Author: Richard Harries
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 019957183X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
A timely, collaborative re-evaluation of Reinhold Niebuhr's work that reflects on his notable contribution to Christian social ethics, the Christian doctrine of humanity and the engagement of Christian thought with contemporary politics.
Reinhold Niebuhr and Contemporary Politics
Author: Richard Harries
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 019957183X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
A timely, collaborative re-evaluation of Reinhold Niebuhr's work that reflects on his notable contribution to Christian social ethics, the Christian doctrine of humanity and the engagement of Christian thought with contemporary politics.
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 019957183X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
A timely, collaborative re-evaluation of Reinhold Niebuhr's work that reflects on his notable contribution to Christian social ethics, the Christian doctrine of humanity and the engagement of Christian thought with contemporary politics.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Author: Richard Crouter
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199779694
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 176
Book Description
A primer on the current "Niebuhr revival" of the political left and right, this book traces the significance of Reinhold Niebuhr's thought for secular as well as deeply Christian minds. Placed in the context of religious and cultural history, Niebuhr's theological views deepen and challenge contemporary expertise on issues of war, peace, economic, and personal security. While rejecting cynical pessimism and naive optimism, Niebuhr's Christian realism reinvigorates age-old teachings of the Bible, St. Paul, Augustine, and Kierkegaard. His thought enriches present-day debates between science and religion and between atheists, agnostics, and believers. To live with Niebuhr's legacy is to combine critical acumen with humble self-awareness. It is to pursue a larger common good - for him, God-given - that is shared among individuals, nations, and the world community.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199779694
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 176
Book Description
A primer on the current "Niebuhr revival" of the political left and right, this book traces the significance of Reinhold Niebuhr's thought for secular as well as deeply Christian minds. Placed in the context of religious and cultural history, Niebuhr's theological views deepen and challenge contemporary expertise on issues of war, peace, economic, and personal security. While rejecting cynical pessimism and naive optimism, Niebuhr's Christian realism reinvigorates age-old teachings of the Bible, St. Paul, Augustine, and Kierkegaard. His thought enriches present-day debates between science and religion and between atheists, agnostics, and believers. To live with Niebuhr's legacy is to combine critical acumen with humble self-awareness. It is to pursue a larger common good - for him, God-given - that is shared among individuals, nations, and the world community.
Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1960s
Author: Stone
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 9781506446240
Category : Christianity and politics
Languages : en
Pages : 205
Book Description
The Civil Rights Movement. The Cuban Missile Crisis. The assassination of a president and a senator. Praise turns into protest; hope into disenchantment. The 1960s was an era born in hope that ended in deep conflict. during this era, Reinhold Niebuhr, once dubbed "America's theologian," retired from Union Seminary in New York. in this book, the author introduces us to Niebuhr's life in the 1960s from his critical vantage point as Niebuhr's former student and later, colleague. Though little has been published about this decade in Niebuhr's life, the author's analysis shows a theologian whose work shifts to speak more effectively to the less religious, more secular world around him. The author introduces readers to never-before-seen letters between the author and Reinhold and Ursula Niebuhr, which shed light not only on the impact Niebuhr had on the 1960s but also on the way the 1960s shaped Niebuhr.
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 9781506446240
Category : Christianity and politics
Languages : en
Pages : 205
Book Description
The Civil Rights Movement. The Cuban Missile Crisis. The assassination of a president and a senator. Praise turns into protest; hope into disenchantment. The 1960s was an era born in hope that ended in deep conflict. during this era, Reinhold Niebuhr, once dubbed "America's theologian," retired from Union Seminary in New York. in this book, the author introduces us to Niebuhr's life in the 1960s from his critical vantage point as Niebuhr's former student and later, colleague. Though little has been published about this decade in Niebuhr's life, the author's analysis shows a theologian whose work shifts to speak more effectively to the less religious, more secular world around him. The author introduces readers to never-before-seen letters between the author and Reinhold and Ursula Niebuhr, which shed light not only on the impact Niebuhr had on the 1960s but also on the way the 1960s shaped Niebuhr.
