The social gospel and the mind of jesus unknown binding january 1, 1988 by h. Reinhold niebuhr and christian realism, a theology of. His 1932 volume moral man and immoral society laid out his repudiation of the social gospel. At the very least it will open your eyes to the very real interaction between christ and culture. Richard, and paul tillich, reinhold niebuhrs colleague at union theological seminary in new york city.
Reinhold niebuhrs christian realism was in significant part a rejection of the pacifism and optimism of the social gospel movement in the united states. Niebuhrian realism, world war ii, and the cold war. In an 18 july 1952 letter, martin luther king wrote to his future wife, coretta scott, about his beliefs as a minister and proclaimed. Here manual labor is a drudgery and toil is slavery. The palgrave macmillan history of international thought. Richard niebuhr, chapter two christ against culture. The social gospel, by contrast, was a halfcentury movement and an enduring perspective that paved the way for modern ecumenism, social christianity, the civil rights movement, and the field of social ethics. Reinhold niebuhr, christian realism, and just war theory.
In the aftermath of world war i many people in america, especially protestant clergy, became disillusioned with the idea of political intervention, focussing on domestic rather than international disputes. He thought of himself as a preacher and social activist, but the influence of his theological thought on the field of social ethics and on society made him a significant intellectual figure. Pdf reinhold niebuhrs christian realism christian idealism. Get an answer for how was reinhold niebuhr s vision different from that of social gospel thinkers. King later evaluated niebuhr s contribution to theology as a rebuttal of the false optimism characteristic of a great segment of protestant liberalism king, 99. Niebuhr called his new philosophy christian realism in opposition to the optimistic nature of rauschenbuschs social gospel. Three fallacies of the social gospel institute for faith. An introduction to christian realism reinhold niebuhr and. Walter rauschenbusch excerpts from a theology for the social. Social sin, structures of sin catholic social teaching since the 1960s has spoken explicitly of sin as social, especially during the pontificate of pope john paul ii 19782005.
Like the leaders of the social gospel movement before them, these writers were concerned with the gap between the biblical vision of gods rule and the realities of modern industrial society. Even though niebuhr had initially been sympathetic to the movement, he came to dismiss its belief that the realization of the kingdom of god, proclaimed by jesus, could be expected in the foreseeable future. Justice, a key element in christian realism, was threatened by mans selflove, which according to niebuhr was the source of all 6walter rauschenbusch, a theology for the social gospel 1917. It should not be too difficult for any professing christian who properly understands the doctrine of original sin to realize that what niebuhr is espousing is not the gospel, social or otherwise, but a type of secular humanism. According to niebuhr, in the christ of culture type, christ is identified with what men conceive to be their finest ideals, their noblest institutions, and their best philosophies. Karl paul reinhold niebuhr 18921971 was an american reformed theologian, ethicist, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at union theological seminary for more than 30 years.
Niebuhr was the archetypal american intellectual of the cold war era. In fact, niebuhr never left that side of the political spectrum in american politics, and he remained skeptical. Reinhold niebuhr is very attractive figure among 20 th century american theologians. Christ and culture is a classic book, likely to retain its relevance fifty years from now. Get an answer for how was reinhold niebuhrs vision different from that of social gospel thinkers. Proponents of the social gospel connected social reform to scriptural ideals, calling for regulation of the rapidly industrializing, vastly unequal society that emerged in the early 1900s. Reinhold niebuhr and christian realism, a theology of avarice. Walter rauschenbusch excerpts from a theology for the.
Christian realism is a political theology in the christian tradition. The shaping of reinhold niebuhr to some degree all people are shaped by their spiritual journey. How was reinhold niebuhrs vision different from that of. Niebuhrs insistence on justicedoing as the essential work of the church earned him. For the new generation, however, a christian conscience informed by scientific study would not suffice to close the gap. May 09, 2017 but niebuhr attacked social gospel idealism so vehemently that he was usually construed as an opponent of the social gospel itself, and his later theology embraced augustinian tropes about original sin and divine transcendence, such that he was usually construed as theologically neoorthodox. The social gospel was a movement within liberal protestantism which located the meaning of the christian gospel in its promise as a blueprint for. Niebuhr was one of americas leading public intellectuals for several decades of the 20th century and received the presidential medal of freedom. The pastoral responsibility of the church for society is, however, direct as well as indirect.
