God and Culture: Essays in Honor of Carl F.H. Henry

Written by D.A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge (eds) Reviewed By Vidar L. Haanes

Written in honour of Carl F.H. Henry on the occasion of his 80th birthday, the essays of this book relate to the question of gospel and culture. The editors have invited Christian thinkers to focus on distinct elements in American and Western culture, suggesting how Christians may think about those areas. It is not possible to go into detail, as the 20 authors represent different traditions and—interesting enough—half of them are not theologians but scholars of science, law, economics, psychiatry or history. Many of the essays are most helpful for students of these disciplines, as Charles Thaxton’s ‘Dialogue with “Prof” on Christianity and Science’ or Philipp E. Johnson’s ‘The Modernist Impasse in Law’. We also find essays on human sexuality (A.M. Nicholi), bioethics (N.M. de S. Cameron), art (E.P. Clowney) and literature (L. Ryken). Sir Fred Catherwood has written an interesting essay on ‘The Christian and Politics’, and Jim Packer deals with ‘Leisure and Life-Style, Pleasure and Treasure’, a sound and timely warning that Christians have not a word to say when we are responding with work instead of leisure, activity rather than rest. Packer’s essay is a good example of the aim of this book: to help Christians to live in a post-Christian era, even if ‘some unpopularity is inseparable from the practice of consistent Christianity—and we had better brace ourselves to meet it; for as things stand now in the West, it can only increase’ (p. 368).

As a festschrift, God and Culture also contains a Bibliography and curriculum vitae of Carl F.H. Henry, and an article by John D. Woodbridge on ‘Carl F.H. Henry: Spokesperson for American Evangelicalism’.


Vidar L. Haanes

Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology, Oslo