The theological vision of Reinhold Niebuhr's The irony of American history : "in the battle and above it"

194 Pages·2013·0.98 MB·English

by  Erwin

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The Theological
Vision of Reinhold
’
Niebuhr s The Irony
of American History
“ ”
In the Battle and Above It
SCOTT R. ERWIN
1
3
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Contents
Acknowledgments vi
Introduction 1
1. FromTragedytoBeyondTragedy:TheDevelopment
ofNiebuhr’sChristianUnderstandingofHistory 24
PoliticalCynicismandaTragicViewofHistory 27
PaulTillichandtheCategoryofMyth 36
TheCrossandaViewpointBeyondTragedy 47
2. “IntheBattleandAboveIt”:Niebuhr’sNatureand
DestinyofManandWorldWarII 53
TheGatheringStorm 56
HumanNature 62
ChristianityandCrisis 67
IntheBattleandAboveIt 73
HumanDestiny 77
3. DiscerningtheSignsoftheTimes:TheRelevanceof
Niebuhr’sTheologicalVisiontotheColdWar 87
IllusionsofHistoryandtheSignsoftheTimes 90
ChristianHopeandthePinnacleoftheFaith 102
Korea,NuclearArms,andDelusionsofVainglory 113
4. TheIronyofTheIronyofAmericanHistory 119
NiebuhrandBarth:The“Super-Theologians”Meet 121
TheIronyofAmericanHistory 130
WhereistheTheology? 133
Lincolnas“America’sGreatestTheologian” 140
Conclusion 152
Bibliography 163
Index 181
Acknowledgments
Therearemanypeopletowhomacknowledgmentisdue.
First is Walter Russell Mead, who introduced me to Reinhold
Niebuhrthroughaseeminglyinnocentresearchrequestandencour-
agedmetostudytheology.
As this monograph is a modified version of my doctoral thesis
completedattheUniversityofOxford,Iamhugelyindebtedtomany
individuals in this community. First, I am indebted to Dr Joel Ras-
mussen, my DPhil supervisor, for striking a judicious balance be-
tween encouragement and challenge in his guidance. I am also
grateful to Joel for “godfathering” the process by which I turned my
doctoralthesisintoamonographand,moregenerally,forthestead-
fast friendship given by him, Tanya, and the boys. Second, I am
grateful for the support of Dr Charlotte Methuen, my MPhil super-
visor, who saw academic potential in my fascination for Niebuhr’s
description of Abraham Lincoln as “America’s greatest theologian.”
Third, I would like to thank Professor Nigel Biggar for the sage
guidance he provided me throughout my project and to his wife,
Ginny,foradoptingmeintotheChristianEthicscommunity.Fourth,
Iwouldliketoacknowledgethemanyotheracademicswhosetutelage
had an influence on my work: Professor George Pattison; Professor
Sarah Foot; Professor John Barton; Dr Johannes Zackhhuber;
DrMarkChapman;DrJaySexton;ReverendCharlesBrock;DrMark
Edwards. In particular, I want to recognize Donald Hay for his wise
counselandthespiritualguidancethatheandhiswife,Elizabeth,have
andcontinuetoprovide.Finally,IamgratefultotheRhodesTrustnot
onlyforthegenerousfinancialsupportofmyacademicstudiesbutalso
for exposing me to a truly remarkable community of scholars. Special
thanksto SirColin Lucas and ProfessorDon Markwellfortheir stew-
ardshipoftheTrustandtoMaryEaton,SheilaPartridge,JohnGee,Bob
Wyllie,andColinPageformakingRhodesHousesuchalovelyplaceto
callhomeinOxford.
Beyond the Oxford community, I have also benefited from the
insights of number of other academics. Dr Martin Halliwell, a Nie-
buhr scholar at the University of Leicester, taught me a great about
the theologian and about the practical aspects of academia as well.
Acknowledgments vii
DrWillInbodenoftheUniversityofTexasatAustinprovidedsound
adviceasIcraftedmysectionsonNiebuhr’sactivityduringtheCold
War. Christian Sahner, a doctoral student at Princeton University,
readandcommenteduponanumberofdraftchapters.Finally,Iam
grateful for my undergraduate professors at the University of Rich-
mond, Dr Gary McDowell and Dr Akiba Covitz in particular, for
