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Niebuhr did battle with the religious liberals over what he called their naïve views of sin and the optimism of the [[Social Gospel]]. He did battle with the religious conservatives over what he viewed as their naïve view of Scripture and their narrow definition of "true religion." He was a leader of liberal intellectuals and supported many liberal causes, but his ideas were often too orthodox for secular liberals, while his view that the Bible could not be taken literally was too liberal for the Fundamentalists. Thus he was too secular for many of the religious and too religious for the secular, but just right for those who appreciated the irony of history.
Niebuhr did battle with the religious liberals over what he called their naïve views of sin and the optimism of the [[Social Gospel]]. He did battle with the religious conservatives over what he viewed as their naïve view of Scripture and their narrow definition of "true religion." He was a leader of liberal intellectuals and supported many liberal causes, but his ideas were often too orthodox for secular liberals, while his view that the Bible could not be taken literally was too liberal for the Fundamentalists. Thus he was too secular for many of the religious and too religious for the secular, but just right for those who appreciated the irony of history.
In recent years conservatives have invoked Niebuhr's emphasis on original sin, his relentless critique of progressive utopianism, and his Cold War anti-communism. An older generation of liberals still sees him as a champion of their attitudes.
[[File:Niebuhr1.jpg|thumb|270px]]
[[File:Niebuhr1.jpg|thumb|270px]]
==Career==
==Career==
* Patton Howard G. ''Reinhold Niebuhr'' (1977) [http://www.religion-online.org/showbook.asp?title=3279 full text online]
* Patton Howard G. ''Reinhold Niebuhr'' (1977) [http://www.religion-online.org/showbook.asp?title=3279 full text online]
* Rice, Daniel F. ''Reinhold Niebuhr and John Dewey: An American Odyssey.'' (1993). 358 pp.
* Rice, Daniel F. ''Reinhold Niebuhr and John Dewey: An American Odyssey.'' (1993). 358 pp.
* Rice, Daniel F., ed. ''Reinhold Niebuhr Revisited: Engagements with an American Original'' (2009), old liberals still claim him [http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/118556.html online review]
* Rosenthal, Joel H. ''Righteous Realists: Political Realism, Responsible Power, and American Culture in the Nuclear Age.'' (1991). 191 pp. Compares Niebuhr with Hans J. Morgenthau, Walter Lippmann, George F. Kennan, and Dean Acheson
* Rosenthal, Joel H. ''Righteous Realists: Political Realism, Responsible Power, and American Culture in the Nuclear Age.'' (1991). 191 pp. Compares Niebuhr with Hans J. Morgenthau, Walter Lippmann, George F. Kennan, and Dean Acheson
* Smith, David L. ''A Handbook of Contemporary Theology'' (1992), ch 2. a Fundamentalist view of Niebuhr
* Smith, David L. ''A Handbook of Contemporary Theology'' (1992), ch 2. a Fundamentalist view of Niebuhr