Carl Henry: A Baptist Hero

On January 22, 1913, Carl F. H. Henry was born to immigrant parents in New York City. His parents, Karl and Joanna Heinrich, were young German immigrants to the United States. His parents changed the family name because of the anti-German sentiment produced by World War I.

In 1935, after receiving a call to Christian service, Henry left a career as a newspaper reporter and enrolled in Wheaton College. It was here that he formed friendships with individuals such as Billy Graham and Harold Lindsell. More importantly, however, was his introduction to Gordon Clark. Clark, who was a professor of philosophy, became perhaps the most significant influence on Henry’s thoughts. Clark was a conservative Presbyterian who stressed the inherent rationality of theology and belief in God. Henry received both bachelors and master’s 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.

While at Wheaton, Henry was licensed to preach by the Babylon Baptist Church on Long Island. In 1940, he was called as student pastor of the Humbolt Park Baptist Church in Chicago and was ordained to the ministry there in 1941. Henry also released several small volumes on religious thought and theology during this time. These volumes revealed Henry’s mission of critical reading of contemporary theology and his call for a vigorous conservative offensive.

Henry began his teaching career at Northern Seminary, teaching theology at his alma mater until 1947. He then joined the faculty of the young Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. There, Henry taught theology and philosophy, with a concentration in apologetics and ethics. Within ...

... middle of paper ...

...approve of a sinful lifestyle by hiding behind a misconstrued idea that biblical truths may be viewed as offensive judgments. The truth is that today’s church is losing grip on the very world it has been called to save!

The simple fact that sin abounds in this fallen world is evidence of a need for the people of God to stand strong in the word of God and to proclaim the truths that lie therein. I consider Carl Henry to be a hero among heroes predominantly because of his unabashed stance on the supremacy of the Holy Scriptures. Henry dedicated his life weighing modern issues against the Bible and declaring sin to be sin. The destiny of a lost soul can only be revealed to him through the blatant truth of the word of God. Only then can a soul find hope in a forgiving Savior. As Henry once declared, “Jesus Christ turns life right-side-up and heaven outside-in."