This document summarizes H.D. McDonald's analysis of Paul Tillich's symbolic christology. Some key points:
- Tillich rejects the concept of God as a personal being, instead viewing theological language as symbolic. He seeks to interpret religious symbols, not confirm or deny their literal meanings.
- For Tillich, knowledge of God can only be described symbolically. The "Jesus of history" is unknown, and Jesus was clothed with symbolic meanings by the early church.
- Tillich views "God" as having two meanings - the "unconditional transcendent" and an object of religious consciousness symbolized by terms like power and action. Even calling God "being itself" is a symbol
The document discusses nondual Christianity and what that might entail. It describes the optimal nondual approach to reality as having four aspects: 1) intersubjective intimacy between subjects/persons, 2) intraobjective identity whereby all realities are intricately interconnected, 3) intrasubjective integrity involving each subject's growth in authenticity, and 4) interobjective indeterminacy whereby created and uncreated subjects/objects are also distinct. It notes that some religions emphasize dualism over nondualism, and that the term "nondual" can take on different meanings depending on the context.
The document discusses nondual Christianity and how it could be conceptualized. It proposes that a nondual approach to reality aims to realize 1) intersubjective intimacy between subjects, 2) intraobjective identity by seeing all realities as intricately interconnected, 3) intrasubjective integrity through growth of one's true self, and 4) interobjective indeterminacy by recognizing distinctions between created and uncreated beings/objects. A discussion then follows about clarifying different understandings of these terms and how a nondual approach relates to spirituality.
This document discusses the concept of nondual Christianity. It begins by describing four aspects of an optimal nondual approach to reality: 1) intersubjective intimacy between subjects/persons, 2) intraobjective identity whereby all realities are intricately interconnected, 3) intrasubjective integrity through each person's growth in authenticity, and 4) interobjective indeterminacy whereby created and uncreated things are somehow distinct. It then discusses how dualistic approaches represent a practical accommodation of finite existence. Dysfunctional religion can come from overemphasizing the dualistic and underemphasizing the nondual. The document explores how a nondual approach might interface with spirituality and living out the greatest commandment.
Paul Tillich was a German-American theologian and philosopher. He had a varied career including being a pastor, professor in Germany until the Nazis came to power, after which he emigrated to the US. He contributed notable works on theology and the relationship between God and humanity. His main ideas included correlating theology with human experience, understanding God as the ground of being rather than a being, and interpreting religious symbols existentially. He sought to bridge dialectical and sacramental ways of thinking through focusing on both human estrangement from God and God's self-revelation.
Is Religion Irrelevant? Paul Tillich's Answering TheologyPaul H. Carr
Â
1. Tillich"s Life History
2. " New Being" (Creation) & "Spiritual Presence"
3. His 2 Popular and 3 Sermon Books
4. Systematic Theology: Answering Existential Questions
5. Relating Religion to Culture:
Science, Art, Psychology
The document discusses Aldous Huxley and his views on mysticism and the "perennial philosophy". It provides biographical details on Huxley, noting he was born in England in 1884 and educated at Oxford. Huxley believed in the perennial philosophy, which sees two orders of reality - a higher absolute order and a lower conditioned order. Huxley felt many human endeavors seek to access the higher order and bring its benefits into the lower. The document explores Huxley's views on religion, spirituality, psychology and their relation to the perennial philosophy.
This document discusses the link between mysticism and social transformation. It argues that modern philosophy and psychology often neglect the social contexts that influence mystics and how mystics act to transform society. The document examines different definitions and typologies of mysticism, and critiques approaches that reduce mysticism to just a psychological experience. It explores the prophetic dimension of mysticism and how some mystics work to enact social change. The document also discusses how mystical experiences and texts can empower individuals to challenge social injustices and resist oppressive power structures.
1) Man is a rational being endowed with free will and the ability to love. He exists as both an individual and social being.
2) In Christian anthropology, man is created in God's image but is also fallen from grace due to sin.
3) Through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God restored human dignity and redeemed mankind, allowing humans to become what God intended through faith and grace.
