The Nature and Destiny of Man: A Christian Interpretation : Human Nature

Reinhold Niebuhr

Westminster John Knox Press, Jan 1, 1996 - Religion - 680 pages

The Nature and Destiny of Man issues a vigorous challenge to Western civilization to understand its roots in the faith of the Bible, particularly the Hebraic tradition. The growth, corruption, and purification of the important Western emphases on individuality are insightfully chronicled here. This book is arguably Reinhold Niebuhr's most important work. It offers a sustained articulation of Niebuhr's theological ethics and is considered a landmark in twentieth-century thought.

The Library of Theological Ethics series focuses on what it means to think theologically and ethically. It presents a selection of important and otherwise unavailable texts in easily accessible form. Volumes in this series will enable sustained dialogue with predecessors though reflection on classic works in the field.

Contents

• MAN AS A PROBLEM TO HIMSELF: 1
• The Classical View of Man: 4
• The Christian View of Man: 12
• The Modern View of Man: 18
• THE PROBLEM OF VITALITY AND FORM IN HUMAN NATURE: 26
• The Rationalistic View of Human Nature: 30
• The Romantic Protest Against Rationalism: 33
• The Errors of Romanticism: 39
• INDIVIDUALITY IN MODERN CULTURE: 54
• The Christian Sense of Individuality: 57
• The Idea of Individuality in the Renaissance: 61
• Bourgeois Civilization and Individuality: 65
• The Destruction of Individuality in Naturalism: 68
• The Loss of the Self in Idealism: 74
• The Lost of the Self in Romanticism: 81
• THE EASY CONSCIENCE OF MODERN MAN: 93
• The Effort to Derive Evil from Specific Historical Sources: 96
• Nature as a Source of Virtue: 104
• The Optimism of Idealism: 112
• THE RELEVANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF MAN: 123
• Individual and General Revelation: 125
• Creation as Revelation: 131
• Historical and Special Revelation: 136
• MAN AS IMAGE OF GOD AND AS CREATURE: 150
• Biblical Basis of the Doctrines: 151
• The Doctrine of Man as Creature: 167
• MAN AS SINNER: 178
• Temptation and Sin: 179
• The Sin of Pride: 186
• The Relation of Dishonesty to Pride: 203
• MAN AS SINNER CONTINUED: 208
• The Equality of Sin and the Inequality of Guilt: 219
• Sin as Sensuality: 228
• ORIGINAL SIN AND MANS RESPONSIBILITY: 241
• Pelagian Doctrines: 245
• Augustinian Doctrines: 248
• Temptation and Inevitability of Sin: 251
• Responsibility Despite Inevitability: 255
• Literalistic Errors: 260
• JUSTITIA ORIGINALIS: 265
• Essential Nature and Original Righteousness: 269
• The Locus of Original Righteousness: 276
• The Content of Justitia Originalis as Law: 280
• The Transcendent Character of Justia Originalis: 296
• Index of Scriptural Passages: 301
• Index of Subjects: 303

About the author

Reinhold Niebuhr was a theologian, Christian ethicist, and public intellectual who taught for more than thirty years at Union Theological Seminary in New York.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Nature and Destiny of Man: A Christian Interpretation : Human Nature; Library of Theological Ethics
• Author: Reinhold Niebuhr
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996
• ISBN: 0664257097, 9780664257095
• Length: 680 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Theology / Anthropology