1892-1971
Protestant Theologian

Number One Theologian.

America's preeminent religious intellectual in the middle third of the twentieth century, Reinhold Niebuhr was also an important figure in social and political affairs. His picture graced the cover of Time magazine's twenty-fifth anniversary issue in 1948, and two years later the same publication called him "the number one theologian of United States Protestantism." His professional reputation was the equal of his public acclaim. The foremost philosopher of Protestant neo-orthodoxy, Niebuhr in his reconstruction of the faith was highly influential among theologians. He is perhaps best known for his "Serenity Prayer," first published in 1951:

God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed; give us the courage to change what should be changed; give us the wisdom to distinguish one from the other."

Background.

Born on 21 June 1892, Niebuhr was of German descent. His father was a minister in the...