Introduction and Authorial Context
The year was 1981. Ronald Reagan had just taken office. Roe v. Wade had been law for less than a decade. The Moral Majority had captured the imagination of a growing number of evangelical voters. But in the midst of this awakening, Francis Schaeffer didn’t issue a pep rally speech. He wrote a manifesto.
A Christian Manifesto is not a gentle reflection. It is a theological and political lightning rod, warning that America was well on its way to tyranny—not because of tanks in the streets, but because of the Church’s theological retreat. Schaeffer argued that secular humanism had become the dominant worldview in the West, and Christians had surrendered to it without a fight. The enemy was not merely outside the gates—it had been welcomed inside under the guise of neutrality, tolerance, and pluralism.
The core question this book forces the reader to ask is simple but unnerving: When the state commands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands—what should a Christian do?
Today, decades later, the world Schaeffer feared has not only arrived—it has matured. Compelled speech laws, drag queen story hours for children, criminal prosecution for biblical counseling, legal persecution of Christian business owners, and government-mandated moral insanity have made it clear: Schaeffer’s urgency was not alarmism. It was foresight.
This review evaluates A Christian Manifesto as a historic and theological call to arms. What did Schaeffer see? Why was he so burdened? And how should Christians today respond to the same worldview forces—now more embedded and legally codified than ever?
To understand Schaeffer’s message, we must first understand the man and the moment.
The Man and the Moment: Francis Schaeffer in Context
Francis August Schaeffer IV was not your typical evangelical author. He didn’t offer neat devotionals, small group curricula, or leadership tips. He wrote from the mind of a philosopher and the heart of a missionary—an American pastor who spent most of his later ministry in the Swiss Alps at a communal ministry called L’Abri, where doubters, seekers, hippies, and intellectuals gathered to ask life’s deepest questions.
Schaeffer had been a conservative Presbyterian minister in the U.S. before moving to Europe, where he became increasingly alarmed at the collapse of moral certainty and the loss of Christian influence in public thought. His theological foundation was unapologetically Reformed, but his passion was to demonstrate that Christianity was not a private belief system, but a comprehensive worldview—one that must shape law, education, art, politics, and human dignity.
He had the rare ability to critique secular philosophy while still loving the souls shaped by it.
When Schaeffer wrote A Christian Manifesto, he was in the twilight of his ministry. He had already published several influential books—The God Who Is There, Escape from Reason, How Should We Then Live?, and Whatever Happened to the Human Race? The last of these, coauthored with C. Everett Koop, laid the groundwork for the moral urgency that would explode into Manifesto.
He was dying of cancer, but his pen remained sharp. He no longer had the time for nuance; he had no interest in winning applause. What he wanted—what he demanded—was that Christians wake up to the erosion of freedom, truth, and conscience taking place beneath their feet.
He was not alone. The early 1980s were a time of conservative resurgence. But Schaeffer stood apart from the movement’s political operatives. While many were happy to cozy up to power, Schaeffer warned that any Christian engagement must be grounded in biblical principle, not political expediency. His concern was not merely that Christians act—but that they act rightly, biblically, courageously.
To Schaeffer, the fundamental problem was not the godlessness of the left—it was the compromise of the Church.
From Biblical Foundations to Political Tyranny — A Summary and Analysis of Key Themes
Francis Schaeffer structured A Christian Manifesto as a sweeping diagnosis of the spiritual, philosophical, and legal decay of the West—and a prescription for faithful Christian resistance. In under 160 pages, he lays out what he believes to be a crisis moment, not merely for the nation, but for the Church itself.
The book is not a sustained theological treatise, nor is it a detailed political policy paper. It is, as the title implies, a manifesto—a public declaration of conviction and intent. Its urgency, clarity, and scope make it both prophetic and polarizing.
Below is a summary and analysis of Schaeffer’s major arguments.
1. Worldviews at War: Christianity vs. Secular Humanism
At the heart of Schaeffer’s argument is the insistence that two opposing worldviews are in conflict for the soul of the West: biblical Christianity and secular humanism.
The basic problem of the Christians in this country in the last eighty years or so… is that they have seen things in bits and pieces instead of totals.
