Reinhold Niebuhr

Reinhold Niebuhr was born in Wright City, Missouri to German immigrants. He was ordained a pastor in 1915 and sent to serve at an evangelical church in Detroit, Michigan. His congregation grew rapidly as the public reacted positively to his leftist Protestant ministry. In 1928, he left Detroit to become the Professor of Practical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where he stayed for the rest of his career, developing his neo-orthodox theology. In the 1940s and ‘50s, Niebuhr publicly spoke out against communism and became one of the most influential thinkers in public affairs. Niebuhr also published multiple books on theology and politics during his long career. Niebuhr died in 1971 at age 78.