After traveling through Europe in 1947—including to Scotland, Amsterdam, and Switzerland—Reinhold Niebuhr wrote some reflections, including on state churches, the Truman Doctrine, Christian political parties, and more.

At the end of Reinhold Niebuhr’s travels across Western Europe in 1947, he spent a week at the Ecumenical Institute, a facility near Geneva. He was hopeful of how this project would bless the church life of the world, and he offered observations about discussions there about communism, church-state relations, Christian political parties, and more.

Over the centuries, the neutrality of some countries has provided many benefits, including for international law and global diplomacy.

Reporting from Switzerland in 1946, John C. Bennett offered brief observations about starvation and turmoil in Europe and comments on how America cannot “relax in the midst of its abundance.” But he mostly focuses on the emerging World Council of Churches (WCC).

“We must hate,” Lenin told his commissars. “Hatred is the basis for communism.” Rarely has an achieved ambition been so consequential.

This timely article asserts a particular role for Christians in rebuilding Europe after World War II. Although the article was originally published in Christianity and Crisis by Roland Elliott on November 30th, 1942, it is relevant for Christians looking at the destruction in Syria today.

In 1942, Christianity & Crisis argues the importance of preserving and incorporating smaller nation-states when reconstructing Europe after World War II.