Reinhold Niebuhr on Politics
Author: Harry R. Davis
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1556354274
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Book Description
William Temple, late Archbishop of Canterbury, on meeting Reinhold Niebuhr for the first time, commented, At last I've met the troubler of my peace. Of him John Baillie, the distinguished theologian, also remarked, Intellectually, Niebuhr is head and shoulders, he is legs and ankles above any other American. The full range of Niebuhr's political thought -- in his own writing -- is here made available in one convenient volume. Using materials from sixteen of his books and some one hundred and seventy of his articles, the editors, Harry R. Davis and Robert C. Good, have brilliantly succeeded in linking together the various selections so that they form a logical whole. The volume begins with Niebuhr's examination of the contemporary crisis and his analysis of the false solutions offered by the liberal creed and by communist doctrine. The ground thus cleared, Niebuhr erects his own system of political thought. In the final section of the book, Niebuhr deals with problems of the day in the light of his central beliefs and insights. As an advisory committee the editors enjoyed the assistance of Charles Burton Marshall (Washington Center of Foreign Policy Research), Hans J. Morgenthau (Chicago), E. E. Schattschneider Jr. (Harvard), and Arnold Wolfers (Washington Center of Foreign Policy Research). Niebuhr himself read and approved the contents.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1556354274
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Book Description
William Temple, late Archbishop of Canterbury, on meeting Reinhold Niebuhr for the first time, commented, At last I've met the troubler of my peace. Of him John Baillie, the distinguished theologian, also remarked, Intellectually, Niebuhr is head and shoulders, he is legs and ankles above any other American. The full range of Niebuhr's political thought -- in his own writing -- is here made available in one convenient volume. Using materials from sixteen of his books and some one hundred and seventy of his articles, the editors, Harry R. Davis and Robert C. Good, have brilliantly succeeded in linking together the various selections so that they form a logical whole. The volume begins with Niebuhr's examination of the contemporary crisis and his analysis of the false solutions offered by the liberal creed and by communist doctrine. The ground thus cleared, Niebuhr erects his own system of political thought. In the final section of the book, Niebuhr deals with problems of the day in the light of his central beliefs and insights. As an advisory committee the editors enjoyed the assistance of Charles Burton Marshall (Washington Center of Foreign Policy Research), Hans J. Morgenthau (Chicago), E. E. Schattschneider Jr. (Harvard), and Arnold Wolfers (Washington Center of Foreign Policy Research). Niebuhr himself read and approved the contents.
The Essential Reinhold Niebuhr
Author: Reinhold Niebuhr
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300162646
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
Theologian, ethicist, and political analyst, Reinhold Niebuhr was a towering figure of twentieth-century religious thought. Now newly repackaged, this important book gathers the best of Niebuhr’s essays together in a single volume. Selected, edited, and introduced by Robert McAfee Brown—a student and friend of Niebuhr’s and himself a distinguished theologian—the works included here testify to the brilliant polemics, incisive analysis, and deep faith that characterized the whole of Niebuhr’s life.“This fine anthology makes available to a new generation the thought of one of the most penetrating and rewarding of twentieth-century minds. Reinhold Niebuhr remains the great illuminator of the dark conundrums of human nature, history and public policy.”—Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.“Sparkling gems. . . brought from the shadows of history into contemporary light. Beautifully selected and edited, they show that Niebuhr’s fiery polemics and gracious assurances still speak with power to us today.”—Roger L. Shinn“An extremely useful volume.”—David Brion Davis, New York Review of Books“This collection, which brings together Niebuhr’s most penetrating and enduring essays on theology and politics, should demonstrate for a new generation that his best thought transcends the immediate historical setting in which he wrote. . . . [Brown’s] introduction succinctly presents the central features of Niebuhr’s life and thought.”—Library Journal
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300162646
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
Theologian, ethicist, and political analyst, Reinhold Niebuhr was a towering figure of twentieth-century religious thought. Now newly repackaged, this important book gathers the best of Niebuhr’s essays together in a single volume. Selected, edited, and introduced by Robert McAfee Brown—a student and friend of Niebuhr’s and himself a distinguished theologian—the works included here testify to the brilliant polemics, incisive analysis, and deep faith that characterized the whole of Niebuhr’s life.“This fine anthology makes available to a new generation the thought of one of the most penetrating and rewarding of twentieth-century minds. Reinhold Niebuhr remains the great illuminator of the dark conundrums of human nature, history and public policy.”—Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.“Sparkling gems. . . brought from the shadows of history into contemporary light. Beautifully selected and edited, they show that Niebuhr’s fiery polemics and gracious assurances still speak with power to us today.”—Roger L. Shinn“An extremely useful volume.”—David Brion Davis, New York Review of Books“This collection, which brings together Niebuhr’s most penetrating and enduring essays on theology and politics, should demonstrate for a new generation that his best thought transcends the immediate historical setting in which he wrote. . . . [Brown’s] introduction succinctly presents the central features of Niebuhr’s life and thought.”—Library Journal
Christian Realism and the New Realities
Author: Robin W. Lovin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521841941
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 205
Book Description
Robin W. Lovin argues that the integration of religion and public life will benefit society more than their separation.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521841941
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 205
Book Description
Robin W. Lovin argues that the integration of religion and public life will benefit society more than their separation.
The Irony of American History
Author: Reinhold Niebuhr
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226583996
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
“[Niebuhr] is one of my favorite philosophers. I take away [from his works] the compelling idea that there’s serious evil in the world, and hardship and pain. And we should be humble and modest in our belief we can eliminate those things. But we shouldn’t use that as an excuse for cynicism and inaction. I take away . . . the sense we have to make these efforts knowing they are hard.”—President Barack Obama Forged during the tumultuous but triumphant postwar years when America came of age as a world power, The Irony of American History is more relevant now than ever before. Cited by politicians as diverse as Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Niebuhr’s masterpiece on the incongruity between personal ideals and political reality is both an indictment of American moral complacency and a warning against the arrogance of virtue. Impassioned, eloquent, and deeply perceptive, Niebuhr’s wisdom will cause readers to rethink their assumptions about right and wrong, war and peace. “The supreme American theologian of the twentieth century.”—Arthur Schlesinger Jr., New York Times “Niebuhr is important for the left today precisely because he warned about America’s tendency—including the left’s tendency—to do bad things in the name of idealism. His thought offers a much better understanding of where the Bush administration went wrong in Iraq.”—Kevin Mattson, The Good Society “Irony provides the master key to understanding the myths and delusions that underpin American statecraft. . . . The most important book ever written on US foreign policy.”—Andrew J. Bacevich, from the Introduction
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226583996
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
“[Niebuhr] is one of my favorite philosophers. I take away [from his works] the compelling idea that there’s serious evil in the world, and hardship and pain. And we should be humble and modest in our belief we can eliminate those things. But we shouldn’t use that as an excuse for cynicism and inaction. I take away . . . the sense we have to make these efforts knowing they are hard.”—President Barack Obama Forged during the tumultuous but triumphant postwar years when America came of age as a world power, The Irony of American History is more relevant now than ever before. Cited by politicians as diverse as Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Niebuhr’s masterpiece on the incongruity between personal ideals and political reality is both an indictment of American moral complacency and a warning against the arrogance of virtue. Impassioned, eloquent, and deeply perceptive, Niebuhr’s wisdom will cause readers to rethink their assumptions about right and wrong, war and peace. “The supreme American theologian of the twentieth century.”—Arthur Schlesinger Jr., New York Times “Niebuhr is important for the left today precisely because he warned about America’s tendency—including the left’s tendency—to do bad things in the name of idealism. His thought offers a much better understanding of where the Bush administration went wrong in Iraq.”—Kevin Mattson, The Good Society “Irony provides the master key to understanding the myths and delusions that underpin American statecraft. . . . The most important book ever written on US foreign policy.”—Andrew J. Bacevich, from the Introduction
Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Ramsey
Author: Kevin Carnahan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
The work explores the distinctive influences of philosophical pragmatism and absolute idealism on Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Ramsey, two influential twentieth-century theologians, who learned from and transformed these philosophies in the light of contemporary theological trends. It explores how these theologians shaped their moral theologies, political theories, and approaches to war in the light of these philosophies.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
The work explores the distinctive influences of philosophical pragmatism and absolute idealism on Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Ramsey, two influential twentieth-century theologians, who learned from and transformed these philosophies in the light of contemporary theological trends. It explores how these theologians shaped their moral theologies, political theories, and approaches to war in the light of these philosophies.
Why Niebuhr Now?
Author: John Patrick Diggins
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226148866
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
Barack Obama has called him “one of my favorite philosophers.” John McCain wrote that he is “a paragon of clarity about the costs of a good war.” Andrew Sullivan has said, “We need Niebuhr now more than ever.” For a theologian who died in 1971, Reinhold Niebuhr is maintaining a remarkably high profile in the twenty-first century. In Why Niebuhr Now? acclaimed historian John Patrick Diggins tackles the complicated question of why, at a time of great uncertainty about America’s proper role in the world, leading politicians and thinkers are turning to Niebuhr for answers. Diggins begins by clearly and carefully working through Niebuhr’s theology, which focuses less on God’s presence than his absence—and the ways that absence abets the all-too-human sin of pride. He then shows how that theology informed Niebuhr’s worldview, leading him to be at the same time a strong opponent of fascism and communism and a leading advocate for humility and caution in foreign policy. Turning to the present, Diggins highlights what he argues is a misuse of Niebuhr’s legacy on both the right and the left: while neoconservatives distort Niebuhr’s arguments to support their call for an endless war on terror in the name of stopping evil, many liberal interventionists conveniently ignore Niebuhr’s fundamental doubts about power. Ultimately, Niebuhr’s greatest lesson is that, while it is our duty to struggle for good, we must at the same time be wary of hubris, remembering the limits of our understanding. The final work from a distinguished writer who spent his entire career reflecting on America’s history and promise, Why Niebuhr Now? is a compact and perceptive book that will be the starting point for all future discussions of Niebuhr.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226148866
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
Barack Obama has called him “one of my favorite philosophers.” John McCain wrote that he is “a paragon of clarity about the costs of a good war.” Andrew Sullivan has said, “We need Niebuhr now more than ever.” For a theologian who died in 1971, Reinhold Niebuhr is maintaining a remarkably high profile in the twenty-first century. In Why Niebuhr Now? acclaimed historian John Patrick Diggins tackles the complicated question of why, at a time of great uncertainty about America’s proper role in the world, leading politicians and thinkers are turning to Niebuhr for answers. Diggins begins by clearly and carefully working through Niebuhr’s theology, which focuses less on God’s presence than his absence—and the ways that absence abets the all-too-human sin of pride. He then shows how that theology informed Niebuhr’s worldview, leading him to be at the same time a strong opponent of fascism and communism and a leading advocate for humility and caution in foreign policy. Turning to the present, Diggins highlights what he argues is a misuse of Niebuhr’s legacy on both the right and the left: while neoconservatives distort Niebuhr’s arguments to support their call for an endless war on terror in the name of stopping evil, many liberal interventionists conveniently ignore Niebuhr’s fundamental doubts about power. Ultimately, Niebuhr’s greatest lesson is that, while it is our duty to struggle for good, we must at the same time be wary of hubris, remembering the limits of our understanding. The final work from a distinguished writer who spent his entire career reflecting on America’s history and promise, Why Niebuhr Now? is a compact and perceptive book that will be the starting point for all future discussions of Niebuhr.
The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness
Author: Reinhold Niebuhr
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226584011
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness, first published in 1944, is considered one of the most profound and relevant works by the influential theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, and certainly the fullest statement of his political philosophy. Written and first read during the prolonged, tragic world war between totalitarian and democratic forces, Niebuhr’s book took up the timely question of how democracy as a political system could best be defended. Most proponents of democracy, Niebuhr claimed, were “children of light,” who had optimistic but naïve ideas about how society could be rid of evil and governed by enlightened reason. They needed, he believed, to absorb some of the wisdom and strength of the “children of darkness,” whose ruthless cynicism and corrupt, anti-democratic politics should otherwise be repudiated. He argued for a prudent, liberal understanding of human society that took the measure of every group’s self-interest and was chastened by a realistic understanding of the limits of power. It is in the foreword to this book that he wrote, “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” This edition includes a new introduction by the theologian and Niebuhr scholar Gary Dorrien in which he elucidates the work’s significance and places it firmly into the arc of Niebuhr’s career.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226584011
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness, first published in 1944, is considered one of the most profound and relevant works by the influential theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, and certainly the fullest statement of his political philosophy. Written and first read during the prolonged, tragic world war between totalitarian and democratic forces, Niebuhr’s book took up the timely question of how democracy as a political system could best be defended. Most proponents of democracy, Niebuhr claimed, were “children of light,” who had optimistic but naïve ideas about how society could be rid of evil and governed by enlightened reason. They needed, he believed, to absorb some of the wisdom and strength of the “children of darkness,” whose ruthless cynicism and corrupt, anti-democratic politics should otherwise be repudiated. He argued for a prudent, liberal understanding of human society that took the measure of every group’s self-interest and was chastened by a realistic understanding of the limits of power. It is in the foreword to this book that he wrote, “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” This edition includes a new introduction by the theologian and Niebuhr scholar Gary Dorrien in which he elucidates the work’s significance and places it firmly into the arc of Niebuhr’s career.