Reinhold Niebuhr crafted a compelling theologically based theory of political realism, which became the basis for a withering critique of pacifism. Martin Luther King, Jr was influenced by Niebuhr’s Augustinian realism in his own political theology and practice. However, King lived and thought from a different perspective, had more apocalyptic expectations of divine intervention in history, and embraced pacifism. I argue that Niebuhr fell short of his own realist vision through his idealistic faith in US democracy, and that King’s political theology better enacts Niebuhrian realism. I suggest King achieves this largely because his theology is a liberation theology grounded in pacifist praxis in solidarity with the oppressed. By rejecting Niebuhr’s acceptance of American violence and basing his theology on lived confrontation with American violence, King makes Niebuhr’s political realism possible. This reading of King and Niebuhr illustrates the value of pacifism and theology for political theory and practice.

中文翻译：

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小马丁·路德·金的和平主义解放神学如何使 Reinhold Niebuhr 的政治现实主义成为可能

莱因霍尔德·尼布尔 (Reinhold Niebuhr) 精心打造了令人信服的基于神学的政治现实主义理论，成为对和平主义进行批判的基础。小马丁路德金在他自己的政治神学和实践中受到了尼布尔奥古斯丁现实主义的影响。然而，金从不同的角度生活和思考，对上帝干预历史有更多的世界末日期待，并拥护和平主义。我认为尼布尔由于他对美国民主的理想主义信念而没有达到他自己的现实主义愿景，而金的政治神学更好地体现了尼布尔的现实主义。我建议金实现这一点主要是因为他的神学是一种解放神学，其基础是与被压迫者团结一致的和平主义实践。通过拒绝尼布尔对美国暴力的接受，并将他的神学建立在与美国暴力的生活对抗之上，金使尼布尔的政治现实主义成为可能。阅读 King 和 Niebuhr 的作品说明了和平主义和神学对于政治理论和实践的价值。