Studies in Religion Research Seminar on Keeping Them Honest: Reinhold Niebuhr’s Argument in Support of Democracy presented by Rev Dr David Pitman

Event Details

Date:

Friday, 04 September 2015

Time:

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Room:

Room E319 Forgan Smith Building

UQ Location:

Forgan Smith Building (St Lucia)

Event category(s):

Full Description:: Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) was one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. He was a passionate advocate for both social and political activism. At one point in his career, Niebuhr engaged in a major study of Marxism. However, he later became disillusioned with the way it was enacted—especially in Russia. He came to endorse democracy, but not uncritically and unreservedly.

This paper explores the way in which Niebuhr’s thought on socio-political systems developed and his capacity to be both an advocate for the principles of democracy and, at the same time, an ardent critic of the manner in which those principles were enacted.