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God, Revelation, and Authority contains more than 3,000 pages, but a small, 75-page booklet, a tract for the times, gave impetus and direction to the fledgling evangelical movement in post-World War II America. The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism (1947) breathes with fire—rejecting the failed theology of liberalism, discredited by the devastation of two world wars, but also calling fellow conservatives to a positive engagement with society and culture. Looking back on this manifesto years later, Henry wrote:

What distressed the growing evangelical mainstream about the fundamentalist far right were its personal legalisms, suspicion of advanced education, disdain for biblical criticism per se, polemical orientation of theological discussion, judgmental attitudes toward those in ecumenically related denominations, and an uncritical political conservatism often defined as 'Christian anticommunism' and 'Christian capitalism' that, while politicizing the Gospel on the right, deplored politicizing it on the left.

Henry had been a strong supporter of the National Association of Evangelicals since its formation in 1942, and some of the ideas in Uneasy Conscience first appeared in the NAE's United Evangelical Action. Like Ockenga—the impresario of "neoevangelicalism," as he called it—Henry promoted the ideals of unity, education, evangelism, and social ethics while maintaining the absolute truth claims of historic Christian orthodoxy. This combination would become a mark of Henry's leadership in many other evangelical ventures across the years.

Henry was in the thick of all these ventures. In 1947 he became the founding dean of Fuller Theological Seminary, a post made more important because Ockenga, the first Fuller president, was in absentia. In 1949 Henry joined with other scholars to promote serious academic discussion and suggested the group's name, the Evangelical Theological Society.

A major turning point for Henry came in 1955 when Graham, fresh from a crusade in Europe, traveled to Pasadena to talk with Henry about becoming the editor of a new publication, Christianity Today. This publication was to be "a magazine of evangelical conviction," combining an irenic spirit with theological integrity. With the aim of "articulating evangelical Christianity effectively in our generation," Henry recruited an impressive company of contributing editors for the initial 1956 issue, including F. F. Bruce, John Stott, G. C. Berkouwer, Bernard Ramm, and Clarence E. McCartney.

In a letter soliciting their support, Henry spoke of the strategic opportunity, in a climate of uncertainty, "to reorient to Christian compass-bearings." He also mentioned that the new CT offices would overlook the lawn of the White House, an indication of his vision for the culture-shaping prospect of this project. During his 12-year term as editor of CT, Henry encouraged evangelicals to move from the "rearguard" to the "vanguard" in efforts to apply Christian values and principles to every area of society. Henry also wrote about the importance of prayer and other disciplines of the spiritual life, but he rejected outright the kind of quietism and interiorized piety that left some Christians disengaged from the world and its pressing needs.

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March 2004, Vol. 48, No. 3