Christian realism

E480391

Christian realism is a theological and ethical perspective, chiefly associated with Reinhold Niebuhr, that emphasizes human sinfulness, moral ambiguity, and the need for pragmatic, often restrained use of power in politics and society.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Christian realism canonical 4
Christian_realism 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (55)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Christian ethical theory ⓘ
Christian political philosophy ⓘ
political theology ⓘ
theological perspective ⓘ
aimsAt approximate justice rather than perfection ⓘ
associatedWith American Protestantism ⓘ
George Kennan ⓘ
linked to: George F. Kennan

H. Richard Niebuhr ⓘ
John C. Bennett ⓘ
Paul Ramsey ⓘ
Reinhold Niebuhr ⓘ
basedOn Augustinian anthropology ⓘ
Christian doctrine of sin ⓘ
biblical view of human nature ⓘ
contrastsWith Christian pacifism ⓘ
liberal Christian idealism ⓘ
utopian political projects ⓘ
developedIn 20th century ⓘ
developedInContextOf Cold War politics ⓘ
linked to: Cold War

World War II ⓘ
interwar period ⓘ
emphasizes awareness of human fallibility ⓘ
critique of pacifist absolutism ⓘ
critique of utopianism ⓘ
limits of moral idealism in politics ⓘ
need for compromise in public life ⓘ
pragmatic use of power ⓘ
restraint in politics ⓘ
tension between Christian ideals and political realities ⓘ
hasCoreTheme human sinfulness ⓘ
limits of human perfectibility ⓘ
moral ambiguity ⓘ
original sin ⓘ
political responsibility ⓘ
responsible use of power ⓘ
tension between love and justice ⓘ
tragic dimension of history ⓘ
holdsThat collective entities can magnify sin ⓘ
even well-intentioned actions are tainted by self-interest ⓘ
influenced Christian just war thinking in the 20th century ⓘ
Christian political ethics ⓘ
Cold War foreign policy debates in the United States ⓘ
public theology ⓘ
influencedBy Augustine of Hippo ⓘ
Karl Barth ⓘ
Protestant neo-orthodoxy ⓘ
linked to: Neo-orthodoxy

classical just war tradition ⓘ
liberal democracy ⓘ
realist international relations theory ⓘ
relatedConcept Protestant social ethics ⓘ
just war theory ⓘ
political realism ⓘ
seesPoliticsAs realm of competing interests and partial goods ⓘ
supports balance of power as a check on human sin ⓘ
limited use of force under moral constraints ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Reinhold Niebuhr → notableIdea → Christian realism ⓘ
On Her Own Work → discussesConcept → Christian_realism ⓘ
linked to: Christian realism