Reinhold Niebuhr
Reinhold Niebuhr
Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhrwas an American theologian, ethicist, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. The brother of another prominent theologian, H. Richard Niebuhr, he is also known for having composed the Serenity Prayer, He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. Among his most influential books are Moral Man and Immoral Society and The Nature and Destiny of Man, the second of which Modern Library ranked one of...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionReligious Leader
Date of Birth21 June 1892
CountryUnited States of America
Every experience proves that the real problem of our existence lies in the fact that we ought to love one another, but do not.
The will-to-live becomes the will-to-power.
Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.
Ultimately evil is done not so much by evil people, but by good people who do not know themselves and who do not probe deeply.
Forgiveness is the final form of love.
Since inequalities of privilege are greater than could possibly be defended rationally, the intelligence of privileged groups is usually applied to the task of inventing specious proofs for the theory that universal values spring from, and that general interests are served by, the special privileges which they hold.
Humor is a prelude to faith and laughter is the beginning of prayer.
Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.
There was a time when I had all the answers. My real growth began when I discovered that the questions to which I had the answers were not the important questions.
One of the most pathetic aspects of human history is that every civilization expresses itself most pretentiously, compounds its partial and universal values most convincingly, and claims immortality for its finite existence at the very moment when the decay which leads to death has already begun.
If we survive danger it steels our courage more than anything else.
The final wisdom of life requires not the annulment of incongruity but the achievement of serenity within and above it.
The cross symbolizes a cosmic as well as historic truth. Love conquers the world, but its victory is not an easy one.
Evil is not to be traced back to the individual but to the collective behavior of humanity.