Edward John Carnell

Edward John Carnell (28 June 1919 – 25 April 1967

Family Carnell was born in Antigo, Wisconsin, on June 28, 1919, and was the third of four children born to Herbert Carnell and Fannie Carstens.

Carnell's second apologetic text, A Philosophy of the Christian Religion, explored questions of value that are personally and existentially satisfying. This study is technically known as axiology.

Two further apologetic works Christian Commitment and The Kingdom of Love and the Pride of Life delved into subjective issues of introspective meaning. Both texts reflected his deep study and appreciation of the work of Søren Kierkegaard. Carnell emphasised the meaning of authentic discipleship and commitment to the way of Christ as grounded in God's love.

After graduating from Harvard, Carnell joined the faculty of the recently founded Fuller Seminary. Carnell was attracted to this seminary as it was part of an emerging movement of reform within Protestant Fundamentalism. The background to this new movement of reform lies in the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century.

Neo-Evangelical leader Carnell had grown up as a fundamentalist and been trained at Wheaton College, which was one of the bastions of fundamentalism. He was, however, dissatisfied with the anti-intellectual tendencies he discerned in fundamentalist culture. He was therefore very receptive to the message of Neo-Evangelicals who sought to reform both fundamentalism and the wider society.

As part of his contribution to challenging the culture of fundamentalism, Carnell confronted the issue initially by dealing with the advent of television. Some fundamentalists feared that television was a device in the hands of the devil. In his book Television: Servant or Master? Carnell dealt with some of the issues concerning modern communication systems, the use of technology in the promotion of the Christian message, and engaging with wider cultural concerns. Carnell scorned the anti-intellectual tendencies in fundamentalism, and attacked its legalistic and negative mentality about culture.

In 1954 Carnell was appointed the President of Fuller Seminary. As some of the Neo-Evangelicals, like Carl F. H. Henry and Harold Ockenga, had been instrumental in establishing the seminary, Carnell's rising profile as an apologist, theologian, and now seminary professor, catapulted him into the spotlight.

In his book The Case for Orthodox Theology Carnell sought to separate the Neo-Evangelicals from the fundamentalists by arguing that a Reformed Orthodox theology was considerably different from fundamentalism. He attacked the legalism and hypocrisy he saw in fundamentalism and argued that it was "orthodoxy gone cultic". He highlighted what he saw as critical deficiencies in fundamentalist thought and practice. As a result of his published diatribe Carnell became the object of much criticism from fundamentalist preachers.

Carnell's personal life was not without difficulties as he suffered from depression and insomnia, and received psychiatric treatment including electro-convulsive therapy. The Alameda County Coroner determined that he had a significant amount of barbiturates in his system, but there was no determination whether or not the death was an accident or suicide. Carnell was survived by his wife and two children.

Publications An Introduction to Christian Apologetics, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1948. Television: Servant or Master? William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1950. The Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1950. A Philosophy of the Christian Religion, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1952. The Burden of Søren Kierkegaard, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1956. Christian Commitment: An Apologetic, MacMillan, New York, 1957. The Case for Orthodox Theology, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1959. The Kingdom of Love and the Pride of Life, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1960. The Case for Biblical Christianity, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1969.