Richard niebuhr taught at the yale divinity school. Richard niebuhr criticized the liberal social gospel describing its message as, a god without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a christ without a cross. Moral man and immoral society is reinhold niebuhrs important early study in ethics and politics. An introduction to christian realism reinhold niebuhr. The first clearcut literary product of niebuhrs marxism is an article in thechristian centuryof august, 1931 regular readers of that paper mostly clergymen, and mostly of the social gospel persuasion must have been struck by the new note of historical determininism in a writer whose work was already so familiar to them. Niebuhr is famous for his rejection of the idealism associated with the social gospel, but he rejected its utopian expectations, not its progressive objectives. My task then is to analyze niebuhrs christian ethics, which, as a prophetic one, is also bound to. The foregoing quip captures a realization that came to the young reinhold niebuhr in the 192os and that turned the liberal christian pastor away from pacifism and toward a more realist ethic of.
Niebuhr taught, wrongly, that the social gospel had no doctrine of sin and, more justly, that it was too middle class and idealistic to be a serious force in power politics. For the new generation, however, a christian conscience informed by scientific study would not. Forthright and realistic, it discusses the inevitability of social conflict, the brutal behavior of human collectives of every sort, the inability of rationalists and social scientists to even imagine the realities of collective power, and, ultimately, how individual morality can overcome social. Protestantism than the existing social gospel theology. The social gospel was a movement within liberal protestantism which located the meaning of the christian gospel in its promise as a blueprint for progressive social reform, rather than its assertions about supernatural reality. Gary dorrien is reinhold niebuhr professor of social ethics at union theological seminary and professor of religion at columbia university. Niebuhrs christian realism, emphasizing the inevitability of sin in individuals and social institutions alike, provided a philosophy that emphasized action towards this political power, influencing american conduct and discourse as the war broke out across the atlantic at the turn of the decade.
Both of these social leaders are reinhold niebuhrs rhetorical legacy. It was not even a movement, but rather, a reaction to the social gospel centered on one person, reinhold niebuhr. The political theology of augustine, thomas aquinas, and reinhold niebuhr pdf ma thesis. Reinhold niebuhr 18921971 was the leading neoorthodox theologian in the united states and the premier american public theologian of the cold war era from 1945 to his death.
This paper takes a historical approach to describing theologian reinhold niebuhrs concept of christian realism, and its consequences for political thought in america. Both liberal theology and the social gospel assumed that there were universal definitions of human nature and of. Briddell, a member of the dialectical society, reported that during kings presentation he corrected it to the theology of reinhold niebuhr david w. Excerpts from a theology for the social gospel 1917 the son of german calvinist immigrants, walter rauschenbusch 1861. The theological vision of reinhold niebuhrs the irony of american. Richard niebuhrs christ and culture oxford handbooks. Niebuhr demonstrates the complexity of this issue by entertaining the philosophical, social, and theological ramifications involved in the discipline of christian ethics. Richard niebuhrs christ and culture is one of the most significant theological and missiological works of the 20th century, offering a memorable categorization of the ways christians have related to culture throughout history. To a large extent the theology of the social gospel is a peculiarly american phenomenon,1 part of whose essence is an interpretation of the christian message and church as having a role to play in the public sphere. The following decades, characterized by war and social unrest, saw a series of christian movementsnotably those organized by dr. A theology for the social gospel by rauschenbusch, walter, 18611918. After niebuhrs generation had passed, liberationists judged that the social gospel and niebuhrs christian realism were too middle class, white, maledominated.
