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===Theology===
===Theology===
In 1939 he explained his theological odyssey:<ref>Niebuhr, "Ten Years That Shook My World", ''The Christian Century'' (April 26, 1939) in ''Sources of the American Mind: Volume II,'' ed. by Loren Baritz, (1960) pp 542-546 </ref>
{{cquote|...About midway in my ministry which extends roughly from the peace of Versailles [1919] to the peace of Munich [1938], measured in terms of Western history, I underwent a fairly complete conversion of thought which involved rejection of almost all the liberal theological ideals and ideas with which I ventured forth in 1915. I wrote a book, my first, in 1927 which when now consulted is proved to contain almost all the theological windmills against which today I tilt my sword. These windmills must have tumbled shortly thereafter for every succeeding volume expresses a more and more explicit revolt against what is usually known as liberal culture.}}
This is a literary repudiation of his own book ''Does Civilization need Religion?'' (1927).
In the 1930s Niebuhr worked out many of his ideas about sin and grace, love and justice, faith and reason, realism and idealism, and the irony and tragedy of history, which established his leadership of the [[Neo-orthodoxy|neo-orthodox]] movement in theology.
In the 1930s Niebuhr worked out many of his ideas about sin and grace, love and justice, faith and reason, realism and idealism, and the irony and tragedy of history, which established his leadership of the [[Neo-orthodoxy|neo-orthodox]] movement in theology.
===Niebuhr and Communism===
===Niebuhr and Communism===
After [[Stalin]] signed a pact with [[Hitler]] in August 1939), Niebuhr severed his past ties with any fellow-traveler organization having any known Communist leanings. In the 1950s his position became so anti-communist that he believed McCarthy was a force of [[evil]] not so much for disrespecting civil liberties as for being ineffective in rooting out Communists and their sympathizers.<ref> Fox, ''Reinhold Niebuhr" (1985) p 252</ref> He thought the [[Rosenbergs]] should be executed, stating "Traitors are never ordinary criminals and the Rosenbergs are quite obviously fiercely loyal Communists....Stealing atomic secrets is an unprecedented crime".<ref> Fox, ''Reinhold Niebuhr" (1985) p 252</ref>.
After [[Stalin]] signed a pact with [[Hitler]] in August 1939), Niebuhr severed his past ties with any fellow-traveler organization having any known Communist leanings. In the 1950s his position became so anti-communist that he believed McCarthy was a force of [[evil]] not so much for disrespecting civil liberties as for being ineffective in rooting out Communists and their sympathizers.<ref> Fox, ''Reinhold Niebuhr" (1985) p 252</ref> He thought the [[Rosenbergs]] should be executed, stating "Traitors are never ordinary criminals and the Rosenbergs are quite obviously fiercely loyal Communists....Stealing atomic secrets is an unprecedented crime".<ref> Fox, ''Reinhold Niebuhr" (1985) p 252</ref>.
===Niebuhr and Dewey===
===Niebuhr and Dewey===