Reinhold Niebuhr was a renowned American theologian, political critic, and ethicist. He inspired the German-Americans to be loyal to America through his writings published in national magazines. He went on to serve as an Executive Secretary to the War Welfare Commission while working as a pastor in Detroit. He was inspired by Marxism to become the Professor of Practical Theology and dedicated his life to theology. During his term as a professor, he became an influential leader of a small section in the Socialist Party. This encouraged him to set-up the ‘Union for Democratic Action’, which aimed at advocating some of the salient features of democracy like ‘Internationalist Foreign Policy’. He was also successful as a writer as he wrote various books including ‘The Irony of American History’. His most notable books were ‘The Irony of American History’ and ‘The Nature and Destiny of Man’ which continue to inspire great politicians globally. He was honored with the ‘Presidential Medal of Freedom’ for his great contributions in the field of theology. His thoughts, writings, speeches, work and life has been a great source of inspiration for people. Here is a compilation of quotations and sayings by Reinhold Niebuhr that are sure to motivate you.
Democracy is finding proximate solutions to insoluble problems.
Reinhold Niebuhr
The sad duty of politics is to establish justice in a sinful world.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Religion, declares the modern man, is consciousness of our highest social values. Nothing could be further from the truth. True religion is a profound uneasiness about our highest social values.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Goodness, armed with power, is corrupted; and pure love without power is destroyed.
Religion is so frequently a source of confusion in political life, and so frequently dangerous to democracy, precisely because it introduces absolutes into the realm of relative values.
Self-righteousness is the inevitable fruit of simple moral judgments.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Democracies are indeed slow to make war, but once embarked upon a martial venture are equally slow to make peace and reluctant to make a tolerable, rather than a vindictive, peace.