The document discusses nondual Christianity and what that might entail. It describes the optimal nondual approach to reality as having four aspects: 1) intersubjective intimacy between subjects/persons, 2) intraobjective identity whereby all realities are intricately interconnected, 3) intrasubjective integrity involving each subject's growth in authenticity, and 4) interobjective indeterminacy whereby created and uncreated subjects/objects are also distinct. It notes that some religions emphasize dualism over nondualism, and that the term "nondual" can take on different meanings depending on the context.
The document discusses nondual Christianity and how it could be conceptualized. It proposes that a nondual approach to reality aims to realize 1) intersubjective intimacy between subjects, 2) intraobjective identity by seeing all realities as intricately interconnected, 3) intrasubjective integrity through growth of one's true self, and 4) interobjective indeterminacy by recognizing distinctions between created and uncreated beings/objects. A discussion then follows about clarifying different understandings of these terms and how a nondual approach relates to spirituality.
This document discusses the concept of nondual Christianity. It begins by describing four aspects of an optimal nondual approach to reality: 1) intersubjective intimacy between subjects/persons, 2) intraobjective identity whereby all realities are intricately interconnected, 3) intrasubjective integrity through each person's growth in authenticity, and 4) interobjective indeterminacy whereby created and uncreated things are somehow distinct. It then discusses how dualistic approaches represent a practical accommodation of finite existence. Dysfunctional religion can come from overemphasizing the dualistic and underemphasizing the nondual. The document explores how a nondual approach might interface with spirituality and living out the greatest commandment.
Paul Tillich was a German-American theologian and philosopher. He had a varied career including being a pastor, professor in Germany until the Nazis came to power, after which he emigrated to the US. He contributed notable works on theology and the relationship between God and humanity. His main ideas included correlating theology with human experience, understanding God as the ground of being rather than a being, and interpreting religious symbols existentially. He sought to bridge dialectical and sacramental ways of thinking through focusing on both human estrangement from God and God's self-revelation.
Is Religion Irrelevant? Paul Tillich's Answering TheologyPaul H. Carr
Â
1. Tillich"s Life History
2. " New Being" (Creation) & "Spiritual Presence"
3. His 2 Popular and 3 Sermon Books
4. Systematic Theology: Answering Existential Questions
5. Relating Religion to Culture:
Science, Art, Psychology
The document discusses Aldous Huxley and his views on mysticism and the "perennial philosophy". It provides biographical details on Huxley, noting he was born in England in 1884 and educated at Oxford. Huxley believed in the perennial philosophy, which sees two orders of reality - a higher absolute order and a lower conditioned order. Huxley felt many human endeavors seek to access the higher order and bring its benefits into the lower. The document explores Huxley's views on religion, spirituality, psychology and their relation to the perennial philosophy.
This document discusses the link between mysticism and social transformation. It argues that modern philosophy and psychology often neglect the social contexts that influence mystics and how mystics act to transform society. The document examines different definitions and typologies of mysticism, and critiques approaches that reduce mysticism to just a psychological experience. It explores the prophetic dimension of mysticism and how some mystics work to enact social change. The document also discusses how mystical experiences and texts can empower individuals to challenge social injustices and resist oppressive power structures.
1) Man is a rational being endowed with free will and the ability to love. He exists as both an individual and social being.
2) In Christian anthropology, man is created in God's image but is also fallen from grace due to sin.
3) Through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God restored human dignity and redeemed mankind, allowing humans to become what God intended through faith and grace.
Perspectives On The Religious Experienceraynadorian
Â
The document discusses perspectives on religious experiences from a scientific viewpoint. It defines religious experiences as encounters with divine or supernatural beings. While experiences differ across cultures, commonalities include sensations of transcendence, love, and bliss. Science cannot confirm the source but has observed increased brain activity in areas linked to these experiences. Regular spiritual practice is positively correlated with mental and physical health benefits like reduced anxiety.
