The Nature and Destiny of Man

by Niebuhr, Reinhold

• ISBN13: 9780664257095
• ISBN10: 0664257097
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-11-01
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Pr

Summary

The Nature and Destiny of Manissues a vigorous challenge to Western civilization to understand its roots in the faith of the Bible, particularly the Hebraic tradition. The growth, corruption, and purification of the important Western emphases on individuality are insightfully chronicled here. This book is arguably Reinhold Niebuhr's most important work. It offers a sustained articulation of Niebuhr's theological ethics and is considered a landmark in twentieth-century thought.The Library of Theological Ethics series focuses on what it means to think theologically and ethically. It presents a selection of important and otherwise unavailable texts in easily accessible form. Volumes in this series will enable sustained dialogue with predecessors though reflection on classic works in the field.

Table of Contents

Library of Theological Ethics General Editors' Introduction	ix
Introduction	xi
Robin W. Lovin
Preface to the 1964 Edition	xxv
I. MAN AS A PROBLEM TO HIMSELF	1	(25)
The Classical View of Man	4	(8)
The Christian View of Man	12	(6)
The Modern View of Man	18	(8)
II. THE PROBLEM OF VITALITY AND FORM IN HUMAN NATURE	26	(28)
The Rationalistic View of Human Nature	30	(3)
The Romantic Protest Against Rationalism	33	(6)
The Errors of Romanticism	39	(15)
III. INDIVIDUALITY IN MODERN CULTURE	54	(39)
The Christian Sense of Individuality	57	(4)
The Idea of Individuality in the Renaissance	61	(4)
Bourgeois Civilization and Individuality	65	(3)
The Destruction of Individuality in Naturalism	68	(6)
The Loss of the Self in Idealism	74	(7)
The Loss of the Self in Romanticism	81	(12)
IV. THE EASY CONSCIENCE OF MODERN MAN	93	(30)
The Effort to Derive Evil from Specific Historical Sources	96	(8)
Nature as a Source of Virtue	104	(8)
The Optimism of Idealism	112	(11)
V. THE RELEVANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF MAN	123	(27)
Individual and General Revelation	125	(6)
Creation as Revelation	131	(5)
Historical and Special Revelation	136	(14)
VI. MAN AS IMAGE OF GOD AND AS CREATURE	150	(28)
Biblical Basis of the Doctrines	151	(16)
The Doctrine of Man as Creature	167	(11)
VII. MAN AS SINNER	178	(30)
Temptation and Sin	179	(7)
The Sin of Pride	186	(17)
The Relation of Dishonesty to Pride	203	(5)
VIII. MAN AS SINNER (Continued)	208	(33)
The Equality of Sin and the Inequality of Guilt	219	(9)
Sin as Sensuality	228	(13)
IX. ORIGINAL SIN AND MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY	241	(24)
Pelagian Doctrines	245	(3)
Augustinian Doctrines	248	(3)
Temptation and Inevitability of Sin	251	(4)
Responsibility Despite Inevitability	255	(5)
Literalistic Errors	260	(5)
X. JUSTITIA ORIGINALIS	265	(38)
Essential Nature and Original Righteousness	269	(7)
The Locus of Original Righteousness	276	(4)
The Content of Justitia Originalis as Law	280	(16)
The Transcendent Character of Justitia Originalis	296	(7)
Index of Scriptural Passages	303	(1)
Index of Proper Names	303	(1)
Index of Subjects	304	(19)
Library of Theological Ethics General Editors' Introduction	xi
Preface to the 1964 Edition	xiii
I. HUMAN DESTINY AND HISTORY	1	(34)
Where a Christ Is Not Expected	6	(9)
History Reduced to Nature	7	(4)
