Francis Schaeffer was a major, prolific evangelical author and thinker decades ago. I remember reading his books as a young man.
He is interviewed here by Pat Robertson. Robertson, of course, was mocked and vilified by the left for many years. The two men speak in this video as if the cultural left had made great inroads because of the failures of Christians. The situation is now much worse, of course.
But Schaeffer has some fascinating comments on the topic of Christians’ responsibility for government and politics. He argues the lordship of Christ over the totality of life:
Francis Schaffer in 1982 answering the question of what has gone wrong with evangelicals that allowed the Christian consensus to be lost in our nation:
— Melissa the Hopeful🏠Homemaker (@BiblicalBeauty) March 24, 2026
"I think a false view of spirituality, a Platonic view of spirituality which follows Plato, but certainly isn't biblical. And… pic.twitter.com/ZzDFGydusg
Schaeffer argued that non-Christian worldviews are internally inconsistent and that Christianity offers a coherent foundation for truth, morality, and meaning. He called his method “Taking the roof off,” exposing contradictions in secular thinking to lead others toward Christianity.
He also co-founded the Seven Mountain Mandate, advocating Christian influence in society’s key spheres, such as education, media, and government.
He was a theologian, Fred; and was a pretty big name in the evangelical world back then.