Introduction
Why should anyone care about Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971, not to be confused with his brother, H. Richard)? For any Christian who desires to be involved in social problems, Reinhold Niebuhr provides a unique perspective that challenges our complacency and provides great wisdom on how and how not to engage in society. Niebuhr explains Christian theology in a way that challenges everyone to seek after greater justice and love. At the same time, his teaching encourages great humility in our endeavors because of the universal taint of every endeavor with our own sinfulness and pride.
Reinhold Niebuhr was certainly a theologian, but he was a theologian who was always interested in social problems. He wanted to apply his theology to the world for his own political activity and the instruction of others. In that way, his theology is unique because it is so oriented toward social problems without being triumphalistic or partisan. On the other side, his analysis of social problems is unique because of his theological perspective.
[Note: Read a shorter version of this article here]
Niebuhr’s Thesis: Man’s Nature Limits Society’s Possibilities
Niebuhr’s basic idea is deceptively simple: human beings are what they are. For Niebuhr, this means that human beings are free and creative but also beset by anxiety over their limitations and tempted to an egotism or pride that claims status and prerogatives far above what is their due. Of course, human beings often do not claim to do this. They deny it, even to themselves. So, there is always a measure of self-deception in their actions. Niebuhr explains that in spite of the new situations of the modern era, the self has not fundamentally changed. He says: Continue reading “Wisdom from Niebuhr: A Theology of Social Action (Long Version)”