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Reinhold Niebuhr

Reinhold Niebuhr Quotes

Theologian

Reinhold Niebuhr was a prominent American theologian whose work on Christian ethics and social ethics had a profound impact on the 20th century. He was a key figure in theological discourse, particularly for his exploration of the nature of sin and the church's role in society. Niebuhr's theological thought has influenced various Christian denominations and has had a lasting effect on political and social thought.

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Famous Reinhold Niebuhr Quotes

“Perhapsthemost sublimeinsights oftheJewishprophets and the Christian gospel is the knowledge that since perfection is love, the apprehension of perfection is at once the means of seeing one's imperfections and the consoling assurance of grace which makes this realization bearable. This ultimate paradox of high religion is not an invention of theologians or priests. It is constantly validated by the most searching experiences of life.”

Mean Christian Grace Seeing Perfection Ultimate Invention Realization Priests Paradox Imperfection Assurance Theologian Apprehension Bearable Consoling

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“My personal attitude toward atheists is the same attitude that I have toward Christians, and would be governed by a very orthodox text: "By their fruits shall ye know them." I wouldn't judge a man by the presuppositions of his life, but only by the fruits of his life. And the fruits - the relevant fruits - are, I'd say, a sense of charity, a sense of proportion, a sense of justice. And whether the man is an atheist or a Christian, I would judge him by his fruits, and I have therefore many agnostic friends.”

Knows Men Would Be Christian Justice Attitude He Man Judging Charity Fruit Atheist Proportion Orthodox Relevant Agnostic

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“In the 17th and 18th centuries there was a kind of Protestantism that said, "If you could only get rid of the Bishop, then you'd be a true Christian".”

Ifs Kind Said Christian Century Bishops 18th Century Protestantism

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“You might get rid of the Bishop and get to the local Ku Klux Klan leader. That, on the whole, has been the fate of certain types of Protestantism. They get under the control of a White Citizens Council while the Catholic Church has an authoritarian system, yes, in which the Bishop expresses the conscience of the whole Christian community and they say there are some things that you can't do on this matter.”

“I've long ago felt, I have many Jewish friends and I very I think creative Jewish friends, and I've long felt that the average Christian didn't realize the tremendous capacity for civic righteousness among our Jewish people.”

People Thinking Long Christian Felt Realizing Creative Capacity Average Righteousness Long Ago Civics Jewish Friends

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“I think that the Christian faith is right as against simple forms of secularism. That it believes that there is in man a radical freedom, and this freedom is creative but it is also destructive. And there's nothing that prevents this from being both creative and destructive.”

Thinking Men Believe Christian Form Simple Creative Radical Destructive Secularism Christian Faith

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“My personal attitude toward atheists is the same attitude that I have toward Christians, and would be governed by a very orthodox text: "By their fruits shall ye know them."”

Knows Would Be Christian Attitude Fruit Atheist Orthodox

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“Whether the man is an atheist or a Christian, I would judge him by his fruits, and I have therefore many agnostic friends.”

Men Christian He Man Judging Fruit Atheist Agnostic

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“I might say that the debate between atheists and Christians is rather stale to me, because the Christians say, "You must be a Christian, or you must be a religious man, in order to be good," and the atheists will say, "It's beneath the dignity of a free man to bow his knee to a god, as if he were a sinner," or something like that.”

Ifs Men Might Christian Order Religious Dignity Atheist Be Good Debate Knees Sinner Bows Free Man Stale

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr