The Irony of American History

E480389

The Irony of American History is a seminal 1952 work of Christian realism in which theologian Reinhold Niebuhr critiques American exceptionalism and explores the moral contradictions of U.S. power in the Cold War era.

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The Irony of American History canonical 1

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf book
non-fiction book
theological work
addresses danger of self-righteousness in foreign policy
limits of national virtue
responsibility of powerful nations
advocates Christian realism
moral humility in politics
recognition of human sinfulness
author Reinhold Niebuhr NERFINISHED
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
critiques American exceptionalism NERFINISHED
liberal optimism
naive moralism in foreign policy
utopianism in politics
describes moral contradictions of U.S. power
tension between ideals and interests in U.S. policy
genre Christian realism
political philosophy
political theology
hasPerspective anti-perfectionist
anti-utopian
realist
historicalContext early Cold War
post-World War II era
influenced American political thought
Christian political ethics
Cold War intellectual debates
influencedBy Augustinian thought
Christian theology
Reformation theology
language English
mainSubject American exceptionalism NERFINISHED
American history
Christian ethics
Cold War NERFINISHED
U.S. foreign policy
human limitations
irony in history
original sin
power and morality
notableFor critique of American innocence narrative
enduring influence on debates about American power
integration of theology and international relations
placeOfPublication New York City
publicationYear 1952
publisher Charles Scribner's Sons NERFINISHED

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Reinhold Niebuhr notableWork The Irony of American History