Not Enough of Niebuhr

A reader sends me this piece from First Things magazine, on the controversy surrounding Niebuhr:

"Germane to the question of a Niebuhrian 'naturalistic view of the world' is his prayer life. Judging her husband’s prayers to be key to his faith, Ursula Niebuhr assembled a representative collection of them in Justice and Mercy (1974), along with some of the sermons from his decades of circuit-riding in college and seminary chapels. She introduces his prayers with his own outline of a biblical sequencing to be observed by the 'priestly function' of a pastor: 'praise and thanksgiving... humility and contrition... intercession... aspiration.' All such prayer is directed to 'the divine person' of whom he reminds Wieman and Tillich. Among the most memorable prayers is the 'serenity prayer' that was circulated among soldiers in World War II by the USO and incorporated by Alcoholics Anonymous and others into their twelve-step programs..."

Hey, whatever works.