Who was the greatest Christian thinker of the 20th Century?

[CharlieJ]

This did say Christian, right? Not... person unheard of outside of Reformed circles. Gordon Clark isn't even popular inside Reformed circles. Most people only know him because of the controversy with Van Til. As for Van Til, I'm not sure enough time has passed to know whether some of his more distinctive ideas last or fizzle, and whether he will effectively penetrate mainstream evangelicalism.


C.S. Lewis is probably the only person that qualifies. Everyone from Fundamental Baptists to the confessional Reformed to amorphous megachurches knows him. He interacted with Catholics, critics and pagans. He wrote on both theology and piety. His works are read by children, teenagers, and adults. Also, he was a respectable, influential figure in his secular field, not something that most of these other guys can claim.

I can say all this, because I don't even really like C. S. Lewis.

 

[Grymir]

Barth? Oh the humanity. This thread has been disgraced. Sigh.

Francis Schaeffer!

 

[LawrenceU]

I would say Schaeffer. He may have used the work of others as a basis, but he expanded upon it and was very effective at spreading the thoughts outside of the theological-intellectual community. His influence can be found in almost every stream of Western Christianity.

 

[sotzo]

Lesslie Newbigin

 

[David FCC]

I pray that one day I would be discerning enough to give an answer to a question like this.

All i can do for now is sit back and watch

 

[charliejunfan]

Cornelius Van Til

 

[RamistThomist]

to be a good popularizer, you have to get the material right. Most scholars say Schaeffer mispresented the Greeks, Aquinas, and Hegel. I am not dissing the man--he helped me out a key time, but to say he is the greatest thinker of the 20th century is a bit naive.

This passes right over Alvin Plantiga, Miroslav Volf, Barth (like him or not), de Lubac, Lossky, Bulgakov, etc. All of whom dwarf Schaeffer

 

[Ivan]

The one person who had the greatest influence on me is J.I. Packer. His book Knowing God introduced me to and thrusted me into the realm of Reformed theology. In fact, there are many Anglicans who have had an influence on my thinking. I wonder what that means?

 

[Puritan Sailor]

I would say Van Til and Vos. Both started revolutions in their perspective fields, and those who followed have been building on or reacting to their ideas ever since, even outside reformed circles (even though they probably wouldn't recognize the names).

 

[Kevin]

to be a good popularizer, you have to get the material right. Most scholars say Schaeffer mispresented the Greeks, Aquinas, and Hegel. I am not dissing the man--he helped me out a key time, but to say he is the greatest thinker of the 20th century is a bit naive.

This passes right over Alvin Plantiga, Miroslav Volf, Barth (like him or not), de Lubac, Lossky, Bulgakov, etc. All of whom dwarf Schaeffer

I didn't want to be the one to say it, but...

Now, I must say that Schaeffer was a key figue in my own life. My first two years in university I read his complete works & they were very influencial.

However the question was who was the greatest "Thinker". If you plagerise (or fail to credit), AND you misunderstand (or misrepresent) in a fundamental way some of the very people you are talking about, then is it fair to consider the person a major thinker?

I would say, no. FS is not a great thinker.

I would however say he is a great & infuencial christian leader, missionary, apologist, & teacher. If we could each do half as much as him in only one of those areas, then our lives would well spent.

 

[Iakobos_1071]

Arthur W. Pink

 

[ManleyBeasley]

Schaeffer copied and pasted Rushdoony and Van Til.

I'll take Schaeffer over a couple contemplative Catholics any day of the week.

-----Added 2/6/2009 at 01:22:07 EST-----

It really depends on what's meant here. Are we talking about impact or original thought? On pure impact you could throw John Piper's name in the hat. I wonder how many people on the PB became reformed through Pipers influence (I did)? That being said Dr. Piper is certainly not bringing anything new to the table. He's communicating old truths effectively to a younger generation. I would say the best answer is probably C.S. Lewis and Abraham Kuyper because they had huge impact but were also original thinkers.

 

[Ivan]

Piper help me down the road, as well as a number of other writers. Packer was the beginning of it all for me, at least offically. I was asking lots of questions in my little country Baptist church where I was a member long before I heard of Calvin, Packer, etc. I believe a clear understanding of the Bible will bring into the camp.

 

[puritanpilgrim]

In 1898 Abraham Kuyper was invited to deliver several lectures at Princeton University, he spoke on this:

Lecture 1: Calvinism as a Life System
Lecture 2: Calvinism and Religion
Lecture 3: Calvinism and Politics
Lecture 4: Calvinism and Science
Lecture 5: Calvinism and Art
Lecture 6: Calvinism and the Future

Kuyper is fantastic. I love that book. The stone lectures. I was really disappointed to learn that Kuyper was quite a racist. He had a very low view of blacks. And he had some involvement in Dutch colonization in Africa. I would love to be wrong on this, so if I am, please show me.

-----Added 2/6/2009 at 01:31:58 EST-----

Paul

 

[brianeschen]

Kuyper is fantastic. I love that book. The stone lectures. I was really disappointed to learn that Kuyper was quite a racist. He had a very low view of blacks. And he had some involvement in Dutch colonization in Africa. I would love to be wrong on this, so if I am, please show me.

What was wrong with the Dutch colonizing Africa?

 

[Poimen]

Much of the debate will be rather subjective i.e. who has influenced, encouraged, ME the most.

Having said that I will second the nomination of Abraham Kuyper.

