DOES CIVILIZATION NEED RELIGION? _A Study in the Social Resources and Limitations of Religion in Modern Life_ BY REINHOLD NIEBUHR NEW YORK THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1927 _All rights reserved_ Copyright, 1927, By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published December, 1927. SET UP BY BROWN BROTHERS, LINOTYPERS _Printed in the United States of America by_ THE FERRIS PRINTING COMPANY, NEW YORK TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER WHO TAUGHT ME THAT THE CRITICAL FACULTY CAN BE UNITED WITH A REVERENT SPIRIT _and_ TO MY MOTHER WHO FOR TWELVE YEARS HAS SHARED WITH ME THE WORK OF A CHRISTIAN PASTORATE CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. The State of Religion in Modern Society 1 II. Nature and Civilization as Foes of Personality 19 III. The Social Resources of Religion 35 IV. The Social Conservatism of Modern Religion 63 V. Religion and Life: Conflict and Compromise 79 VI. Social Complexity and Ethical Impotence 124 VII. Transcending and Transforming the World 165 VIII. A Philosophical Basis for an Ethical Religion 190 IX. Conclusion 220 DOES CIVILIZATION NEED RELIGION? DOES CIVILIZATION NEED RELIGION? CHAPTER I THE STATE OF RELIGION IN MODERN SOCIETY