Reinhold Niebuhr and his circle of influence

Published in 2012 by Cambridge University Press, this volume is part of a scholarly effort to contextualize Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the most influential American theologians and public intellectuals of the twentieth century. Daniel F. Rice focuses on the intellectual web surrounding Niebuhr, examining the interactions and exchanges between Niebuhr and his contemporaries, including figures like Paul Tillich and W.H. Auden.

The book serves as a detailed study of mid-century American intellectual life, tracing how Niebuhr’s ideas on realism, politics, and ethics were refined through dialogue within his circle. Rice aims to move beyond a singular focus on Niebuhr, providing a broader look at the collaborative environment of mid-century religious and political thought. It has been received by academic circles as a necessary reference for understanding the sociopolitical underpinnings of the era’s theological discourse.