Reinhold Niebuhr Biography

Reinhold Niebuhr was a well known American theologian and intellectual who earned great fame and admiration of the masses. Niebuhr was ordained as a minister in the German Evangelical Synod of North America, following which he pastored the middle class for almost 13 years. After moving to New York, he began an association with New York's Union Theological Seminary, serving as professor of Christian ethics and also as the dean. His association with the seminary was significant that lasted for as long as he was alive. As a philosopher and intellectual, he was neither creating nor defending stringent belief systems. However, he worked on applying the contemporary Christian models to politics and society as a whole. His theological contributions have been described as "Christian realism," and most of his work was peace driven, aiming to reinforce the idea of love in a world witnessing constant conflicts. A man with many talents, Niebuhr was a prolific writer and a popular and engaging lecturer. He gained the status of a national celebrity and influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. and other prominent policy makers in the administration of President John F. Kennedy.