According to Schaeffer, Christianity asserts that truth is objective, rooted in the character of God, and revealed authoritatively through Scripture. In contrast, humanism denies the supernatural and exalts man as the ultimate source of meaning and law.
This foundational shift—from God-centered absolutes to man-centered relativism—has changed the very nature of government and law. It is not merely a difference of opinion about policies; it is a total war of ideas.
Schaeffer warns that when law is severed from transcendent truth, it inevitably becomes a tool of tyranny. Man becomes the measure of all things—and ultimately, the state becomes god.
Humanism means that man is the measure of all things. And if man is the measure of all things, then man is God… and the state becomes God.
2. The Legal Revolution: From Blackstone to Blackmun
One of the most helpful—and sobering—sections of Manifesto is Schaeffer’s concise analysis of America’s legal transformation. He traces how, for much of U.S. history, law was grounded in the belief in a Creator and in natural law, as exemplified by Sir William Blackstone. But that began to shift in the 20th century.
By the time of Justice Harry Blackmun’s opinion in Roe v. Wade (1973), law had become untethered from objective morality. Schaeffer regards Roe not as an isolated moral failure but as the public enshrinement of secular humanism in American law.
He sees this as a watershed moment—one that made clear that the state no longer operated under God’s authority. By legalizing the killing of the unborn, the government had taken upon itself the power to define who has the right to live.
Schaeffer’s argument is sobering: where human life is not protected, no liberty is ultimately secure.
3. The Failure of the Evangelical Church
Perhaps Schaeffer’s most stinging rebuke is directed not at secularists, but at evangelicals themselves. He laments that so many Christians had retreated into private religion, pietism, and escapism. They had chosen personal peace and affluence over cultural engagement and public faithfulness.
The church in our day has become deeply infiltrated with this materialistic, relativistic mentality.
Instead of offering a full-orbed biblical worldview, many pastors had offered personal therapy. Instead of resisting evil laws, they had insisted that politics was not a proper concern for spiritual people. Instead of standing firm, they had sought comfort.
To Schaeffer, this failure was not merely regrettable—it was complicit. The silence of the Church in the face of rising evil had enabled injustice to triumph.
4. Civil Disobedience: When the State Becomes Illegitimate
This is one of the most controversial but vital parts of A Christian Manifesto. Drawing from biblical texts such as Acts 5:29 (“We must obey God rather than men”) and the examples of the Hebrew midwives in Exodus, Schaeffer argues that there are times when Christians must engage in civil disobedience.
If there is no final place for civil disobedience, then the government has been made autonomous, and as such it has been put in the place of the Living God.
This is not an anarchist manifesto. Schaeffer affirms the biblical legitimacy of government. But he insists that the state is under God, not above Him. When the state commands what God forbids—or forbids what God commands—it has become a tyranny, and obedience to God requires resistance.
Schaeffer doesn’t call for violence. He urges nonviolent action, legal appeals, political engagement, and public witness. But he is unapologetic: obedience to Scripture must take priority over obedience to law.
In this, Schaeffer challenges a deeply entrenched misreading of Romans 13. He reminds readers that Scripture never grants governments unlimited authority. Even the Apostle Paul, who penned Romans 13, fled from unlawful persecution and appealed to Caesar.
5. What Is to Be Done? A Call to Christian Action
Schaeffer concludes not with hand-wringing but with a challenge: Christians must act. They must stop being afraid. They must speak up. They must organize. They must vote. And when necessary, they must resist.
He urges churches to equip their members with a biblical worldview, to expose false ideologies, and to reject the cowardice that masquerades as gentleness.
But above all, he calls Christians to see that this is not merely a political crisis—it is a spiritual crisis.
We must understand that at this moment of history, Christians are the last barrier to the breakdown of true freedom and dignity.
Evaluation — Strengths, Weaknesses, and Relevance for Today
Strengths: The Prophet’s Clarity
Francis Schaeffer’s A Christian Manifesto is not a balanced academic work—it is a clarion call, and its strengths lie precisely in its unapologetic boldness.
1. Prescient Diagnosis
Schaeffer was ahead of his time. The issues he warned about—abortion, judicial activism, the breakdown of absolute truth, the rise of statism—have not only worsened, but have become institutionalized. Where he saw seeds, we now see full-grown weeds.
