Lexington Books Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Ramsey: Idealist and Pragmatic Christians on Politics, Philosophy, Religion, and War

Arguing for a revised reading of American moral theological tradition, Kevin Carnahan provides a thorough examination of the work of Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Ramsey and deftly articulates the importance of these two theologians in twentieth century American moral theology. Carnahan introduces their philosophical inheritances, explaining the impact of philosophical pragmatism and idealism and on Niebuhr and Ramsey respectively. He then offers a critical account of the development and transformation of Ramsey and Niebuhr's general moral theologies, in addition to the idealistic and pragmatic philosophical influences on their views of political society and war. For those interested in the development of contemporary American moral philosophy and the ethics of war, this book is timely, topical food for thought. Review Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Ramsey were towering figures of twentieth century religious thought whose influences remain widely felt--if not also contested--well into the next century. This book makes an invaluable contribution to the recent renaissance in Christian realism. Indeed, Kevin Carnahan perspicuously shows us how much we have yet to learn about Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Ramsey's complex theological frameworks and ethical outlooks. This book fills the gaps by examining the intellectual and personal relationship between these two men. With a masterful command of their formidable thought--supplemented by painstaking review of their letters, lecture notes, and private papers--Carnahan probes the pragmatic Jamesian and idealist Hegelian foundations of Niebuhr and Ramsey's respective intellectual outlooks. He expertly reveals as well how the insights and limits of one are offset by the other, particularly when it comes to their views of war and the use of force. This is exactly the right time to revisit Niebuhr and Ramsey's work in the comprehensive way that Carnahan's cogent study provides. He offers a sorely needed approach often overlooked by other scholars who choose sides between Niebuhr and Ramsey. Undertaking a deep retrieval of the early contexts and patterns of reasoning that shape both thinkers' broader theologies, he helps us appreciate how indebted we still remain to both figures-and that the choice between Niebuhr and Ramsey is not simply false but risky as well.--John D. Carlson, Arizona State University and President of The Niebuhr Society An enormously interesting, richly textured study that has both historical and constructive value. Ramsey has fallen off the radar screen of contemporary Christian ethics, much to our loss, and this study will do much to critically rehabilitate him. Furthermore, by framing the study as an example of the complicated relationship between 'pragmatists' such as Niebuhr and 'idealists' such as Ramsey, Carnahan offers a very fruitful and thought-provoking picture of Christian ethics in America in the past and today. This is a very substantial contribution to several conversations from a young author who will clearly be a formidable thinker in Christian ethics for decades to come.--Charles Mathewes, University of Virginia Kevin Carnahan's Idealist and Pragmatist Christians is an excellent addition to the scholarship on both Niebuhr and Ramsey. Carnahan really "gets" the subtleties of both theologians' thought and presents the origins of their approaches quite well. By drawing these distinctions, the author illuminates both the individual contributions of Niebuhr and Ramsey, as well as the relationships and tensions between their particular approaches. This volume has the potential to be a crucial contribution to the literature on the subject matter of Niebuhr, Ramsey, and Christian ethics of war.--Scott R. Paeth, DePaul University About the Author Kevin Carnahan is assistant professor of philosophy and religion at Central Methodist University.