The Resume

(June 21, 1892-June 1, 1971)
Born in Wright City, Missouri
Birth name was Karl Paul Reinhold Neibuhr
United Church of Christ minister
Professor of Practical Theology at Union Theological Seminary (1928-60)
Wrote 'Moral Man and Immoral Society' (1932), 'Interpretation of Christian Ethics' (1935), 'The Nature and Destiny of Man' (1941), 'The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness' (1944), 'Faith and History' (1949), 'The Irony of American History' (1952), 'Christian Realism and Political Problems' (1953), 'Pious and Secular America' (1958) and 'The Structure of Nations and Empires' (1959)
Author of the 'Serenity Prayer' ('God, grant us the serenity to accept the things that cannot be changed, the courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.')

Why he might be annoying:

He went from being a militant socialist who promoted the Communist Party's 'united front' to a die-hard anti-Communist.
He went from being a hardline pacifist to a 'just war' theologian who supported nuclear weapons development.
His authorship of the Serenity Prayer has been disputed.

Why he might not be annoying:

As a pastor in Detroit, he spoke out for workers' rights and against the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.
He wrote, 'Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.'
The Serenity Prayer was adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous.
Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama have cited him as an influence.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity
• Born on the First Day of Summer [June 21st] (Ranked: 1892)
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 12]
• I Attended Yale
• I Died in 1971 (Ranked: 78)
• Influenced by Reinhold Niebuhr
• Known By a Middle Name
• Look at Me, I've Been Caught Smoking
• Look at My Book Cover
• M.D.'s and R.N.'s
• Macklemore References
• Modern Library's 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the 20th Century (Ranked: 18)
• Profiles 23001-23250 (Ranked: 23228)
• U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 28 Votes: 21.43% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 22 Votes: 18.18% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 18 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 13 Votes: 69.23% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 21 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 27 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 20 Votes: 55.00% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 19 Votes: 63.16% Annoying