The social gospel social ethics in the making wiley. The first clearcut literary product of niebuhrs marxism is an article in thechristian centuryof august, 1931. In fact, niebuhr never left that side of the political spectrum in american politics, and he remained skeptical of orthodoxy and derisive of biblical literalism throughout. The key political concepts of christian realism are balance of power and political responsibility. Radical orthodoxys critique of niebuhr oxford scholarship. As we shall see later, they differed significantly, while sharing the legacy of liberal theology and the social gospel. This is the gospel that i will preach to the world papers 6. Richard niebuhrs view of christian ethics, presented at the ka tholieke. Publication date 1917 topics christian sociology, theology, doctrinal. The responsibility of the church for society religion online. Niebuhr, karl barth, and dietrich bonhoeffer are frequently described as belonging to the neoorthodox school of theological thought, which attempts to reconcile reformed theology with the enlightenment and emphasizes god as the.
The early development of reinhold niebuhrs philosophy of history. It argues that while christ and culture does not examine the. Charles scriven sets out to correct and extend the vision of christian social involvement presented by h. By analyzing king within the context of the long social gospel movement in addition to the long civil rights movement, we can explain his radical social mission in terms of race and class, but without marginalizing the christian values at the core of his calling. Christian gospel is lost in a moralistic radicalsocial preaching which. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to.
Moral man and immoral society is reinhold niebuhr s important early study in ethics and politics. Richard niebuhr author see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Read the fulltext online edition of reinhold niebuhr. The younger brother of theologian reinhold niebuhr, richard niebuhr taught for several decades at the yale divinity school. According to this perspective, christians must live in opposition toward their culture. World war ii and the eclipse of the social gospel, journal of church and state, volume 44, issue 2 we use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. Reinhold niebuhr, born june 21, 1892, wright city, missouri, u. God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Compassion and concern for the jewish peopie as a whole, pastoral interest in the defeated nations and in the victors who stand in great moral danger characterize the church which responds to the god who not only creates men but also their societies. Niebuhr was one of americas leading public intellectuals for several decades of the 20th century and received the presidential medal of freedom in 1964. Pdf reinhold niebuhr on the sect church researchgate. Starting as a leftist minister in the 1920s, he explored how the sin of pride created evil in the world.
And each concerns matters that animated the work of reinhold niebuhr. Let us continue to hope, work, and pray that in the future we will live to see a warless world, a better distribution of wealth, and a brotherhood that transcends race or color. And yet, it is this same worldly soteriology of salvationbyactivism that many advocates of the social gospel. He was born in wright city, missouri on june 21, 1892 to gustav and lydia niebuhr, a young germanamerican couple who had come to america in 1881. They must live by the standards of the kingdom of god, quite apart from an involvement in the world. This politicaltheological perspective is most closely associated with. Social sin, structures of sin catholic social teaching since the 1960s has spoken. He built on this with two years at yale divinity school, and so he began his career as a theologian and pastor as an advocate of what was called the social gospel. Christian realism social ethics in the making wiley.
Reinhold niebuhrs ethics of rhetoric lsu digital commons. Richard niebuhrs the kingdom of god in america is such a book, first i first read in 1978 as a graduate student. Du bois and the black social gospel 2015 and the forthcoming breaking white supremacy. The title of the version is simply reinhold niebuhr, but david w. Helmut richard niebuhr 18941962 is considered one of the most important christian theological ethicists in 20thcentury america, best known for his 1951 book christ and culture and his posthumously published book the responsible self. Pdf this essay argues, contra niebuhrs critics, that he had a rich and. Christian realism was in part a reaction to the 20thcentury social gospel movement. It discusses niebuhrs triadic interweaving of faith, history, and ethics. Statement of the position whatever may be the customs of the society in which the christian lives, and whatever the human achievements it conserves, christ is seen as opposed to them, so that he confronts men with the challenge of an eitheror decision. Christ of culture cultural christians, social gospel, liberal. Richard niebuhr, liberal religion, and radical monotheism. Accordingly, he presents some major options for christians to consider. Publication date 1917 topics christian sociology, theology, doctrinal publisher new york, the macmillan company collection.
Ethics is no small task for the theologian, the pastor, or the layperson. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Richard niebuhr, christ and culture chapter two christ against culture i. Raised in the social gospel tradition of his fathers church, martin luther king encountered reinhold niebuhr s less hopeful philosophy, christian realism, as a student at crozer theological seminary in 1949.
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