His diagnosis of the legal system, in particular, was prophetic. He understood that the courts would be the primary battleground where secularism would entrench its authority. Schaeffer named this shift and warned that the Christian conscience would eventually be outlawed in the name of civil rights and personal autonomy. We now see this in lawsuits against Christian bakers, compelled speech laws, and the criminalization of biblical counseling in parts of the West.
2. Biblical Framework
Unlike many political commentaries, Manifesto is rooted in Scripture. Schaeffer makes extensive use of biblical examples—Moses, Daniel, Peter and John, the Hebrew midwives, and others—to demonstrate the biblical pattern of righteous resistance. He frames civil disobedience not as rebellion, but as submission to a higher authority.
Schaeffer does not call Christians to be lawless. He calls them to be faithful.
3. Moral Courage
Perhaps the book’s greatest strength is its moral courage. Schaeffer is not afraid to challenge evangelical timidity. He exposes the dangers of a privatized faith that refuses to speak into the public square. He urges Christians to be both gentle and unyielding—to recognize that the Lordship of Christ applies not only to the heart, but to every area of life, including politics.
In an age when many pastors avoid “political” topics for fear of offense, Schaeffer’s fearlessness is refreshing.
4. Practical Urgency
This book does not end in abstraction. Schaeffer pleads with the reader to act—to be salt and light in public life, to run for office, to defend the unborn, to resist unjust laws. His message is not merely diagnostic; it is mobilizing.
Weaknesses: The Limitations of a Manifesto
No book is above critique, and A Christian Manifesto is no exception. While it serves its purpose as a bold declaration, it has limitations that must be acknowledged.
1. Oversimplified History
Schaeffer’s account of American history—particularly its Christian foundations—is generally sound but at times overly idealized. He tends to present the Founding Fathers as uniformly theistic or biblical in orientation, downplaying the influence of Enlightenment deism or the complexities of early American politics.
Likewise, his treatment of legal theory is more polemical than scholarly. He is not writing as a legal historian, and his broad strokes can sometimes paint too simplified a picture.
2. Inflexibility of Tone
Schaeffer’s rhetorical style is intense. For some readers, especially those unfamiliar with his earlier, more philosophical works, the tone of Manifesto may come across as aggressive or overly apocalyptic. He leaves little room for nuance or for the possibility that good-faith Christians might disagree about tactics or prudential matters.
This sharpness can be a strength when confronting evil, but it also runs the risk of alienating potential allies.
3. Insufficient Ecclesiological Emphasis
While Schaeffer calls individual Christians to action, he underemphasizes the local church as the center of Christian life and resistance. Much of his application is aimed at individual believers or parachurch organizations, rather than rooted in a theology of the church as God’s embassy in the world.
His vision for resistance is robust but under-ecclesial.
4. Limited Attention to Race and Class Issues
While this is understandable given the book’s focus, some critics note that Schaeffer’s analysis of American injustice centers almost entirely on abortion and secularism, without addressing racial injustice, class exploitation, or economic idolatry—issues that also cry out for Christian witness.
That said, his goal is not to offer a comprehensive cultural theology but to confront a specific, metastasizing crisis in public law and truth.
Relevance for Today: We Are Now Living the Consequences
One might read A Christian Manifesto today and feel as if it were written last week. Its relevance has only grown. Consider the following examples:
- Abortion is still legal in many states, and the federal government continues to fund and promote it aggressively.
- Marriage has been redefined by the state to accommodate same-sex unions, with dissent treated as hate speech.
- Children’s bodies and minds are being permanently altered under the guise of gender-affirming care.
- Christian schools and businesses face litigation and closure for refusing to submit to anti-biblical mandates.
- Speech itself is regulated under hate speech codes, social media censorship, and federal pressure campaigns.
In this climate, Schaeffer’s words are not only relevant—they are required reading.
Who Needs to Read This Book?
- Pastors who are tempted to retreat into neutrality.
- Christian voters and activists looking for a biblical basis for political engagement.
- Young Christians being discipled in public schools and universities under the dominance of secular humanism.
- Homeschooling families seeking worldview resources that are theologically sound and historically informed.
- Concerned parents facing the growing hostility of state institutions toward biblical values.
