Series from 1977
This is Dr. Francis Schaeffer's spectacular series on the rise and decline of Western culture from a Christian perspective. It includes an intimate in…
The ten-part series begins with Dr. Francis Schaeffer looking back at the time of the Romans, and how that epoch has go on to influence Western civilization. Schaeffer travels Europe, visiting ancient Roman architecture while explaining the crucial weaknesses of the Roman Empire, specifically those that ultimately led to its downfall.
The Roman Empire falls due to the shoddy beliefs that were its foundation, leading to internal degeneration. What followed was a time of political, intellectual and social turmoil, then a gradual cultural awakening. Dr. Schaeffer examines the Middle Ages and the first-century Christian churches in Europe.
"How Should We Then Live?" comes to the Renaissance, arguably one of the greatest periods of mankind. Dr. Schaeffer looks at the great, sumptuous artwork of the period and how it both reflects the time and paves a path for the future.
Dr. Schaeffer explains the Reformation as a technical term for the Reformers who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. According to Dr. Schaeffer, the Reformation was a turning away from the humanistic elements of the Catholic Church.
"How Should We Then Live?" enters the Age of Revolution, a period of laws and judiciary systems. Dr. Schaeffer explains that these sovereign laws that gave citizens democratic freedom were based on the authority, principles and teachings of the Bible.
Dr. Schaeffer shines a light on seventeenth-century scientists like Galileo, Blaise Pascal, Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon, noting the biblical teachings that underpin their breakthrough discoveries.