Genesis in Space and Time by Francis Schaeffer

This review was originally written by Valen Caldwell as part of the 2014 Summer Reading Challenge.    

Genesis in Space and Time by Francis Schaeffer.  Intervarsity Press, 1972.  167 pgs.

Genesis in Space and Time by Francis Schaeffer is a book about origins, as might be guessed from its title. In the book, Schaeffer takes us all the way back to “In the beginning” as he examines Genesis 1-11. Genesis in Space and Time is not just about traveling to the past to get a grip on the creation story, however.  Through his exegesis of Genesis 1-11, Francis Schaeffer shows the reader that in order to understand the cosmic setting of our present and our future, we must be rooted in a biblical origins.

Schaeffer points out that the Bible does not give us exhaustive knowledge about origins or any topic, but it does give us true knowledge and equips us with what we need to know. Chiefly, the Bible is a book about fallen mankind and the redemption of fallen mankind through Jesus Christ. In Genesis in Space and Time we see that there is a flow of history, and ultimately the purpose of our lives as men and women is to love God and enjoy him as creatures before the One who created us. Someday, we will worship God forever and ever, without a thought of time. The fall was a real space-time event, and redemption was a real space-time event 2,000 years ago at Calvary. In order to understand where you are going, you have to know where you have come from.

I have previously read Francis Schaeffer’s book True Spirituality, and I find that Genesis in Space and Time is of a slightly different tenor than True Spirituality. Genesis in Space and Time keeps a focus upon origins rather than “spirituality.” However, Genesis in Space and Time feels just as devotional and doxological as True Spirituality. Schaeffer, as always, leaves the reader with a deeper hunger for redemption at the end of his book. In Genesis in Space and Time he ties the whole metanarrative of Scripture together for readers, while rooting it in Genesis 1-11.

This book is not just about a creationist vs. evolutionist view of time or origins, though Schaeffer makes some excellent observations. He addresses some of the more pertinent questions about origins such as how to deal with the apparent differences between Genesis 1 and 2, as well as how to understand the length of days question in creation. Ultimately, however, Genesis in Space and Time is about man understanding his purpose in the flow of redemptive history. While this isn’t a “light” summer read per se, my experience is that you will leave the book with a deeper love for God and a larger perspective on the cosmic scope of redemption.

Discussion Starters

1. Why do you think a biblical understanding of origins is necessary to a biblical understanding of the present and future?
2. Schaeffer mentions that the Bible, while giving true knowledge, doesn’t give exhaustive knowledge about the topic of origins. Do you agree with his observation?
3. In Genesis in Space and Time, Schaeffer discusses the importance of a historical Adam and Eve to the redemptive work of Jesus. What do you think about that concept?
4. How does your understanding of Genesis reflect your understanding of man as created in the image of God?