Whatever Happened to the Human Race?

Written in collaboration with surgeon C. Everett Koop, this manifesto emerged from Francis Schaeffer's growing alarm at what he saw as Western civilization's abandonment of the biblical understanding of human dignity. Published during the height of debates over abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia in the late 1970s, the book represents Schaeffer's attempt to connect his earlier cultural analysis to urgent bioethical questions. The work originated alongside a documentary film series, reflecting Schaeffer's conviction that Christians needed to engage contemporary moral crises with both intellectual rigor and popular accessibility.

Schaeffer argues that Western society's rejection of absolute truth and biblical authority has led inexorably to the devaluation of human life itself. He traces a philosophical progression from abortion to infanticide to euthanasia, contending that once society accepts utilitarian calculations about which lives are worth living, no principled stopping point remains. The book examines specific cases of medical decision-making, legal precedents, and cultural shifts to demonstrate how secular humanism's influence has eroded respect for human life at its most vulnerable stages. Schaeffer insists that only a return to biblical principles can restore proper regard for human dignity, arguing that the image of God doctrine provides the sole adequate foundation for protecting life from conception to natural death.

The work proved influential in galvanizing evangelical political engagement, particularly in the pro-life movement, and established bioethics as a central concern for conservative Protestants. Koop's subsequent appointment as Surgeon General brought additional attention to their collaboration, though some of Koop's later positions created tension with the book's arguments.

Who should read this: Those interested in understanding how evangelical Protestantism developed its approach to bioethical issues and readers examining the intersection of Christian theology with medical ethics will find this essential, though those seeking nuanced engagement with complex bioethical dilemmas may find the analysis overly systematic.