Sacred space and time are constructs that religious people use to access the sacred or ultimate reality. Rituals and myths help establish sacred times and places that are qualitatively different from ordinary profane times and spaces. The most important function of sacred time and space is to give religious communities a meaningful way to structure and experience their world. There are two main types of sacred time - timeless eternal time associated with deities, and holy days that commemorate divine events. Sacred spaces can be natural locations, buildings, or portable objects used for prayer or ritual.
This document provides an overview of key concepts for studying religion academically. It discusses the importance of separating the academic study of religion from religious instruction. Studying religion requires being open-minded, honest, and applying critical thinking to overcome biases. Religions can be defined based on their shared rituals, symbols, myths and other characteristics. The goals of describing, comparing, understanding and explaining religious phenomena are discussed. Fieldwork methods like observation, participation and interviews at religious sites are also covered.
This paper discusses the MAGICIAN in the Rider-Waite and Marseille Major Arcana Tarot Cards and contrasts them to show how they symbiotically interpret each otherâs symbolism.
This paper also aligns the Hebraic Coderâs letter ALEPH Ś to the MAGICIANâS Tarot Card illustrating how both these Tarot Card deck and other genres of thought writes the Genesis Creation Account.
In this paper it is clear that my definition of God as the Soulâs life revitalizing energizing forces amalgamating with the Soulâs raison dâetre (reason for living) creates the God/Man Christ; however, lifeâs revitalizing energizing forces (God) are not per se intelligence. What humans call God is lifeâs energy that is analogous to an acid that sustains life: i.e. creating TIME by withering away at the Soulâs raison dâetre.
It is through the active contemplative comparative analysis of these and other genres of thought created by antiquityâs mystics that allows the psyche to grasp the mystical interpretation of religious numerics, literature and artworks.
This is the first in a series of papers and I will attach more papers to this one as I sequence both the Major Arcana Tarot Cards with the Hebrew Coder.
This document discusses religious experience from a philosophical perspective. It examines how people assess the probability of various phenomena like God, life after death, and religious experiences. Professor Richard Swinburne is discussed as arguing that none of the traditional arguments for God's existence alone are persuasive, but taken together they make it reasonably plausible. Swinburne also proposes two principles for evaluating religious experiences - the principle of credulity and the principle of testimony. The document then examines several thinkers and their perspectives on religious experience, beauty, and their relationship to belief in God, including Kant, Proust, and Etty Hillesum.
This document provides an overview of concepts related to sacred power in religious traditions. It discusses how philosophers and early scientists sought to explain beliefs in spirits and the supernatural. Key concepts covered include animism, totemism, manifestations of the sacred such as gods/goddesses, ancestral spirits, and beliefs about the nature of God across religions like monotheism, pantheism and atheism. Specific traditions such as Daoism, Christianity, Hinduism are examined in terms of concepts like the Trinity, avatars, and how humans interact with sacred power.
This document provides a lengthy discussion on various topics related to Christology and theology. It references the views of several scholars and discusses concepts like fivefold Christology, sophiology, soteriology, and nonduality. It aims to introduce new terminology and clarify meanings to describe spiritual formation. The document emphasizes considering approaches positively rather than through criticism, and discusses differences between mystical experience and epistemic approaches.
Christianity is based on historical events such as those in the lives of important biblical figures. Without the historical reality of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, Christianity would not exist. The knowability of history is important for both theology and defending Christianity, as the arguments are based on the historicity of the New Testament documents.
Rel 207 Understanding Religious Experienceppower47
Â
The document discusses different ways of categorizing and understanding religious experiences. It defines religious experience as any experience explained within a religious framework. Religious experiences can be categorized based on where they take place (social, sensory, interior), their point of origin (revelatory, ecstatic), or their function (shamanic ecstasy, mystical ecstasy). The document also examines 19th century theological approaches to religious experience from Schleiermacher, Otto and Freud and the 20th century psychological perspective of Carl Jung.
A Contrast of the Mystical Elements of Buddism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christia...David Grinstead, MA
Â
There are certain general characteristics of mysticism that are shared by Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christianity. This common ground is a unifying principle that positions the Divine in the midst of all genuine mystical experiences.