History Swallowed Up in Eternity	11	(4)
Where a Christ Is Expected	15	(20)
Types of Messianism	16	(7)
Prophetic Messianism	23	(12)
The Relation of Prophetism to Messianism	26	(5)
The Failure of Messianism to Answer The Prophetic Problem	31	(4)
II. THE DISCLOSURE AND THE FULFILLMENT OF THE MEANING OF LIFE AND HISTORY	35	(33)
Jesus' Own Reinterpretation of Prophetic Messianism	38	(14)
Jesus' Rejection of Hebraic Legalism	39	(2)
Jesus' Rejection of Nationalistic Particularism	41	(1)
Jesus' Rejection of the Answer of Hebraic Messianism for the Problem Presented by Prophetism	42	(5)
Jesus' Reinterpretation of the Eschata	47	(5)
The Acceptance by Christian Faith of the Expected and the Rejected Messiah	52	(16)
Christ Crucified as the ``Wisdom of God and The Power of God''	54	(3)
The Relation of the ``Wisdom of God'' to the ``Power of God''	57	(5)
The Identity of Wisdom and Power	57	(4)
The Difference Between Wisdom and Power	61	(1)
The Foolishness of God and the Wisdom of Men	62	(6)
III. THE POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITS OF HISTORY	68	(30)
Sacrificial Love and the Sinlessness of Christ	70	(6)
The Relation of Christ's Perfection to History	76	(14)
The Perfection of Christ and Innocency	76	(5)
The Perfection of Christ and Possibilities of History	81	(9)
The Relation of Christ's Perfection to Eternity	90	(5)
Summary	95	(3)
IV. WISDOM, GRACE AND POWER (THE FULFILLMENT OF HISTORY)	98	(29)
The Biblical Doctrine of Grace	100	(7)
Grace as Power in, and as Mercy Towards, Man	107	(20)
``I am Crucified with Christ''	108	(2)
``Nevertheless I Live''	110	(4)
``Yet not I: but Christ Liveth in Me''	114	(13)
Grace as the Power not Our Own	115	(4)
Grace as the Forgiveness of Our Sins	119	(8)
V. THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GRACE AND PRIDE	127	(30)
Pre-Augustinian Conceptions of Grace	129	(5)
The Catholic Conception of Grace	134	(14)
The Destruction of the Catholic Synthesis	148	(9)
VI. THE DEBATE ON HUMAN DESTINY IN MODERN CULTURE: THE RENAISSANCE	157	(27)
The Meaning of the Renaissance	160	(9)
Sectarian Protestantism and the Renaissance	169	(12)
The Triumph of the Renaissance	181	(3)
VII. THE DEBATE ON HUMAN DESTINY IN MODERN CULTURE: THE REFORMATION	184	(29)
The Lutheran Reformation	185	(13)
The Calvinistic Reformation	198	(6)
A Synthesis of Reformation and Renaissance	204	(9)
VIII. HAVING, AND NOT HAVING, THE TRUTH	213	(31)
The Problem of the Truth	214	(6)
The Test of Tolerance	220	(24)
Catholicism and Toleration	221	(5)
The Reformation and Toleration	226	(5)
The Renaissance and Toleration	231	(13)
IX. THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE	244	(43)
The Relation of Justice to Love	246	(1)
Laws and Principles of Justice	247	(9)
Structures of Justice	256	(13)
The Unity of Vitality and Reason	258	(2)
Types of Power in Social Life	260	(5)
The Organization and Balance of Power	265	(4)
The Christian Attitude to Government	269	(15)
Justice and World Community	284	(3)
X. THE END OF HISTORY	287	(36)
The New Testament Ideas of the End	289	(10)
The Parousia	290	(1)
The Last Judgment	291	(3)
The Resurrection	294	(5)
The End and Meaning of History	299	(2)
The Diversity and Unity of History	301	(22)
The Rise and Fall of Cultures and Civilizations	302	(6)
The Individual and History	308	(5)
The Unity of History	313	(10)
Index of Scriptural Passages	323	(1)
Index of Proper Names	323	(2)
Index of Subjects	325