Remaking the Modern Mind: Revisiting Carl Henry’s Theological Vision -- By: Paul R. House

Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 08:4 (Winter 2004)
Article: Remaking the Modern Mind: Revisiting Carl Henry’s Theological Vision
Author: Paul R. House


Remaking the Modern Mind:
Revisiting Carl Henry’s Theological Vision

Paul R. House

Paul R. House serves as Associate Dean and Professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. A noted biblical scholar and OT theologian, he has published numerous articles and books, including 1, 2 Kings in the New American Commentary (Broadman & Holman, 1995), Old Testament Theology (InterVarsity, 1998), and Lamentations in the Word Biblical Commentary (Thomas Nelson, 2004). Dr. House has taught at a number of colleges and seminaries, including The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he served as the first editor of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology.

Though one can certainly critique his theological vision, it is historically untenable to ignore or dismiss Carl Henry’s role in the shaping of twentieth-century American evangelicalism. His involvement in evangelical life is well known and has been well documented by himself and others.1 He graduated from Wheaton College (B.A. 1938; M.A. 1941) and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (B.D. 1941; Th.D. 1942), both evangelical institutions at the time (CT 73, 76, 102, and 107).

He taught at Northern Baptist from 1942–1947 (CT, 103–107) and then became a founding faculty member at Fuller Seminary, where he served from 1947–1956. While teaching at Fuller he taught summer classes at Gordon College and completed his doctorate from Boston University in 1950 (CT, 114–143). In 1956 he became the first editor of Christianity Today (CT, 144–174), and in 1966 acted as Chairman of the Berlin Congress on Evangelism, the first major international congress sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (CT, 252–262). After leaving Christianity Today in 1968 under difficult circumstances (CT, 264–287), he spent a sabbatical year at Cambridge University (CT, 302–322), and then taught at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School from 1969–1974 (CT, 323–351). He maintained a part-time teaching presence at Trinity until 1997. He lectured for World Vision worldwide from 1974–1986, and in “retirement” taught and lectured at several colleges, universities, and seminaries (CT, 352–380). At one time there were precious few institutional stops Henry had not made. Along the way he was elected president of the Evangelical Theological Society and the American Theological Society. He participated in the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy and in the Evangelical Affirmations conference. Through years of service given, number of miles traveled, quantity of books penned, and diversity of ta...

You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
Click here to subscribe
visitor : : uid: ()