Realismo cristiano e potere politico

The essays collected in this volume—translated here for the first time for Italian readers—were written between 1934 and 1963, some in the years leading up to the Second World War, others during the most intense phase of the Cold War. The author—described by "Time" magazine in 1948 as the “theologian of the American establishment”—presents the distinctive features of his "Christian realism": one of the most original political theories of the twentieth century, which helped inspire Roosevelt’s New Deal in the United States. In light of both domestic and international developments, Niebuhr addresses political, social, ethical, and theological themes that remain strikingly relevant today: optimism or pessimism in liberal democracies, the role of utopias in political action, the relationship between peace and the Church, the illusions of a world government, the nuclear dilemma, and the need to set limits on military power—even in times of war. The aim is to move beyond tragedy and utopia, to remind twentieth-century humanity of the dramatic mystery of history and the inherent ambiguity of politics.