 

[Scott1]

Many, many good choices here. This would make a good poll with a multiple vote option.

 

[puritanpilgrim]

What was wrong with the Dutch colonizing Africa?

I hope your kidding.

 

[Kevin]

What was wrong with the Dutch colonizing Africa?

I hope your kidding.

New thread?

 

[steven-nemes]

Plantinga should be up there.

 

[RamistThomist]

Schaeffer copied and pasted Rushdoony and Van Til.

I'll take Schaeffer over a couple contemplative Catholics any day of the week.

-----Added 2/6/2009 at 01:22:07 EST-----

It really depends on what's meant here. Are we talking about impact or original thought? On pure impact you could throw John Piper's name in the hat. I wonder how many people on the PB became reformed through Pipers influence (I did)? That being said Dr. Piper is certainly not bringing anything new to the table. He's communicating old truths effectively to a younger generation. I would say the best answer is probably C.S. Lewis and Abraham Kuyper because they had huge impact but were also original thinkers.

Neither de Lubac nor von Balthasar were contemplatives. Try readind them first. And Bulgakov and Lossky worked out their Trinitarian theology in the face of communist terror.

I am trying not to disrespect Schaeffer. But really he wasn't a deep thinker. As to being Reformed, see how few pages are devoted to predestination. In one of the anecdotes Edith said they often refused to talk about it because it would drive people away.

Now for impact, I would agree he was decisive for the decades of the 60s and 70s, but then only. Rushdoony was far more decisive in mobilizing the Christian right (whether that was a good thing or not).

 

[Whitefield]

I vote for B.B. Warfield.

 

[Classical Presbyterian]

I think to be on this list, they must be dead.

Here are my top choices:

Reformed thought and doctrine:

Abraham Kuyper.

J. Gresham Machen

Christian Literature and imagination:

C.S. Lewis

J.R.R. Tolkien

Christian Apologetics:

Van Til

 

[Theognome]

I have to put RC Sproul on the top of my list. I don't read (or listen to) much of his stuff anymore, but his reach across the land is extreme and thus has incredible influence.

Also, I'd put up there Jay Adams and Keith Mathison. No, they're not heady theologians, but the simplicity of their work makes it very approachable for those new to both Christianity as well as Reformed thinking.

The deep thinkers are already well represented on this thread, and there's not a one of them I'd argue against. Shaeffer, Van Til and others have been very infuential to me personally.

Theognome

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

No love for Jonathan Edwards? What about Kirk Cameron?

I like me some Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Rutherford, Edwards, Spurgeon, Schaeffer in terms of influencing the progression of Christian thought.

 

[toddpedlar]

No love for Jonathan Edwards? What about Kirk Cameron?

I like me some Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Rutherford, Edwards, Spurgeon, Schaeffer in terms of influencing the progression of Christian thought.

Considering that of the above only Schaeffer is a 20th century theologian, that's probably why the others haven't appeared on this thread which is about 20th century theologians

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

No love for Jonathan Edwards? What about Kirk Cameron?

I like me some Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Rutherford, Edwards, Spurgeon, Schaeffer in terms of influencing the progression of Christian thought.

Considering that of the above only Schaeffer is a 20th century theologian, that's probably why the others haven't appeared on this thread which is about 20th century theologians

Theology transcends time, booyah!

In that case give me Billy Sunday, Charles Finney, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye.

 

[Rangerus]

C.S. Lewis. You can't read Mere Christianity or A Grief Observed and not be moved by this man's intellect and reason. And of course The Pilgrim's Regress. His ability to define between faith and reason(seems to be influenced by John Locke); and one(me at least) cannot read his works without "Wow! I never thought of it like that!" going through your(my) head every ten minutes.

Good point. Even though I, like many here, have some problems with much of his theology as far as greatest Christian thinkers go, he's definitely up there in the running.

CS Lewis for me.

Great thread for future reference and reading!

 

[ManleyBeasley]

Schaeffer copied and pasted Rushdoony and Van Til.

I'll take Schaeffer over a couple contemplative Catholics any day of the week.

-----Added 2/6/2009 at 01:22:07 EST-----

It really depends on what's meant here. Are we talking about impact or original thought? On pure impact you could throw John Piper's name in the hat. I wonder how many people on the PB became reformed through Pipers influence (I did)? That being said Dr. Piper is certainly not bringing anything new to the table. He's communicating old truths effectively to a younger generation. I would say the best answer is probably C.S. Lewis and Abraham Kuyper because they had huge impact but were also original thinkers.

Neither de Lubac nor von Balthasar were contemplatives. Try readind them first. And Bulgakov and Lossky worked out their Trinitarian theology in the face of communist terror.

I am trying not to disrespect Schaeffer. But really he wasn't a deep thinker. As to being Reformed, see how few pages are devoted to predestination. In one of the anecdotes Edith said they often refused to talk about it because it would drive people away.

Now for impact, I would agree he was decisive for the decades of the 60s and 70s, but then only. Rushdoony was far more decisive in mobilizing the Christian right (whether that was a good thing or not).

I was more commenting on your use of RCs then I was defending Schaeffer being the greatest mind. That's for another thread (which has already been done).

-----Added 2/6/2009 at 05:28:36 EST-----

Plantinga should be up there.

Plantinga is one of the most brilliant philosophers I have ever read regardless of the era.

 

[steven-nemes]

Plantinga is one of the most brilliant philosophers I have ever read regardless of the era.

In that case give me Billy Sunday, Charles Finney, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye.