Reinhold Niebuhr

Reinhold Niebuhr

Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (/ˈraɪnhoʊld ˈniːbʊər/; June 21, 1892 – June 1, 1971) was an American theologian, public intellectual, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. Starting as a leftist minister in the 1920s indebted to theological liberalism, he shifted to Neo-Orthodox theology in the 1930s, explaining how the sin of pride created evil in the world, and created the theo-philosophical perspective known as Christian realism. He attacked utopianism as ineffectual for dealing with reality, writing in The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness (1944):

"Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."

Niebuhr's realism deepened after 1945 and led him to support the United States' efforts to confront Soviet communism around the world. A powerful speaker, he was one of the "most influential religious leaders of the 1940s and 1950s in American public affairs. Niebuhr battled with religious liberals over what he called their naïve views of the contradictions of human nature and the optimism of the Social Gospel, and battled with the religious conservatives over what he viewed as their naïve view of scripture and their narrow definition of "true religion". Among his most influential books are Moral Man and Immoral Society and The Nature and Destiny of Man.

Niebuhr's long-term contributions to political philosophy and political theology involve his relating the Christian faith to "realism" in international relations and foreign affairs, away from idealism, and his contribution to modern just war thinking. His work has had a significant impact on international relations theory, with political scientists such as Hans Morgenthau, Kenneth Waltz and Andrew Bacevich noting his influence on their thinking, and Bacevich calling Niebuhr's book The Irony of American History the "most important book ever written on U.S. foreign policy". Niebuhr's perspective has also influenced many liberal politicians, who came to support a "realist" foreign policy. President Barack Obama has cited Niebuhr as his favorite philosopher, while former President Jimmy Carter has called Niebuhr his favorite theologian. Numerous others politicians and activists, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, and John McCain have also noted his influence on their thinking. The prominent historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., described Niebuhr "the most influential American theologian of the 20th century". He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964.