Theologies Overcoming Naturalism's LimitationsPaul H Carr
Â
Scientific Naturalism has no eternal life and purpose. Tillichâs existential and Whiteheadâs process theologies overcome the limitations of scientific ânaturalism without religion.â Tillich, Wildman, Whitehead, and Brackenâs theologies updates the Bibleâs promise of eternal life as well as the meaning and goal of history. Paul Tillichâs metaphor of religion as the Dimension of Depth is similar to Ursula Goodenoughâs Sacred Depths of Nature. Tillich interpreted history as a quest towards the goal (end) of establishing the Kingdom of God âon earth as it is it heavenâ (Lordâs Prayer). For Whitehead, the goal of the Universe is the production of beauty. âThe thirst for beauty that permeates our lives is an opening to transcendence,â according to theologian Philip Hefner.
1) The document discusses the distinction between spirituality and religion, and the idea of being "spiritual but not religious" (SBNR).
2) It references the work of Bernard Lonergan and Daniel Helminiak, who defined spirituality as emerging on the "philosophic horizon" and religion on the "theistic horizon".
3) The discussion centers around defining spirituality as the "disciplined transformation of our capacities for attending to attention"- focusing attention on self and world care through spiritual practices and experiences.
Rational Theology of Judaism - Introductionhellaschapiro
Â
This document provides an overview of a rational theology of Judaism proposed by Boris and Hella Schapiro. [1] It uses paradigm theory to define God as the ultimate decision paradigm, representing the generative process of being. [2] It aims to develop a usable understanding of God through a rational theological approach that can provide an operationally verifiable theory. [3] It argues that the existence of God is a personal decision rather than a theological or empirical question, and uses a four step rational method to examine the concept of God.
1) The document discusses how humanity's perception of the archetype of deity has evolved from early Greek philosophers like Pythagoras to modern quantum physics pioneers like Max Planck.
2) It gives the example of how views of the structure of the universe changed from the geocentric Ptolemaic model to the Copernican heliocentric model, and how this impacted perceptions of deity.
3) The document argues that as human consciousness evolves through scientific advances, our understanding of deity as an archetype also evolves, moving beyond localized definitions to a more unified view of a common consciousness connecting all things.
OUTLINE
1. Tillichâs Life History
2. New Being (Creation) & Spiritual Presence
3. His 2 Popular and 3 Sermon Books
4. His Questioning and Answering Theology
5. Relating Religion to Culture
TILLICH MADE THEOLOGY RELEVANT BY:
1. Reinterpreting words like FAITH AND COURAGE to remove confusion and distortion with his popular books
âDYNAMICS OF FAITHâ &
âTHE COURAGE TO BEâ
2. His ANSWERING THEOLOGY, which correlated
questions arising from our human finitude and predicament
with answers derived from divine revelation and religious wisdom.
3. RELATING RELIGION TO CULTURE: Science & Art.
TILLICHâS THEOLOGY EMPHASIZED DIALOGUE BETWEEN
âYESâ& âNO,â life & death, being & non-being,
essence & existence
freedom & destiny,
TO AVOID DISTORTED EXTREMES.
The document discusses symbolism in religion and theology. It outlines Paul Tillich's argument that all religious language is symbolic rather than literal. Symbols are meant to represent and convey religious meanings and experiences that cannot be expressed through words alone. Religious symbols can motivate people, strengthen social bonds, and clarify spiritual experiences in a way that language cannot. However, Tillich's view that symbols somehow participate in or show the reality of what they represent is criticized as being vague.
Rudolf Otto was a German theologian who developed the notion of the "numinous" to describe the unique, non-rational element of religious experience. His most famous work, The Idea of the Holy, analyzed religious experiences as stemming from a sense of mystery, awe and fascination before a "wholly other" sacred entity. Otto saw the numinous as an a priori category of human consciousness that was irreducible to rational understanding. His work established a paradigm for studying religion as a distinct, non-reducible phenomenon.
