Francis Schaeffer, an Authentic Life

By Colin Duriez

Francis Schaeffer was the foremost defender of the Christian faith in the 1970s. He had been a pastor in St. Louis, Missouri, and he ended up moving his family to Switzerland. The word spread about his ministry to intellectuals. Students and various intellectuals started coming to his home in L’Abri, Switzerland, from all over the world. At L’Abri he would give lectures, and answer questions that people had. His lecture tapes were turned into books, which spread his reputation. Eventually he even made some films that had widespread impact. He would lecture in places like Harvard and Yale and the room would be overflowing. Schaeffer had a keen mind and a big heart and left a huge legacy. This is the story of Francis Schaeffer and L’Abri.

I could not say this is a great biography, but it is interesting. Solid.

Ralph D. Winter: Early Life and Core Missiology

By Greg H. Parsons

Ralph Winter was endlessly fascinating, but this is not the best book to get an understanding of his life. This is an academic work converted into a book. It only focuses on the earlier years of his life, up until 1976. So much of his substantial work was done after that. Also, it has the trappings of a doctoral dissertation rather than a biography. A much more helpful book on his life would be that by Harold Fickett, The Story of Ralph Winter. Still, if you are a serious student of Ralph Winter’s work, here is a resource.

The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis

By Alan Jacobs

This is a biography of C.S. Lewis, more of an intellectual biography than anything, but there is also plenty about his life. The book was published in 2006, but I was not aware of the book until I heard John Piper speaking about it in an old message. It sounded interesting, so I got it. It is superb. It is the best biography of C.S. Lewis that I have read so far. The writer is insightful, candid, honest. He clearly loves Lewis. He is not blind to his faults and weaknesses. He is obviously immersed in Lewis’ writings, including his voluminous letters. Though I have long been a fan of Lewis and I have read his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, as well as two other biographies, that by George Sayer and that by Alister McGrath, I learned much about Lewis that I did not know. Lewis was ever fascinating, and this is a splendid guide to understanding more about his life and thought.