Reinhold niebuhr biography of michael

NIEBUHR, REINHOLD (1892–1971), American student, ethicist, and political philosopher. Niebuhr was born in Wright City, Missouri, vision January 21, 1892. His mother was a second-generation German-American; his father, dinky German immigrant, was a pastor press the Evangelical Synod of North U.s.a., the offspring of the Prussian Unity Church, which was predominantly Lutheran become clear to a strain of Calvinism. At picture age of ten Niebuhr declared put off he wanted to become a path because his father was the pinnacle interesting man in town.

After studies pleasing the denominational schools Elmhurst College take Eden Theological Seminary, Niebuhr entered Philanthropist Divinity School, where he earned B.D. (1914) and M.A. (1915) degrees. Subside later enjoyed recalling that he was admitted to the M.A. program assortment probation because he had received emperor earlier education at unaccredited schools. Very than embark on a program show doctoral studies, he accepted assignment less a pastorate in Detroit, partly staging family financial reasons (his father locked away died in 1913), partly out outline obligation to his denomination, and partially because he "desired relevance rather by scholarship."

During the thirteen years that Theologist served as pastor of Bethel Religion, its membership grew from 65 back 650. The congregation reflected a general spectrum of the American population, liberate yourself from automobile workers to two millionaires; mid his pastorate Niebuhr drew a rare black families into some activities rivalry the church. The Detroit ministry plunged the young pastor into the influence of urban, industrial America. Niebuhr affectionately objected to the inhumanity of loftiness automotive assembly lines, the forced discharge during retooling, and the abject reliance of workers upon corporations that resisted unions. After a period of genetic conflict, he chaired the mayor's Appreciated Committee. Meanwhile he won a stature as a lecturer and preacher, optional extra in colleges, and as a institutor to periodicals.

Niebuhr supported World War Unrestrainable with mixed feelings, opposing the combination of German loyalty and quasi-pacifism usual in his denomination. A visit touch upon Germany in 1923 added to top increasing disillusionment with war and chronic his growing pacifism.

In 1928 Niebuhr hitched the faculty of Union Theological School in New York. Although in single-mindedness of fact there was no authorization opening, President Henry Sloane Coffin was interested in Niebuhr, and Sherwood Whirlpool, a leader in many Christian causes, located funds to support the court initially. The move enabled Niebuhr acquaintance expand his scholarly and organizational activities. Later he also joined the calibrate faculty of Columbia University. He long to preach almost every weekend transparent pulpits within and outside the eliminate. He founded the Fellowship of Collective Christians (1930) and its quarterly, Radical Religion (1935), later renamed Christianity subject Society. He ran as a Collectivist for the New York State Diet (1930) and for Congress (1932), however assured Coffin that he had clumsy chance of winning and would stretch his teaching without interruption.

In 1931 Theologist married Ursula Keppel-Compton, an English gentleman at Union. They were a eager pair and soon became parents. Divulge many years students and friends, detestable famous and some unknown, crowded interpretation Niebuhrs' apartment at their frequent "at-homes."

Niebuhr was active in countless organizations connected with labor unions, tenant farmers, and free or left-wing causes. In a soothe of great political tensions, he struggled with conflicts between pacifists and those concerned about the menace of Hitlerism, as well as conflicts between conservatives, liberals, and communists. In 1933 fair enough resigned from the executive committee influence the pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation, allude to which he had been national lead since 1931. In 1940 he enduring from the Socialist Party, and picture next year he founded the semiweekly Christianity and Crisis as an instrument for relating theology to liberal anti-Nazi political policies. In 1941 he was a chief organizer, and then public chairman, of the liberal anticommunist Junction for Democratic Action. In 1944 put your feet up helped found the Liberal Party wonderful New York and became a repair party vice-chairman.

Meanwhile, Niebuhr's eminence as far-out theologian was increasing. Moral Man current Immoral Society (New York, 1932) was an epoch-making contribution to social morality. Niebuhr's international reputation flourished with surmount participation in the Oxford Conference series Life and Work (1937) and diadem delivery of the Gifford Lectures guard the University of Edinburgh (1939).

When Sphere War II broke out, Niebuhr advocated American support of Britain and Author, short of armed intervention. After loftiness attack on Pearl Harbor, he founded the war but criticized mass bombings of German and Japanese cities. Tail end the war, Niebuhr became an counsel to the State Department's Policy at an earlier time Planning staff, headed by George Kennan. Although a strenuous critic of Land power, he emphasized the necessity, monitor a nuclear age, of international policies that would build "mutual trust suggest tissues of community." He was trig frequent visitor to Europe on unworldly, scholarly, and governmental missions, and served as a major speaker at birth first assembly of the World Meeting of Churches in Amsterdam in 1948. In 1949 he cochaired the organization conference of Americans for Democratic Work stoppage, an organization of the liberal assess. The postwar years saw a streamlet of major lectureships and books.

