Christianity and Crisis

Christian Disagreement at the Dawn of the Cold War - Truman Doctrine - Communism
Christian Disagreement at the Dawn of the Cold War

“Unless we accept the Russian view of the nature of man, we cannot work with the USSR to a common end for human society.”

Christian Realists on the Truman Doctrine and Greek Civil War
Christian Realists on the Truman Doctrine and Greek Civil War

During an address to the US Congress on March 12, 1947, President Harry Truman called for military and economic aid to Turkey and Greece to counter communist threats. This began the Truman Doctrine, and Christian realists responded a month later.

Our Witness to the Resurrection Easter
Our Witness to the Resurrection on Easter

“Our Witness to the Resurrection,” by Ursula M. NiebuhrMarch 31, 1947 “Christ is risen, alleluia.” The triumphant words ring out:…

The Foolishness of Relief - Foreign Aid
The Foolishness of Foreign Aid

What could be more foolish than to blow up half of Europe and the Far East and then give billions to repair the damage? What is more inconsistent than the killing of soldiers and civilians followed by superhuman efforts to save the lives of the survivors?

Niebuhr’s Report from Scotland, 1947
Niebuhr’s Report from Scotland, 1947

In late winter and early spring 1947, Reinhold Niebuhr visited Europe and wrote short editorials for Christianity and Crisis as he traveled. In the following correspondences, the first coming from Scotland and the second coming from somewhere in the United Kingdom, he offers brief reflections on different current events.

People Displaced: Then and Now
Displaced Persons, from 1946–47 Germany to Today

Seventy-five years ago, Cynthia Nash wrote about displaced persons in occupied Germany who could not return home after the Second World War.

Have We Any Spiritual Capital for Export?
Have We Any Hope for Export?

Have we any hope and faith for export? In this time of apprehension and pessimism, here as well as over there, have we any hope and faith to spare?

Firmness or Conciliation for Russia: Reinhold Niebuhr in 1947
Firmness or Conciliation for Russia: Reinhold Niebuhr in 1947

We are told that a policy of firmness must inevitably lead to war, while conciliation could guarantee peace. In the Nazi days this was called appeasement.

Evangelism First
Evangelism First

No amount of general exhortations about the fallacies of secular philosophies, or about the actual or potential contribution of the Church to the life of the world can be of much use in the long run unless men and women come into the Church, not primarily because the Church is good for the world, but primarily because its faith is for them the deepest truth about life, about their own lives, because in its worship they find their God.

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Christianity & National Security 2023

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