An Introduction to L'Abri Fellowship in Fifteen Lectures

L’Abri Fellowship was founded in 1955 in Switzerland by Francis and Edith Schaeffer. L’Abri—French for “the shelter”—was created as a refuge where people could ask honest questions about God, life, and the truths of Christianity. Rooted in the conviction that Christianity speaks to every area of human existence, L’Abri communities around the world seek to embody the reality of God through hospitality, thoughtful conversation, teaching, and above all, prayer.

The best way to understand L’Abri is to experience it firsthand by visiting one of its residential branches scattered across the world. Short of booking in L’Abri, there are many other ways to explore the core ideas and history of L’Abri:

• Read Edith Schaeffer’s L’Abri, a personal account of its founding and early years.

• Listen to Jerram Barrs’ courses on the lives and legacy of the Schaeffers, available from Covenant Seminary.

• Explore the L’Abri Statements, a concise summary of the fellowship’s key ideas and convictions.

• Dive into the L’Abri Ideas Library, a free archive of lectures, essays, and resources.

To help you get started, we’ve curated a selection of fifteen lectures given at various L’Abri branches and conferences. These talks offer a rich introduction to the vision, practices, and foundational principles that continue to shape L’Abri today.

Fifteen Lectures About L’Abri Fellowship

1. Jerram Barrs—An Introduction to Francis Schaeffer and His Writings

2. Dick Keyes—The Five Themes of L’Abri (and the updated lecture: The Five Things of L’Abri Revisited by Ben Keyes)

3. Susan Macaulay and Francis Schaeffer—Introduction to L’Abri

4. Andrew Fellows—The Enduring Legacy of Francis Schaeffer's True Spirituality

5. Dick Keyes—All of Life Under the Lordship of Christ

6. Ellis Potter—Comprehensive Spirituality

7. Andrew Fellows—Living In The Real World: The Supernatural Universe & Spirituality

8. Jerram Barrs—Christ’s Comprehensive Work of Renewal: Jesus Overcomes the Seven-Pointed curse

9. Andrew Fellows—Lordship of Christ in All of Life & the Implications for How We Use Our Minds

10. Jerram Barrs—The Biblical Basis for True Spirituality

11. Clarke Scheibe—Christ & Creation: Why the Resurrection Isn’t Just About ‘Saving Souls’

12. Jim Paul—The Lord’s Work In The Lord’s Way: But What Is The Lord’s Way?

13. Francis Schaeffer—The Mark of A Christian

14. Jim Paul—The Sacredness of Being Ordinary

15. Jerram Barrs—What Is Spirituality?