“It was inevitable that the final surrender of Japan, ending the costliest war of human history, should be greeted with a delirium of joy all over the world, and in America particularly.”
Reinhold Niebuhr & Christianity & Crisis Magazine & Mark MeltonAugust 28, 2020
This article by Gerald Monsman from 75 years ago, originally titled “Reflections on Sovereignty,” addresses whether the United States should cooperate with other countries for the global good.
Christianity & Crisis MagazineJuly 14, 2020
On May 8, 1945, the Allies accepted Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender. Shortly thereafter, Reinhold Niebuhr explained why the victors should be sober and humble.
Reinhold Niebuhr & Christianity & Crisis MagazineMay 8, 2020
Christianity and Crisis published the following editorial by Reinhold Niebuhr on February 19, 1945. He explains not only why his publication criticized the United States’ foreign policies as the country fought Nazi Germany, but also why Christians should not have uncritical loyalty to the nation.
Christianity & Crisis Magazine & Reinhold NiebuhrApril 15, 2020
Americans should be willing to condemn China’s great crimes while also critiquing America’s mistakes. Democratic citizens’ right to criticize their government is a key reason why the US is better than China and why democracies ultimately outperform autocracies.
Mark MeltonApril 3, 2020
This thought-provoking article, originally published in Christianity and Crisis on November 30th, 1942, suggests that a better post-war world is one that includes the colonies of the Western powers (the nations that were colonies at the time of this piece’s writing). Editor Miner Searle Bates chides the Allied powers for excluding nations such as China and India in their post-war planning and argues that they deserve a seat at the table.
Christianity & Crisis MagazineNovember 24, 2017
Reinhold Niebuhr refutes the argument that Christians are only allowed to pursue war for the purpose of self-defense. He asserts that a Christian’s willingness to fight should stem from a desire to seek and promote justice.
Christianity & Crisis MagazineNovember 2, 2017
This essay, written by Lynn Harold Hough for Christianity and Crisis on October 19, 1942, praises the quiet strength and steely courage of the British people throughout World War Two.
Christianity & Crisis MagazineOctober 13, 2017
This article, delineating the two kinds of freedom found in the tradition of Western civilization, was originally published in Christianity and Crisis on October 19th, 1942. Editor Henry P. Van Dusen clarifies the two strands of freedom that have developed in European thought. One comes from the Protestant Reformation, a freedom that comes as a result of being created in God’s image and the rights that entail; the other comes from the Enlightenment, a freedom that is intrinsic to man’s nature and “self-evident,” something that is somehow apparent to all.
Christianity & Crisis MagazineSeptember 21, 2017