Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (/ˈraɪnhoʊld ˈniːbʊər/; June 21, 1892 – June 1, 1971) was an American theologian, ethicist, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. The brother of another prominent theologian, H. Richard Niebuhr, he is also known for having composed the Serenity Prayer,[1] He received thePresidential Medal of Freedom in 1964.[2] Among his most influential books are Moral Man and Immoral Society and The Nature and Destiny of Man, the second of which Modern Library ranked one of the top 20 nonfiction books of the twentieth century.[3] Starting as a minister with working-class sympathies in the 1920s and sharing with many other ministers a commitment totheological pacifism, his thinking evolved during the 1930s neo-orthodox realist theology as he developed the philosophical perspective known asChristian 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 American efforts to confront Soviet communism around the world. A powerful speaker, he was one of the most influential thinkers of the 1940s and 1950s in public affairs.[4] Niebuhr battled with religious liberals over what he called their naïve views of the contradictions of human nature and the optimism of theSocial Gospel, and battled with the religious conservatives over what he viewed as their naïve view of scripture and their narrow definition of “true religion”. During this time he was viewed by many as the intellectual rival ofJohn Dewey.[5] Niebuhr was also one of the founders of Americans for Democratic Action and spent time at the Institute for Advanced Study inPrinceton, New Jersey.[6][7][8]
Niebuhr’s long-term impact on political philosophy and political theologyinvolve his utilizing the resources of the Christian faith to argue for political realism and his contributions to modern just war thinking. His work has also significantly influenced international relations theory, leading many scholars to move away from idealism and embrace realism.[9] Many leading political scientists, such as George F. Kennan, Hans Morgenthau, Kenneth Waltz, and political historians, such as Richard Hofstadter, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., and Christopher Lasch, have noted his influence on their thinking.[10][11]Andrew Bacevich labelled Niebuhr’s book The Irony of American History “the most important book ever written on U.S. foreign policy”.[12]
Aside from academics, numerous politicians and activists such as Thomas Edison, U.S. President Barack Obama,[13] former President Jimmy Carter,[14]Martin Luther King, Jr., Hillary Clinton, Hubert Humphrey, Dean Acheson, Madeleine Albright, and John McCain have also cited his influence on their thought.[12][15][16][17] Arthur Schlesinger described Niebuhr as “the most influential American theologian of the 20th century”[4][18] and Timeposthumously called Niebuhr “the greatest Protestant theologian in America since Jonathan Edwards”.[19] Recent years have seen a renewed interest in Niebuhr’s work, in part because of Obama’s stated admiration for Niebuhr.[20]