Final Reflection, Application, and Enduring Legacy
Final Reflection: Not Just a Protest, But a Proclamation
Francis Schaeffer was not merely angry. He was deeply grieved.
What pulses through A Christian Manifesto is not a spirit of political revenge or cultural conquest—but a brokenhearted insistence that truth matters. That freedom cannot be sustained apart from moral absolutes. That the Church cannot surrender its prophetic voice without forfeiting its reason for existing.
To read this book is to encounter a man who saw the trajectory of Western civilization, not merely as a citizen concerned with liberty, but as a shepherd watching the wolves come for the sheep—and sounding the alarm.
Schaeffer was not naïve. He did not believe that Christian activism alone could save the West. He believed repentance, courage, and biblical fidelity were necessary—because God’s blessing does not rest on a nation that has declared war on His law.
And Schaeffer didn’t write to win elections. He wrote to awaken the Church.
Application: What Shall We Do?
A Christian Manifesto is not a theoretical work. It demands a response. For the faithful Christian—especially in 2025—here are several clear points of application that emerge from the book’s central burden:
1. Stop Pretending Neutrality Is a Virtue
Too many pastors and believers today think “staying out of politics” is a badge of wisdom. Schaeffer exposes this as moral evasion. Silence in the face of state-sponsored sin is not neutrality—it’s betrayal.
To be silent when we should speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.
2. Recover a Biblical View of Government
Romans 13 does not teach that governments are above God’s law. Rather, governments are servants of God, under His authority. Christians must stop reading Romans 13 as if it were a blank check for state power. When Caesar oversteps, we are called to obey God rather than men.
3. Cultivate Courage in the Church
The hour demands boldness. Christian schools, churches, and families must prepare to face fines, lawsuits, and reputational loss. We cannot teach our children to be faithful if we are unwilling to pay the price of fidelity ourselves.
Courage is not optional. It is part of Christian discipleship.
4. Rebuild Christian Institutions
Schaeffer urged Christians not just to protest but to build. Now more than ever, we need distinctly Christian schools, counseling centers, media outlets, and political voices—grounded in Scripture and unashamed of God’s truth.
Retreating into private religion is no longer an option—if it ever was.
5. Practice Lawful, Biblical Resistance When Required
Whether in standing against abortion, refusing to affirm gender ideology, or resisting state mandates that violate conscience, Schaeffer reminds us: Christians must be willing to disobey unjust laws—peacefully, respectfully, but firmly.
We must train ourselves and our children not only how to live as Christians, but how to suffer as Christians.
Enduring Legacy: A Prophetic Voice for an Age of Cowardice
Over forty years after its publication, A Christian Manifesto remains one of the most important Christian political works of the 20th century. Not because it is flawless—it is not. But because it told the truth, and it told it with fire.
It drew a line in the sand. And it asked every believer to decide: Will you stand with the Lordship of Christ over all of life—or will you give that ground over to the gods of the age?
Schaeffer was not content with Christian sentiment. He called for Christian action. He did not want Christian voters who looked the other way, or Christian pastors who apologized for biblical morality. He wanted Christians—full stop. People who feared God more than man, and who believed that the gospel of Jesus Christ had something to say not just in church, but in courtrooms, classrooms, and Congress.
His legacy is not perfect, but it is courageous. In a time when many Christian leaders were seeking influence through compromise, Schaeffer pointed to a different path: faithfulness through confrontation.
And that legacy is needed now more than ever.
Final Verdict: Highly Recommended
A Christian Manifesto is not light reading—but it is essential. It is for the pastor who feels the pressure to soften. It is for the parent who wonders what kind of world their children are inheriting. It is for the voter who senses that compromise is no longer an option. And it is for the Christian who knows that our hope is not in government—but in the God who rules over all governments.
This book demands that we count the cost—and then pick up our cross.
Closing Thought
We do not get to choose the age we live in. But we do get to choose how we live in it. Schaeffer’s Manifesto reminds us that when the state exalts itself as god, and the Church bows to that idol, judgment follows.
But so does opportunity—for witness, for courage, for obedience.
Let us not forget why we must resist: because we love God, because we love our neighbor, and because we will not lie by our silence.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
MMXXV
rob@christiannewsjunkie.com
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