Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 67:4 (Dec 2024)
Article: “A Blight Of Meaninglessness”: Carl F. H. Henry’s Response To The Existential Threat Of Western Secularism
Author: Matthew Akers

JETS 67:4 (December 2024) p. 745

“A Blight Of Meaninglessness”: Carl F. H. Henry’s Response To The Existential Threat Of Western Secularism

Matthew Akers*

* Matthew Akers is Assistant Dean of Doctoral Programs, Chair of the Old Testament Department, and Director of the Hispanic Institute at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: During his long and fruitful career, one of theologian Carl F. H. Henry’s greatest concerns was the West’s progressive descent into secularism. As the West decoupled itself from a Judeo-Christian worldview in favor of a scientism that rejected the existence of God, he warned that the resulting existential crisis would lead to profound hopelessness in society. Henry referred to this problem as “a blight of meaninglessness” and offered countermeasures that evangelicals should employ as a means to offer the hope of Christ to Westerners. These initiatives included: (1) an appeal to scriptural authority, (2) a focus on evangelism, (3) recognizing evangelism as the foundation of social action, (4) engaging in holistic social action, (5) using one’s political witness consistently and effectively, and (6) embracing Christian unity. This article considers Henry’s urgent call for evangelicals to develop an orthopraxy that matches evangelical orthodoxy, which, among other positive outcomes, provides a vibrant apologetic capable of reinjecting authentic hope into a demoralized society.

Key words: Carl Henry, evangelicalism, existentialism, Westernism, secularism, scientism

In the past one hundred years, few Christians have equaled Carl F. H. Henry’s considerable influence on evangelicalism. Although relatively few twenty-first century Christians recognize the extent of Henry’s impact, Gregory Alan Thornbury considered him to be “the leading evangelical theologian of the twentieth century.”1 One of his most impressive gifts was his ability to read Western culture so adeptly that his detailed predictions concerning future trends were remarkably accurate. His original career as a reporter no doubt provided Henry with a helpful understanding of society. This perspective, coupled with his expertise in theology, later assisted him in becoming a skilled seminary professor who focused on the contributions of evangelical theology to the topics of philosophy and ethics.2 Henry’s voluminous editorial contributions to Christianity Today, which he cofounded with L. Nelson and

JETS 67:4 (December 2024) p. 746

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