Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Os Guiness on Frank Schaeffer's "Crazy For God"

Os Guinness has a written a strong critique of Frank Schaeffer's Crazy For God.

Here is an excerpt:

I challenge this central charge of Frank's with everything in me. I and many of my closest friends, who knew the Schaeffers well, are certain beyond a shadow of doubt that they would challenge it too. Defenders of truth to others, Francis and Edith Schaeffer were people of truth themselves.

For six years I was as close to Frank as anyone outside his own family, and probably closer than many in his family. I was his best man at his wedding. Life has taken us in different directions over the past thirty years, but I counted him my dear friend and went through many of the escapades he recounts and many more that would not bear rehearsing in print. It pains to me say, then, that his portrait is cruel, distorted, and self-serving, but I cannot let it pass unchallenged without a strong insistence on a different way of seeing the story. There is all the difference in the world between flaws and hypocrisy. Francis and Edith Schaeffer were lions for truth. No one could be further from con artists, even unwitting con artists, than the Francis and Edith Schaeffer I knew, lived with, and loved.

Read the rest here.

HT to Boar's Head Tavern.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is fascinating.
Os seems to have a lot at stake here. He is angry.
Maybe that is good.
I am not sure what is going on, but, Mr. Guiness seems possibly as guilty as Frank Shaeffer.
Well--that may go to far.
I know little about either of these two authors.
God is good though

Anonymous said...

I disagree that Os has anything at stake personally. His review, IMO, was insightful and poignant, particularly when he talked of Edith Schaeffer. Does truth matter? Most assuredly, and I see Os's review as highlighting just that.

Anonymous said...

I disagree that Os has anything at stake personally. His review, IMO, was insightful and poignant, particularly when he talked of Edith Schaeffer. Does truth matter? Most assuredly, and I see Os's review as highlighting just that.