The Essential Reinhold Niebuhr: Selected Essays and AddressesYale University Press, 1986 M01 1 - 264 pages 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 |
Contents
The Providence of God | 33 |
Humour and Faith | 49 |
The Assurance of Grace | 61 |
Prayers | 72 |
The Christian Church in a Secular Age | 79 |
The Christian Witness in the Social and National Order | 93 |
Why the Christian Church Is Not Pacifist | 102 |
Augustines Political Realism | 123 |
The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness | 160 |
The Relations of Christians and Jews in Western | 182 |
THE POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITATIONS | 203 |
Coherence Incoherence and Christian Faith | 218 |
Mystery and Meaning | 237 |
A View of Life from the Sidelines | 250 |
Index of Persons | 259 |
Love and Law in Protestantism and Catholicism | 142 |
Other editions - View all
The Essential Reinhold Niebuhr: Selected Essays and Addresses Reinhold Niebuhr No preview available - 1986 |
The Essential Reinhold Niebuhr: Selected Essays and Addresses Reinhold Niebuhr No preview available - 1987 |
Common terms and phrases
absolute achieve agape anarchy Augustine Augustine's become biblical bourgeois Catholic children of darkness children of light Christ Christian faith Christian pacifism church civilization coherence common grace conception conflict contradiction corruption creature creed cynicism declares defined democratic despair dimension divine doctrine dualism egotism ethic evil express fact final forgiveness freedom glass darkly God's gospel grace harmony human existence human nature humour ideals ideological impulse incongruities individual injustice interest Jesus Jewish Jews Judaism judgment justice laughter law of love liberal man's Marxist meaning medieval ment mercy moral mystery nations natural law Nazism Neo-Platonic Niebuhr norms obscure optimism original sin pacifists particular perfect peril pessimism political possible problem prophets pure realism realm reason recognize regarded Reinhold Niebuhr relation religion religious revealed rivers of Babylon secular seek self-interest self-love sense simple sinful social society spirit theory things Thomism thou thought tion transcends truth tyranny ultimate uncon universal weakness
Popular passages
Page 41 - LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
Page 21 - And when they had platted a crown of thorns they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand : and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews.
Page 88 - Which when the Apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying : — " Sirs, why do ye these things ? We also are men of like passions with you...
Page 33 - You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Page 41 - Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Page 80 - For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they are without excuse. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations. and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible...
Page 228 - For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently ? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
Page 239 - It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers ; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing ; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
Page 16 - Religion is the vision of something which stands beyond, behind, and within, the passing flux of immediate things; something which is real, and yet waiting to be realized; something which is a remote possibility, and yet the greatest of present facts; something that gives meaning to all that passes, and yet eludes apprehension; something whose possession is the final good, and yet is beyond all reach; something which is the ultimate ideal, and the hopeless quest.
Page 92 - And think not to say within yourselves. We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.