Reinhold Niebuhr is the only american theologian since Jonathan Edwards to establish a substantial reputation on both sides of the Atlantic. Unlike Edwards, he accomplished this reputation in his own lifetime. At the same time, he was widely regarded as one of the foremost political commentators of his generation, and had an extraordinary hold upon the loyalties even of those many political disciples who were hostile to his religious position. yet Niebuhr himself believed that an understanding of his theological commitments was essential for an honest appreciation of his politics.