Carl F. H. Henry
Carl F. H. Henry (1913–2003) was one of the most influential evangelical theologians and public intellectuals of the twentieth century. A gifted writer, editor, and thinker, Henry helped shape modern evangelicalism by calling Christians to combine biblical faithfulness with thoughtful engagement in culture, ethics, and public life.
Born in New York City to immigrant parents, Henry did not grow up in a Christian home. As a young journalist, he pursued success in the world of news and politics before experiencing a dramatic conversion to Christ in his twenties. His new faith transformed his ambitions and awakened a passion for theology, apologetics, and the authority of Scripture.
Henry went on to study at Wheaton College, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Boston University. Deeply concerned about both theological liberalism and anti-intellectual Christianity, he argued that evangelicals must recover serious biblical scholarship while also addressing the moral and cultural crises of the modern world.
In 1947, Henry published The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism, a groundbreaking book criticizing Christians who withdrew from public engagement while ignoring issues such as injustice, poverty, and social ethics. The book became foundational for the emerging evangelical movement.
Henry also played a key role in founding institutions that would shape evangelicalism for decades. He was a founding faculty member of Fuller Theological Seminary and the first editor of Christianity Today, helping establish it as one of the most influential Christian publications in the world.
His six-volume work God, Revelation, and Authority became one of the most important evangelical theological projects of the twentieth century, defending the truthfulness and authority of divine revelation in an increasingly skeptical age.
Carl Henry’s life reminds us that Christians are called not only to believe the truth, but also to think carefully, speak clearly, and engage the world faithfully under the authority of God’s Word.