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Does Civilization Need Religion?: A Study in the Social Resources and Limitations of Religion
Paperback
Religion General General ChristianityGeneral Sociology
ISBN13: 9781025612201
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 264
Weight: 0.82
Height: 0.55 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Does Civilization Need Religion?: A Study in the Social Resources and Limitations of Religion is a seminal exploration into the intricate relationship between religious faith and the moral architecture of modern society. In this thought-provoking study, Reinhold Niebuhr examines whether a complex civilization can sustain its ethical integrity without the spiritual and social resources provided by religion.
Niebuhr delves into the tensions between individual morality and collective social structures, analyzing how religious traditions both empower and are constrained by the demands of a secular world. He critiques the limitations of institutional religion while arguing for its necessity as a stabilizing and humanizing force. This work addresses fundamental questions regarding the survival of values in an increasingly mechanized and impersonal age, offering a philosophical inquiry into the soul of civilization itself.
Ideal for scholars of theology, sociology, and ethics, this book remains a vital contribution to the understanding of religion's functional role in public life. Niebuhr's analysis provides a foundational look at themes that would later define his influential career in social and political thought.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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Does Civilization Need Religion?: A Study in the Social Resources and Limitations of Religion
Niebuhr, Reinhold
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