I'm Krista Tippett, today, Obama's Theologian.

In a public conversation with political commentators David Brooks and E.J. Dionne, we explore

how Reinhold Niebuhr's merger of intellect, faith, and realism might be speaking to a new

era of American turmoil and American power.

Basically, Reinhold Niebuhr is the Michael Jordan of theology, and what I have been struck

by over the years is how all of God's children claim Reinhold Niebuhr.

Niebuhr warns us of a lot of useful things about humility, about tragedy, about sin.

As Americans, we have a counter-tradition which counsels optimism, daringness, risk-taking,

and reconciling the two, staying American in the most optimistic, ebulous sense of that

word while being conscious of Niebuhr is the central challenge.

This is speaking of faith, stay with us.

This public radio podcast is supported by the Fetzer Institute as part of its campaign

for Love and Forgiveness, online at loveandforgive.org.

I'm Kate Moose, managing producer of Speaking of Faith.

This week we bring you a rebroadcast of Krista's public conversation from this past January

on the enduring legacy of the late public intellectual Reinhold Niebuhr.

I'm Krista Tippett.

Barack Obama has cited the 20th century Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr as one of his favorite philosophers,

an influence on his understanding of the world of religion and of politics.

This hour with David Brooks and E.J. Dionne, we explore how Niebuhr's merger of intellect,

faith, and realism might be speaking to a new era of American turmoil and American power.

Democracy, Reinhold Niebuhr famously said, is a method of finding proximate solutions

...