supervising my initial studies of Abraham Lincoln and his religious
beliefs.
I am also deeply indebted to a host of dedicated and talented
library administrators and researchers without whom I could not
have conducted the primary and secondary research necessary to
completethiswork.IwanttothankJaneRawsonandhercolleagues
at the Rothermere American Institute in Oxford for countenancing
mypresenceinthelibraryonaneardailybasisforthreeyears.Iam
equallygratefultoElizabethBirchallattheTheologyFacultyLibrary
andJanetMcMullinandCristinaNeaguatChristChurchLibraryfor
theirsupport.
WritingfromEnglandaboutaninfluentialAmericantheologianis
notwithoutlogisticalchallenges.Thisburdenwasmadeincreasingly
lighter thanks to the helpfulness of Joseph Lemelin, Elizabeth Mir-
aglia,andSethKastenfromTheBurkeTheologicalLibraryatUnion
Theological Seminary in locating and scanning numerous articles
writtenby Niebuhr. Elizabeth deserves specific praise for her critical
researchsupportintheclosingstagesofthisproject.Iamalsograteful
to Linda Offineer at Westminster College’s Reeves Library for her
investigative work that shed light on Niebuhr’s Green Lectures that
servedasthebasisforIrony.Finally,IwanttorecognizeBruceKirby
andtheentirestaffoftheManuscriptReadingRoomattheLibraryof
CongresswhereNiebuhr’spapersarehoused.
I am deeply grateful to the Theological Monographs Committee,
chaired by Sir Diarmaid MacCulloch, for giving me the opportunity
topublishthiswork.Inaddition,IwouldliketothankTomPerridge
and Lizzie Robottom at Oxford University Press for overseeing the
publicationprocessandtheirvaluableassistancemoregenerally.
I want to also recognize my parents, Bob and Karen Erwin. Both
are voracious readers and instilled in me a love of learning from a
youngage.
Finally,Ithankmywife,Nitawhoisasfoundationaltothisworkas
Niebuhrhimself.Withouthercourage,wisdom,andinspiration,this
bookwouldbeunwritten.
ScottErwin
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Introduction
Reinhold Niebuhr was following in the footsteps of a giant when he
approached the podium and cast his eyes over the crowded gymna-
sium.InvitedbyWestminsterCollegeinFulton,Missouri,togivethe
1949 John Findlay Green Lectures, Niebuhr, a Missouri native, was
the first Green Lecturer since former Prime Minister Winston
Churchill. In the same gymnasium three years prior, the “British
Bulldog” had issued a clarion call to the Western world with his
“Iron Curtain Address.” Churchill’s warning that the Soviet Union
desired “all the fruits of war and the indefinite expansion of their
powers and doctrines,” had struck some at the time as an act of
aggressionagainstafellow Alliedpower.1 The interveningyearshad
proven him correct, however, as the Soviet Union consolidated its
controloverEasternEuropeandclashedwiththecountriesofWest-
ern Europe. Indeed, the week of Niebuhr’s address marked the first
major setback in Joseph Stalin’s breathtaking power grab—the an-
nouncedendoftheSovietblockadeofBerlin.Ratherthandiscussthe
Soviet threat, however, Niebuhr focused his address on the United
StatesandspecificallyonhowtheChristianfaithcouldhelpillumin-
ate the country’s responsibilities in the new world order. Over the
courseoftwolecturesentitled“ThisNationUnderGod,”thetheolo-
gian challenged the country to strike a balance between remaining
morallyresoluteinitsdefenseofWesterncivilizationwhilemaintain-
ingitsawarenessofthecommonfrailtiesthatboundittoitscurrent
foe. The eventual result of these lectures, The Irony of American
History, published in 1952, was a penetrating exposition on the
1 WinstonChurchill,“Mr.Churchill’sAddressCallingforUnitedEffortforWorld
Peace:TRUMANANDCHURCHILLINMISSOURI,”TheNewYorkTimes,March
6,1946,p.4.