Lewis Sperry Chafer

, a chapter which teaches about peace, Grace, weakness, hope, sacrifice, love, and joy. [ [http://www.pbc.org/library/files/html/0012.html "To Reign in Life"] by Ray Stedman. 1962.]

In recognition of this, Dallas Theological Seminary offers a commencement award, the Lewis Sperry Chafer Award, every year to the graduating master's student who: "in the judgment of the faculty because of his well‐balanced Christian character, scholarship, and spiritual leadership, best embodies and portrays the ideals of Dallas Theological Seminary." An additional award, the Lorrain Chafer Award, is awarded to the graduating international master's student who: "in the judgment of the faculty, best evidences well‐balanced Christian character, scholarship, and spiritual leadership." [ [http://www.dts.edu/calendar/commencement/commencementawardinformation/ Commencement Awards] Dallas Theological Seminary. Retrieved May 6, 2007.]

The Dallas Seminary Foundation has also set up a charitable giving program called the Lewis Sperry Chafer Legacy, recognizing the graciousness in Chafer's life. [ [http://www.plan.gs/Article.do?orgId=724&articleId=2634 Lewis Sperry Chafer Legacy] Charitable giving program of the Dallas Seminary Foundation.]

Theology

Chafer is widely recognized as one of the founders of modern Dispensationalism [ [http://www.fwponline.cc/v9n1reasoner.html The Obituary of Dispensationalism: 1830–1988] by Vic Reasoner.] [ [http://www.pembrokebiblechapel.com/dispchart.asp History of Dispensationalism] Pembroke Bible Chapel.] [ [http://www.raptureready.com/featured/ice/TheCalvinisticHeritageofDispensationalism.html The Calvinistic Heritage of Dispensationalism] by Thomas Ice.] [ [http://www.theologicalstudies.org/dispen.html What is Dispensationalism?] by Michael J. Vlach, Ph.D.] [ [http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyan_theology/theojrnl/26-30/29-10.htm Changing Patterns in American Dispensational Theology] by Craig A. Blaising, Wesley Center for Applied Theology.] and was vehemently opposed to covenant theology. [ [http://www.withchrist.org/MJS/chafonct.htm Dr. Chafer on Covenant Theology] by Miles J. Stanford.] Strictly speaking, he was a premillennial, pretribulational dispensationalist. Other aspects of his overall theology could be generally described as rooted in aspects of the Plymouth Brethren, Calvinism, a mild form of Keswick Theology on Sanctification, and Presbyterianism, all of these tempered with a focus on Free Grace Theology and spirituality based on simple Bible study and living.

Chafer's theology has been the subject of much study and debate in and out of the theological community since his death, [ [http://www.bbc.edu/journal/volume5_1.asp The Theological Method of Lewis Sperry Chafer] . "Journal of Ministry and Theology", vol 5 no 1.] [ [http://www.historians.org/pubs/dissertations/DissertationDetail2.cfm?DissertationID=1810 Lewis Sperry Chafer and the Development of Interdenominational Fundamentalism in the South, 1900–1950] American Historical Association dissertation by B. Dwain Waldrep. ] [ [http://www.withchrist.org/MJS/chaferDr.htm Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer] by Miles J. Stanford.] especially on the two larger topics of dispensationalism and Christian Zionism, [ [http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4531.htm Christian Zionism: Dispensationalism And The Roots Of Sectarian Theology] by Stephen Sizer. December 12, 2000.] specifically that the Jews are a people called unto God with a separate historical purpose and plan from Christians.

Writings

In 1933, Dallas acquired the periodical "Bibliotheca Sacra" and began publishing it in 1934. Chafer wrote many hundreds of articles for this journal (see external links below).

In 1947, after ten years of work, he completed his "Systematic Theology" in eight volumes. This was the first time that a premillennial, dispensational framework of Christian theology had been systematized into a single format. The books were so popular that it sold out the first printing in six months and needed a third printing within two years. [ [http://library.dts.edu/Pages/TL/Special/80th.shtml "Celebrating 80 Years: Highlights from the History of Dallas Theological Seminary, 1924–2004"] Dallas Theological Seminary exhibit, 2005.] The series has been printed many times since by a number of publishing houses.

elected publications

Many of Chafer's books have been reprinted multiple times by several different publishing houses. Some of these include:

*"The Kingdom in History and Prophecy", 1915.
*"Salvation: A Clear Doctrinal Analysis", 1917. Reprint, 1955. ISBN 0-310-22351-2
*"He That is Spiritual", 1918. Reprint, 1967. ISBN 0-310-22341-5
*"True Evangelism: Winning Souls by Prayer", 1919. Reprint, 1978. ISBN 0-310-22381-4
*"Satan: His Motive and Methods", 1919. Reprint, 1964. ISBN 0-310-22361-X
*"Grace: The Glorious Theme", 1922. Reprint, 1950. ISBN 0-310-22331-8
*"Major Bible Themes", 1926. Reprint, 1974. ISBN 0-310-22390-3
*"The Epistle to the Ephesians", 1935. Reprint, 1991. ISBN 0-8254-2342-2
*"Systematic Theology", 1947. Reprint, 1993. ISBN 0-8254-2340-6

References

External links

Biographical

* [http://library.dts.edu/Pages/TL/Special/80th.shtml "Celebrating 80 Years: Highlights from the History of Dallas Theological Seminary, 1924-2004"] Dallas Theological Seminary exhibit, 2005.
* [http://www.tyndale.edu/dirn/bios/chafer.html "Lewis Sperry Chafer"] Biography at Tyndale Theological Seminary.

Chafer material online

* [http://www.gotell.gracenet.org/m_lsc.htm Lewis Sperry Chafer] written lectures and readable books online.
* [http://www.raystedman.org/chafer.html Lewis Sperry Chafer lectures] downloadable in MP3 format.
* [http://www.faithalone.org/journal/1994ii/Chafer.html "The Fundamentals of Grace"] by Lewis Sperry Chafer. "Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society", Autumn 1994.
* [http://www.faithalone.org/journal/1988ii/chafer.html "The Terms of Salvation"] by Lewis Sperry Chafer. "Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society", Autumn 1988.
* [http://www.wholesomewords.org/etexts/chafer/chachurch.html "The Church Which Is His Body"] by Lewis Sperry Chafer. Excerpt from "The Kingdom in History and Prophecy", 1915.
* [http://www.virtualseminary.net/content/historicaltheologians.aspx Lewis Sperry Chafer] links to various writings.
*gutenberg author|id=Lewis_Sperry_Chafer|name=Lewis Sperry Chafer