Christ And Culture (Torchbooks)

This 50th-anniversary edition, with a new foreword by the distinguished historian Martin E. Marty, who regards this book as one of the most vital books of our time, as well as an introduction by the author never before included in the book, and a new preface by James Gustafson, the premier Christian ethicist who is considered Niebuhr?s contemporary successor, poses the challenge of being true to Christ in a materialistic age to an entirely new generation of Christian readers.Amazon.com ReviewBeing fully God and fully human, Jesus raised an enduring question for his followers: what exactly was His place in this world? In the classicChrist and Culture, H. Richard Niebuhr crafted a magisterial survey of the many ways of answering that question--and the related question of how Christ's followers understand their own place in the world. Niebuhr called the subject of this book "the double wrestle of the church with its Lord and with the cultural society with which it lives in symbiosis." And he described various understandings of Christ "against," "of," and "above" culture, as well as Christ "transforming" culture, and Christ in "paradoxical" relation to it. This 50th anniversary edition ofChrist and Culture, with a foreword by theologian Martin E. Marty, is not easy reading. But it remains among the most gripping articulations of what is arguably the most basic ethical question of the Christian faith: how is Christ relevant to the world in which we live now?--Michael Joseph GrossReview"This is without any doubt the one outstanding book in the field of basic Christian social ethics."--Paul Ramsey in the "Journal Of Religion""A superb piece of analytical writing in tackling what is just about the toughest problem face by Christians. The problem: In what way, or degree, is Christ relevant to the situation in which the Christian must live....Mr. Niebuhr distinguishes five typical answers to the Christian's problem of setting the relation between the Christ he calls Lord and the culture which holds him as the sea holds its fish."--Paul Hutchinson in "The New York Times Book Review""This book is one of great significance, and anyone who claims to be at all "au courant" with modern theological thought will certainly wish to become familiar with it."--"Time And Tide"From the Back CoverThe following essay on the double wrestle of the church with its Lord and with the cultural society with which it lives in symbiosis represents part of the result of many years of study, reflection and teaching.About the AuthorH. Richard Niebuhr was one of the most influential American Protestant theologians of the 20th century and a legendary professor at Yale who was considered a leading authority on ethics and the American church. He was a passionate advocate for living out one's Christian faith authentically in the context of real world of today. He influenced many of our leading contemporary ethical leaders such as Stephen Carter, Garry Wills, and Michael Novak.The younger brother of the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, H. Richard was educated at Eden Theological Seminary and Washington University in St. Louis, Yale Divinity School, and Yale University, where he was one of the first students to receive a Ph.D. in religion (1924). Ordained a pastor of the Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1916, he taught at Eden Theological Seminary (1919-22; 1927-31) and also served as president of Elmhurst College (1924-27). From 1931 he taught theology and Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School.