라인홀드 니버의 기독교 현실주의의 요체와 평가

Abstract

As early as in the 1920s, some Protestant theologians in the U.S. were already searching for ideas for coping with important social issues emerging in rapidly changing industrial America. For instance, McIntosh at Yale Divinity School co-authored a book, entitled Religious Realism. But it was in the work of Reinhold Niebuhr(1892-1971) that the idea about Christian realism came to its fruition when he first published Moral Man and Immoral Society and subsequently a number of books in which he expounded many profound thoughts on various themes of Christian realism. Undoubtedly Niebuhr is, and deservedly so, recognized as the major and leading theologian who had developed and succeeded in providing both theoretical and practical substance to the idea of Christian Realism. In short, Christian Realism refers to a Christian response to the realities of politics and ethics(morality). Basing its arguments on biblical faith and insights on the sin and fall, it asserts that the Christian perspective on human nature and political phenomena must be realistic, rather than pessimistic or optimistic. In this paper, I have briefly elaborated seven points which may be considered to be recurrent themes closely identified with Christian realism, and some critical views of Christian realism raised by some political scientists and liberation theologians. They are: emphasis on structure; criticism of both liberalism and Marxism from the Biblical standpoint; peace and war; democracy; dual ethics in political phenomena; Justice and love; and sin. Toward the end of the paper, a question as to whether Christian realism is still relevant in the 21st Century is raised. I am inclined to give apositive response, particularly because Christian realists are increasingly called upon to play a positive role in the world threatened by increasingly horrendous wars in various parts around the world.