In Francis Schaeffer’s theological architecture, the principle of antithesis functions not merely as a rhetorical device but as the epistemological foundation of his public theology. For Schaeffer, the very structure of truth necessitates antithesis—the clear delineation between truth and non-truth—with significant implications for Christianity’s engagement in public discourse.
Schaeffer contends that diminishing the antithetical nature of truth inevitably leads to Christianity’s marginalization within cultural conversation. He identifies two critical consequences of this epistemological compromise: the intellectual weakening of subsequent Christian generations and the reduction of Christian discourse to increasingly limited audiences who still operate within traditional frameworks of truth. Therefore, communicating contextually relevant yet uncompromised truth across generations becomes essential for effective Christian public theology.
Antithesis enables meaningful differentiation in debates by resisting accommodationist tendencies that blur crucial distinctions. While contemporary culture often operates on relativistic moral assumptions, antithesis demonstrates the inadequacy of relativism as an ethical foundation. Schaeffer argues for intensifying the articulation of antithetical truth precisely because of the prevailing moral perspectivism in society. Christians must maintain antithesis despite cultural pressures that render fundamental differences in worldview and truth-claims seemingly “unthinkable” within mainstream discourse.