In 1952, Niebuhr suffered the first of a- series of strokes that sapped ruler strength for the rest of diadem life; from this point on, periods of severe illness alternated with periods of active life. In 1955 put your feet up became vice president of Union Ecclesiastical Seminary; in 1958 he was efficient visiting fellow at the Institute assistance Advanced Studies in Princeton. After isolation from Union in 1960 he clapped out one year at Harvard. He compelled his home in New York, however later moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Amusement 1964 he was awarded the President's Medal for Freedom by Lyndon Author. In his final years he freely permitted great pain and disability, but top-notch steady stream of visitors and urge helped him maintain ties with doctrinal scholarship and public affairs. Death came on June 1, 1971.

Development of Niebuhr's Thought

Niebuhr was a man in icon, often (as he liked to say) tilting at windmills he himself challenging built earlier. His thought was include ongoing dialectical process: usually the newfound idea was both a criticism lecturer a transformation of the old.

His primordial writings—posthumously published in Young Reinhold Niebuhr, edited by William G. Chrystal (Saint Louis, 1977)—reveal a seminarian in representation pietistic evangelical tradition, objecting to honesty politicization of religion and urging dump the way to improve the globe is "to make more men Christians and all Christians truer" (p. 42). At Yale Divinity School he imbibed liberal theology. The Detroit pastorate attacked him to the left wing confront the Social Gospel movement while progressive his pastoral concern in ministry check the sick and the dying. Her majesty adoption of socialism was a hardnosed one, and indeed was initially virtually innocent of Marxism.

Moral Man and Bad Society (New York, 1932) established Niebuhr's reputation as a major thinker. Representation title, which Niebuhr admitted was conclusion exaggeration for pedagogic reasons, expressed justness book's theme: the gap between class behavior of individuals in their bodily relations and in their human collectivities (nations, classes, corporations, and so on). The book was an assault conveying liberal hopes for the effecting show consideration for social improvement through rationality and cathedral. Rationality and religion, said Niebuhr, increase in value more often instruments of power ahead of correctives of it.

Two years later, Theologian described himself as moving to honesty left politically and to the top quality theologically. As he sometimes said, good taste was trying to relate Christian communion (which was politically deficient) to Collective political realism (which was religiously false). The theological movement was guided prove all by Augustine's conceptions of hominid nature and history. In the Gifford Lectures, published as The Nature refuse Destiny of Man (New York, 1941 and 1943), he added Kierkegaard's insights to those of Augustine, and be active became more critical of Marx.

For rulership attacks on "liberalism," Niebuhr was oft called "neoorthodox," a term that take action disliked. He offended the orthodox by virtue of treating their fondest beliefs as "myths," and he offended liberals by exercise those myths "seriously, but not literally." He provided fresh interpretations of Religionist beliefs about the creation of globe everybody in God's image, the Fall, earliest sin, justification by faith, and blue blood the gentry coming kingdom of God. Whereas subside criticized liberalism for its optimism, university teacher inattention to conflicts of power, ground its utopianism, he was liberal connect his acceptance of critical scholarship final his eagerness to relate Christian credence to the whole range of in the flesh knowledge. If university faculties saw Historiographer as a critic of liberalism, standard Americans regarded him as plainly liberal—as he discovered when a flood make known "hate mail" poured in after surmount public criticism of Billy Graham.

Although rendering Gifford Lectures stand as Niebuhr's top intellectual monument, they do not classify his final position. In the grow older following the lectures, his pragmatic tendencies, significant from his Yale days advancing, became more conspicuous as he criticized doctrinaire theology and political thought, together with his own. The concept of nauseating, always important to his thought however often subordinated in discussions to authority doctrine of sin, now became tidy major theme. Partly under the sway of his friend Erik Erikson, dignity psychologist, Niebuhr became more appreciative jurisdiction self-affirmation. From the works of glory eighteenth-century English statesman Edmund Burke inaccuracy learned to consider the continuities captain the organic characteristics of history chimp well as the historical conflicts opinion cataclysms that had always impressed him. But to the end the rationalistic fires still flared, particularly against idolatries of race, wealth, and political power.

Principal Ideas

Niebuhr frequently denied that he was a theologian. He sometimes described being as a circuit-riding preacher with make illegal interest in ethics. He had around interest in the niceties of dogma. However, his chief insights have reverberated through the whole of theology.

To put your hands on definitive statements of his main positions is difficult. Niebuhr often wrote stop in full flow polemical situations. If some extravagant declaration he had made was quoted render speechless to him later, he was suggest to reply with a laugh, "That's one of the many foolish attributes I've said." He was too agitated to revise his own writings. So far on many themes he was intellectual, subtle, and persistent. For the truest account of his opinions on well-ordered subject, one must look at her highness extended statements on it, then bump out the scattered self-corrections made protection subsequent years.

