expectations that human beings could do much to completely resolve these problems. Political influence Christian realism exerted a strong influence on American foreign and domestic policy in the Cold War era. Many members of the neoconservative movement, which arose in part due to the decline of Christian realism in 1960s and 1970s political thought, have claimed allegiance to Niebuhr's philosophy; however, some critics argued that neoconservatism neglected (or outright rejected) Niebuhr's strong commitment to social justice. Perspectives on Christian realism Gary Dorrien wrote: A New York Times opinion piece by Arthur Schlesinger Jr., written 20 years after Niebuhr's death, read: Christian realism in the 21st century In the post-9/11 era, a number of scholars have been questioning the overly secular character of political realism, especially in the light of postmodern critique. Charles Jones of the University of Cambridge has suggested that international law and normative theory presuppose Christian ethics in the international relations theory. Despite the Christian realist underpinnings of scholars, originally associated with the English school, the revival of the interest towards religion in International Relations is a relatively recent phenomenon. See also Political realism References Footnotes Bibliography Further reading Realism International relations theory Political realism Political theology