Books by Reinhold Niebuhr
“Moral Man and Immoral Society is about how Christian faith impinges on the world. What is interesting about Reinhold Niebuhr is that he was hugely influential on the top swath of American political thinkers and politicians in the Democratic Party. Jimmy Carter, for instance, kept a collection of Reinhold Niebuhr’s writings by his bedside. He referred to them as his political bible. He has been one of the few Christian writers who have really been able to speak to two generations of political thinkers and he is beginning to come back into fashion again now. He was a huge influence on President Obama, for example.” Read more...
The best books on Christianity
Richard Harries, Theologians & Historians of Religion
The Irony of American History
by Reinhold Niebuhr
It’s one of the most important books in American self-criticism. It was written after America had risen as a giant, as victor in World War II, when many believed it had won the mandate of Heaven and had ‘dreams of managing history’, when some even entertained the thought of a preventative nuclear war, as the US became embroiled in global antagonism with the Soviet Union. Reinhold Niebuhr, as a pessimistic theologian, was uneasy with American idealism and self-exaltation.
Interviews where books by Reinhold Niebuhr were recommended
The best books on The Rise and Fall of America, recommended by Patrick Porter
From the Cold War to the post-9/11 world, Professor Patrick Porter looks at America’s destiny and international function. Grappling with geopolitical questions, he looks at whether America’s flirtations with empire can be reconciled with republican ideals.
Books by Christian Authors
From the early days of Christianity in the first centuries after the death of Jesus of Nazareth, believers have sought to write down their experiences, their struggles, and their transformation as they found God.
The best books on Christianity, recommended by Richard Harries
The former bishop of Oxford tells us about books that explore what it means to be a Christian – from St Augustine and medieval mysticism to grappling with Dostoyevsky and more modern dilemmas. He picks the best books on Christianity.