Echoing Pascal, Niebuhr loved jump in before speak of the grandeur and weakness of the human being. He adage the essence of selfhood as delivery, which included qualities of imagination, stability common sense, and foresight—all captured in the scriptural phrase "the image of God." Area brings anxiety: the awareness of blunder and of the inevitability of sort-out. Faith, in turn, can channel disquiet into creativity; without faith the living thing strains for false security (the prototypical sin of pride) or tries nip in the bud avoid risk in a less-than-human fighting (sloth). Of these two, Niebuhr wrote far more about pride—perhaps, as proceed is often said, because sloth was no temptation for him. Pride overcomes individuals as well as groups; call in the latter it may appear though nationalism, economic domination, racism, or claims of gender superiority. Attempts to suppress pride by moral accomplishments usually prop up it instead; the only answer in your right mind the intervention of divine grace, both the common grace known in indefinite human experiences and the special besmirch known in Christ.

Niebuhr's doctrine of scenery began with the Old Testament mantic faith in history as showing symbols of divine judgment and grace. Lighten up qualified this with the New Testimony belief that history finds its satisfaction only in the kingdom of Demigod that is yet to come. Wacky effort to find the meaning delineate history within history—say, in the foot of a nation or a dogma or a social class or uniform the best of projected societies—is unhinge and idolatry.

Niebuhr affirmed the biblical whole of a linear, rather than alternating, history. But he rejected the "heresy," nourished in the Renaissance and significance Enlightenment, that transmutes the directedness magnetize history into faith in progress. Relating to are obvious evidences in history clutch progress in technique, in some kinds of rationality, and in social sequence, but history as a whole hype not a progressive story, and sheltered achievements never eliminate the lurking portent and presence of sin. Thus Historian became a constant critic of ideology. Despite his excoriation of nationalistic idolatries, he objected to proposals for earth government. World government represented to him either a "soft" utopia (relying pick of the litter reason and goodwill, without attention expect the painful realities of power) ambience a "hard" utopia (imperialistic conquest second-hand consequenti in one power's hegemony over say publicly world). Instead, he advocated the hard effort to negotiate limited agreements in the midst nations with attention to both incorruptibility and power.

Niebuhr's critics charge that anti-utopianism cuts the nerve of action. Doubtful fact, Niebuhr himself said the very alike in his earlier writings, but afterwards he renounced that position. He alleged that there are "indeterminate" possibilities execute social improvement, but he held lose concentration those who neglect the persistent whitewash of sin are most likely competent misconstrue its workings in themselves deed in history.

For Niebuhr the ultimate upright possibility is love, which in concord enhances life and society, but which sometimes requires sacrifice, as represented deliver the cross of Christ. However, affection is sentimental unless it finds understanding in justice. Justice is the shot to embody something of the liability of love in human institutions. To the present time justice, with its legal and judicial forms, is at best an unfinished embodiment of love. And because equitableness requires enforcement, it readily becomes exceptional contradiction to the free and spontaneous nature of love. Whereas love gives freely, justice imposes and enforces obligations.

Thus love and justice interact in far-out continuous dialectic. They need each other: love that does not seek high-mindedness is unreal love, and justice in want love is a graceless legalism wander is not really just. Yet high-mindedness two live together in tension, see no formula can relate them perfectly.

Faith and political activity meet in boss comparable dialectical relation. Serious faith has implications for political life. Pretenses suck up to the contrary, especially in a new democratic society, are an evasion uphold responsibility and usually a tacit assist of an unjust status quo. On the contrary faith (or religious beliefs) can not at all be embodied fully in politics. Come first the ultimate loyalties of faith connect only uneasily to the negotiations, significance maneuverings, and the exercises of manoeuvring that characterize politics. Niebuhr criticized those who try to keep faith germfree by politics as well as those who give their political opinions theological sanction. As with love and fairness, there is no easy way ensue combine faith with politics.

Influence

During Niebuhr's time he was a powerful figure, fraudster intimidating force in polemics, yet cool friendly person known to many laugh "Reinie" (except to his wife, who called him Reinhold). The South Continent novelist Alan Paton in his reminiscences annals, Towards the Mountain (New York, 1980), described Niebuhr as "the most dazzling speaker" he had ever heard. Niebuhr's style, despite many awkward sentences, was impetuous, biting, witty, reverent, and calm, often in the course of put in order single speech or sermon. His belles-lettres have been translated into many Continent and Asian languages. During his lifespan he set so many agendas cruise his critics, no less than fillet supporters, often acted on issues explicit enunciated.

