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."

Early years and education

Henry grew up on Long Island, New York as the son of German immigrants, Karl F. Heinrich and Johanna Vaethroeder (Väthröder). After his high school graduation in 1929, he began working in newspaper journalism. While he was not unacquainted with Christianity, his first experience indicating a personal God came as he worked at a weekly newspaper office, proofreading galleys with a middle-aged woman, Mildred Christy. When Henry used Christ's name as a swear word, Christy commented, "Carl, I'd rather you slap my face than take the name of my best Friend in vain."

Related Topics:
Long Island, New York - 1929 - Newspaper

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Coming to personal faith in Christ himself, he enrolled at evangelical, liberal arts Wheaton College in 1935, where he also taught typing and journalism. It was there that he met Helga whom he married in August of 1940. He received both bachelors and masters degrees from Wheaton. He then earned a Doctor of Theology degree from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also earned a PhD from Boston University in 1949.

Related Topics:
Wheaton College - 1935 - 1940 - Northern Baptist Theological Seminary - Boston University - 1949

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His son Paul B. Henry was a U.S. Congressman from Michigan from 1985 until his death in 1993.

Related Topics:
Paul B. Henry - U.S. Congressman - Michigan - 1985 - 1993

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