This paper investigates the doctrine of man in the writings of Carl F. H. Henry and how his approach to this doctrine served as a profound impetus for his passion to spread classic evangelicalism across the globe. Evangelicalism was reinvented in the 1940s with the birth of the neo-evangelical movement. There were many leaders involved in the new brand of evangelicalism, but Carl F. H. Henry was the movement’s greatest theologian and architect. Neo-evangelicalism significantly shifted the direction and nature of conservative Protestantism in America, but did not stop there. During the 1960s and 1970s, the evangelical resurgence in America began to spread to Latin America, Europe, and Asia, with profound implications.
First, this paper examines Henry’s understanding of Augustine’s articulation of the doctrine of original sin and Henry’s understanding of how this doctrine shapes human behavior and the human capability to understand truth. Second, this paper will give attention to Henry’s writing in “Christianity Today” wherein he leverages the doctrine of man, in various ways, to champion global missions and champion the evangelical mandate to spread evangelical ideals internationally. Third, this paper briefly examines Henry’s understanding of presuppositional apologetics, with extra attention given to Henry’s writing in “Christianity Today” wherein he advocates for such apologetics being needed in cross-cultural contexts (contending against those who claimed that such approach to apologetics was uniquely American). Fourth, this paper briefly examines Henry’s doctrine of the kingdom of God and shows how Henry promoted this doctrine as the primary basis for evangelical political and cultural engagement, with extra attention given to Henry’s writings wherein he makes the case that such ideas ought to be championed cross-culturally (albeit contextualized for each local culture). The primary questions answered in this paper will be: (1) “How did Henry’s theological anthropology shape his response to the key doctrinal issues in the twentieth century?” (2) How did Henry’s theological anthropology serve as an impetus and foundation for this passion to spread evangelical theology across the globe?” (3) “How did Henry influence key non-American evangelicals throughout the latter decades of the twentieth century?”