Carl F. H. Henry

Carl F. H. Henry (January 22, 1913 - December 7, 2003) was an evangelical Christian theologian, who founded the magazine Christianity Today as a scholarly voice for evangelical Christianity and as a challenge to the liberal Christian Century. The new magazine soon outdistanced its competitor in readership, though it was not without its critics. At a luncheon of 200 Christian leaders held to honor neo-orthodox theologian Karl Barth, Henry rose and identified himself as "editor of 'Christianity Today'" before asking Barth about his views on the historical fact of Jesus' resurrection. Barth retorted, "Did you say Christianity Today or Christianity Yesterday?" As the audience howled with laughter, Henry countered, "Yesterday, today, and forever."

Career

In 1942 he took part in the launching of the National Association of Evangelicals, serving on its board for several years and being book editor of their magazine United Evangelical Action.

Related Topics:
1942 - National Association of Evangelicals

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In 1947 he published his first book, a critique entitled Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism, which, while rejecting modern liberalism, and preserving a doctrinal focus on the Bible, also rejected the rigidness and disengagement of Fundamentalists. The book firmly established Henry as one of the leading Evangelical scholars. In the same year, along with Harold J. Ockenga and Edward John Carnell, he helped establish Fuller Theological Seminary, named in honor of radio evangelist Charles E. Fuller.

Related Topics:
1947 - Bible - Fundamentalists - Harold J. Ockenga - Edward John Carnell - Fuller Theological Seminary - Radio - Evangelist - Charles E. Fuller

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In 1956, with the urging and support of Evangelist Billy Graham, Henry began publication of Christianity Today. He was the magazine's editor until 1968.

Related Topics:
1956 - Billy Graham

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In 1978 he published The Christian Mindset In a Secular Society and signed the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, which affirmed Biblical inerrancy.

Related Topics:
1978 - Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

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Henry's magnum opus was a six-volume work entitled God, Revelation, and Authority, completed in 1983. He concluded "that if we humans say anything authentic about God, we can do so only on the basis of divine self-revelation; all other God-talk is conjectural."

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His autobiography, Confessions of a Theologian was published in 1986.

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Henry died in 2003 at the age of 90.

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