The Origins and Development of the Triadic Structure of Faith in H. Richard Niebuhr: A Study of the Kantian and Pragmatic Background of Niebuhr’s Thought

Previous studies of H. Richard Niebuhr’s intellectual background have fallen into two groups: those that stress the German and especially Kantian sources of Niebuhr’s thought, and those that emphasize the American and especially pragmatic sources of his thought. Joseph S. Pagano provides a way beyond these seemingly antagonistic positions. Through careful readings of the philosophical background of the triadic structure, Pagano demonstrates that Niebuhr’s intellectual background was both Kantian and pragmatic. He also provides the first book-length study of the development of the triadic structure of faith in Niebuhr’s theology and ethics. This book is a particularly insightful reference for scholars in ethics, religious studies, theology, philosophy, and church history.