Nazi Germany

The following article by Henry Smith Leiper first appeared in Christianity and Crisis on July 9, 1945, and discusses how and why a state can legitimately limit religious freedom.

“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.”

Seventy-five years ago, Reinhold Niebuhr wrote this article reflecting on the martyrdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Matthew A. Sutton’s Double Crossed is an important book that offers a case study of how religious leaders contributed to national security in a challenging wartime environment.

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.

Beginning in 1940, Reinhold Niebuhr made the case for a sober, realistic, and morally grounded US involvement overseas, out of the central admission that whatever America’s own faults, a punctilious detachment from world affairs might very well result in the triumph of greater imbalances and injustices

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.

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.

Understanding how Christian statesmen like John Foster Dulles viewed difficult foreign policy issues can help Christians respond to contemporary dilemmas.