the idea of a graduate degree would not have even crossed my radar. As the first teacher to truly take an interest in me as a student Julie changed the course of my life and I will always be in her debt for this. iii Texas Tech University, James Henson, December, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................... vi I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 1 Why Francis Schaeffer?............................................................................................. 1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW / THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK........................... 5 The Christian Right.................................................................................................... 5 The Battle for Secular Influence ................................................................................ 5 The Battle for Internal Control ................................................................................ 11 Variety in the Movement .......................................................................................... 12 Stability Through Change ........................................................................................ 14 The Christian Left .................................................................................................... 15 The Christian Right and the Culture Wars .............................................................. 17 The Historical War................................................................................................... 17 Orthodox versus Progressive ................................................................................... 19 The Importance of Moral Authority......................................................................... 25 The Discourse .......................................................................................................... 27 War Zones ................................................................................................................ 33 The Christian Right in the Culture War................................................................... 38 Francis Schaeffer ..................................................................................................... 41 The Life and Influence of Francis Schaeffer............................................................ 42 Francis Schaeffer’s Belief and Philosophy.............................................................. 50 Problems and Inconsistencies.................................................................................. 53 Impact on Christianity ............................................................................................. 57 A Christian Manifesto .............................................................................................. 58 III. METHODS............................................................................................................ 61 IV. CONTENT ANALYSIS........................................................................................ 64 Overarching Structure ............................................................................................. 64 Authority – God’s versus Human............................................................................. 71 Belief ........................................................................................................................ 73 Foundational Decay................................................................................................. 78 Impending Foundational Destruction...................................................................... 81 Diametric Enemies................................................................................................... 83 Comprehensive Spirituality...................................................................................... 85 V. ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................. 88 Francis Schaeffer’s Life and the Culture War ......................................................... 88 Francis Schaeffer’s Philosophy and the Culture War ............................................. 91 A Manifesto for a Culture War ................................................................................ 93 Fundamental Conflict .............................................................................................. 94 Rhetorical War......................................................................................................... 95 A Manifesto for the Real World ............................................................................... 99 Comprehensive Understanding.............................................................................. 102 iv Texas Tech University, James Henson, December, 2008 The Social Theory of Francis Schaeffer................................................................. 103 VI. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 108 SOURCES CITED ................................................................................................... 110 v Texas Tech University, James Henson, December, 2008 ABSTRACT This thesis seeks to explore the role of Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer in the culture war as delineated by author James Davison Hunter through his influence on the Christian Right. After a brief examination of the history of the Christian Right and an exploration of Francis Schaeffer’s life and philosophy, the culture war as conceived by Hunter will be introduced and examined. Following this will be an in- depth analysis of Schaeffer’s work A Christian Manifesto. The paper will conclude with an analysis of Schaeffer’s overall role in the culture war and an examination of the social theory implicit in his work. The findings of this paper suggest that, through his status in the Christian Right, Francis Schaeffer has a significant impact on the culture war and, therefore, the landscape of American culture as well. vi Texas Tech University, James Henson, December, 2008 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Why Francis Schaeffer? Francis Schaeffer is hardly a household name. In fact, few outside of a specifically defined circle seem to have even heard of him. In contrast, names such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Tim LaHaye and Ronald Reagan all carry a high degree of recognition and may even be some of the most high-profile in the last century, certainly so if one is to limit his or her focus to the United States and even more so if the focus is further limited to what has come to be known as the Religious Right. However, these high-profile names have more in common than a connection to conservative values in American culture; all were heavily influenced by the writings and philosophy of Francis Schaeffer. Schaeffer’s influence in pulling Christians