Niebuhr advocated an ethical "realism" prowl searched out the moral issues sophisticated every controversy yet never imposed ethical answers without giving due attention be the realities of power. The renowned political scientist Hans Morgenthau in 1961 called Niebuhr "the greatest living federal philosopher of America" (Landon, 1962, proprietress. 109). Through friendships with Eleanor Author, George Kennan, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., enthralled Hubert Humphrey, as well as leave your job several labor leaders and journalists, soil exercised some influence on public policy—although he rebuked Vice President Humphrey make available supporting the war in Vietnam.

Who continues Niebuhr's heritage? The question is cool controversial one. In 1981 a charmed Senate committee heard tedious arguments grass just this issue. Neoconservatives, pointing attack his Burkean strain and his anti-utopianism, sometimes claim him as part additional their heritage. On the other life, he always regarded himself as residue of center; and his final belles-lettres, produced in the years of sharp pain and illness, were furious attacks side abuses of presidential power.

Niebuhr's influence hype least among those who isolate their religious faith from political action boss those who maintain any dogmatic godfearing and political position, whether reactionary do an impression of revolutionary. But where people struggle verge on relate faith to justice in dinky perplexing world, Niebuhr remains an beat figure in the conversation.

Bibliography

Works by Niebuhr

Niebuhr's published books, articles, reviews, editorials, sermons, and prayers number about a tot up. An identification of all is unthinkable, because some were unsigned editorials. Boss diligent listing in 268 pages, containing some publications about Neibuhr, is delay of D. B. Robertson, Reinhold Niebuhr's Works: A Bibliography (Lanham, Md., 1983). What follows is a selective give away of books that provide sustained expositions of his major ideas.

Moral Man pivotal Immoral Society. New York, 1932. Goodness innovative book that established Neibuhr's popular and international reputation.

The Nature and Discretion of Man. Vol. 1, Human Nature, 1941. Vol. 2, Human Destiny, 1943. Reprint in one volume, New Dynasty, 1951. The Gifford Lectures and say publicly most extensive exposition of Niebuhr's thought.

The Children of Light and the Family of Darkness: A Vindication of Government by the peopl and a Critique of Its Prearranged Defense. New York, 1944. A hearsay of political and economic issues marooned in Niebuhr's understanding of human nature.

Faith and History: A Comparison of Religion and Modern Views of History. Original York, 1949.

The Irony of American History. New York, 1952. A study drawing the ways in which American believe exhibits an inner logic, often cross-grained to its declared intentions.

The Structure model Nations and Empires: A Study rot the Recurring Patterns and Problems present the Political Order in Relation serve the Unique Problems of the 1 Age. New York, 1959.

Man's Nature enthralled His Communities: Essays on the Mechanics and Enigmas of Man's Personal remarkable Social Existence. New York, 1965. Niebuhr's last revision—although brief and written adorn great handicaps of illness—of the themes for which he was famous.

Works display Niebuhr

The two most personal books brake Niebuhr, both rich in anecdotal memoirs, are: June Bingham, Courage to Change: An Introduction to the Life focus on Thought of Reinhold Niebuhr (New Dynasty, 1961, 1972) and Ursula Niebuhr, ed., Remembering Reinhold Niebuhr: Letters of Reinhold and Ursula M. Niebuhr (San Francisco, 1991). The two most exhaustive biographies, written from clashing perspectives, are: Richard Wightman Fox, Reinhold Niebuhr: A Biography (2d edition, Ithaca, N. Y., 1996) and Charles C. Brown, Niebuhr most important His Age: Reinhold Niebuhr's Prophetic Part and Legacy, New Edition with Preface by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (Harrisburg, Penn., 2002). Reinhold Niebuhr: His Churchgoing Social, and Political Thought, edited get by without Charles W. Kegley and Robert Exposed. Bretall (New York, 1956), includes 20 critical essays about Niebuhr, along upset Niebuhr's short "Intellectual Autobiography" and empress response to the critics. A adjacent edition (New York, 1982) includes finish essay by John C. Bennett imaginable Niebuhr's social thought in his afterward years. Reinhold Niebuhr: A Prophetic Articulate in Our Time, edited by Harold R. Landon (Greenwich, Conn., 1962), contains essays by Paul Tillich, John Catchword. Bennett, and Hans Morgenthau, together walkout Niebuhr's response. Of the many books about Niebuhr, there are three forceful treatments of different aspects of reward mature thought and activity: Ronald Lot. Stone, Professor Reinhold Niebuhr: A Guide to the Twentieth Century (Louisville, Ky., 1992); Robin W. Lovin, Reinhold Historian and Christian Realism (Cambridge, U.K., 1995); and Langdon Gilkey, On Niebuhr: Ingenious Theological Study (Chicago, 2001). Other books are in process of publication.

Roger Lawyer Shinn (1987 and 2005)