What Went Wrong: Francis Schaeffer’s Warning and the Church’s Call to Cultural Engagement
Editor's Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Regent University, its faculty, administration, or affiliates.
In a remarkable 1982 exchange on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s (CBN) flagship television program, “The 700 Club,” M.G. “Pat” Robertson (1930-2023) posed a question that still echoes today: How did America lose its longstanding Christian moral consensus?
For more than four centuries, since 1607’s “First Landing” on what’s now Virginia Beach, biblical principles shaped the nation’s understanding of morality, governance, and public life. Yet, that consensus now appears fractured, if not entirely abandoned.
During that CBN interview nearly 45 years ago, American theologian and author Francis Schaeffer’s (1912-1984) response was incisive, sobering, and (sadly) still relevant. The primary failure, he argued, was not external opposition but internal retreat — a theological misstep within evangelicalism itself that he called “a false view of spirituality.”
“In this view,” Schaeffer continued, “everything is worldly that isn’t in this little box of spirituality. Now, as I look at the Bible, this is exactly 1,000% backwards. There are certain sinful things that God tells us are sinful, and we ought to take those and set them aside. … And then, everything else is spiritual.”
A False View of Spirituality
At the heart of Schaeffer’s critique, he drew a contrast between biblical Christianity and Platonic philosophy. He warned against reducing faith to a narrow, privatized sphere. In this truncated vision, spiritual life is confined to church attendance, personal devotion, and preparation for heaven, while the rest of life — culture, politics, art, and society — is dismissed as “worldly.”
Such a framework, Schaeffer insisted, is not biblical. Scripture presents a far more expansive vision. God is not merely concerned with the soul in isolation; He is Lord over all creation. From the resurrection emphasized in 1 Corinthians 15 to the promised restoration of all things, the Bible affirms the goodness of the material world and the comprehensive scope of Christ’s reign.
In Schaeffer’s words, true spirituality means recognizing “the Lordship of Christ in the totality of life.” This includes not only personal morality but also intellectual pursuits, creative expression, and civic responsibility.
The Consequences of Withdrawal
This theological error has resulted in profound cultural consequences. As evangelicals withdrew from public life — whether out of fear, pressure, or misplaced piety — they ceded influence in shaping the moral and ethical foundations of American society.
Robertson, who founded Regent University in 1977 and would go on to run for president in 1988, noted that cultural pressure — particularly from media elites — often keeps Christians out of politics. Schaeffer’s response was unequivocal: Such exclusion is both unbiblical and harmful. Christians are not called to retreat from the world but to engage it as “salt” and “light” (Matthew 5:13–16, NKJV).
Most strikingly, Schaeffer rejected the notion that America’s moral decline is primarily the result of secular forces. While acknowledging their presence, he placed responsibility squarely on the Church. “We are not in the mess we’re in because of a humanist conspiracy. That’s not the reason we’re in trouble,” he insisted. “The reason we’re in trouble is the church has not really followed out the concept of the Lordship of Christ and the totality of life.”
Silence, passivity, and compartmentalization have allowed competing worldviews to dominate public discourse. In abandoning their calling to shape culture, Christians have contributed to the erosion of the very consensus they once helped establish in America.
A Biblical Mandate for Engagement
For the Regent University Center for Christian Thought & Action, this analysis is not merely historical — it is a call to action. If the problem lies in a diminished vision of Christian responsibility, the solution must be recovering a robust, biblical worldview.
This begins with a renewed understanding of Christ’s Lordship. Jesus is not only Savior of souls but King of kings and sovereign over every domain of life. His authority extends to law, education, economics, media, and government. To confess Him as Lord is to submit every sphere to His truth.
Second, Christians must embrace their role as cultural stewards. This does not mean coercion or partisanship, but faithful presence — bringing biblical wisdom, moral clarity, and intellectual rigor into the public square. Whether through voting, public service, scholarship, or community leadership, believers are called to influence society for the common good.
Third, engagement must be marked by constructive dialogue and reasoned argument. In an age of polarization, the Church has a unique opportunity to model conviction without hostility, truth without compromise, and love without relativism. This approach reflects both the character of Christ and the mission of institutions like Regent.
Practical Steps Forward
To move from theory to practice, several concrete steps are essential:
- Worldview Formation: Churches and Christian institutions must equip believers to think biblically about all areas of life, not just personal piety.
- Civic Participation: Christians should prayerfully consider how God may be calling them to engage — whether through voting, advocacy, or public office.
- Cultural Creativity: Artists, writers, and educators must reclaim their vocations as avenues for expressing truth and shaping imagination.
- Institutional Renewal: Christian organizations must lead in developing solutions to societal challenges grounded in Scripture and sound reasoning.
A Call to Faithful Responsibility
The loss of America’s Christian moral consensus is not inevitable, nor is it irreversible. As Schaeffer made clear, the issue is not merely what has been done to the Church — but what the Church has failed to do.
The path forward requires repentance, renewal, and re-engagement. By recovering a biblical vision of the Lordship of Christ over all of life, evangelicals can once again serve as a redemptive influence in a divided nation.
In doing so, they affirm a timeless truth: Jesus Christ is not only Lord of the Church — He is Lord of all.
Watch the full CBN interview below:
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