That Far Be from Milton: Divine Goodness and Justification in Paradise LostRyan Horton
Â
"That Far Be from Milton: Divine Goodness and Justification in Paradise Lost" is arguably the best paper I wrote as an undergraduate student. The essay was published in Knowledge Within Bounds, a class journal and in-house publication, not a professional, peer-edited academic journal. Within the body of "That Far Be from Milton," I defend Milton's characterization of the Father against one scholar of New Milton Criticism's assertion that the God of Paradise Lost is Heaven's tyrant, a literary manifestation of not only Milton's anti-royalist sensibilities but also his supposed rejection of the Biblical depiction of divinity.
Over centuries, God has raised up Christian apologists to defend the faith. Early apologists like Justin Martyr and Origen refuted attacks from outside the church and addressed heresy within. Later, Augustine offered one of the most comprehensive Christian views. Thomas Aquinas used Aristotelian logic to present Christian philosophy. The Protestant Reformers like Luther and Calvin addressed doctrinal issues like justification by faith alone. Apologetics continues as the faith encounters new challenges and critics seek to persuade, correct, or bring people back to orthodoxy.
Sociologists define religion in three main ways - substantive, functional, and social constructionist. Substantive definitions focus on religious beliefs like belief in God or the supernatural. Functional definitions see religion as serving social or psychological functions. Social constructionist definitions say religion cannot be universally defined and definitions are contested and influenced by those in power. Durkheim saw religion as reinforcing social solidarity through rituals and collective worship. Malinowski and Parsons argued religion helps individuals cope with stress and finds meaning. Bellah's concept of civil religion described religion uniting American society through rituals like pledging allegiance. Lenin and Marx viewed religion as a tool for ruling classes to control populations by masking exploitation.
Perspectives On The Religious Experienceraynadorian
Â
The document discusses perspectives on religious experiences from a scientific viewpoint. It defines religious experiences as encounters with divine or supernatural beings. While experiences differ across cultures, commonalities include sensations of transcendence, love, and bliss. Science cannot confirm the source but has observed increased brain activity in areas linked to these experiences. Regular spiritual practice is positively correlated with mental and physical health benefits like reduced anxiety.
Sacred space and time are constructs that religious people use to access the sacred or ultimate reality. Rituals and myths help establish sacred times and places that are qualitatively different from ordinary profane times and spaces. The most important function of sacred time and space is to give religious communities a meaningful way to structure and experience their world. There are two main types of sacred time - timeless eternal time associated with deities, and holy days that commemorate divine events. Sacred spaces can be natural locations, buildings, or portable objects used for prayer or ritual.
This document provides an overview of key concepts for studying religion academically. It discusses the importance of separating the academic study of religion from religious instruction. Studying religion requires being open-minded, honest, and applying critical thinking to overcome biases. Religions can be defined based on their shared rituals, symbols, myths and other characteristics. The goals of describing, comparing, understanding and explaining religious phenomena are discussed. Fieldwork methods like observation, participation and interviews at religious sites are also covered.
This paper discusses the MAGICIAN in the Rider-Waite and Marseille Major Arcana Tarot Cards and contrasts them to show how they symbiotically interpret each otherâs symbolism.
This paper also aligns the Hebraic Coderâs letter ALEPH Ś to the MAGICIANâS Tarot Card illustrating how both these Tarot Card deck and other genres of thought writes the Genesis Creation Account.
In this paper it is clear that my definition of God as the Soulâs life revitalizing energizing forces amalgamating with the Soulâs raison dâetre (reason for living) creates the God/Man Christ; however, lifeâs revitalizing energizing forces (God) are not per se intelligence. What humans call God is lifeâs energy that is analogous to an acid that sustains life: i.e. creating TIME by withering away at the Soulâs raison dâetre.
It is through the active contemplative comparative analysis of these and other genres of thought created by antiquityâs mystics that allows the psyche to grasp the mystical interpretation of religious numerics, literature and artworks.
This is the first in a series of papers and I will attach more papers to this one as I sequence both the Major Arcana Tarot Cards with the Hebrew Coder.
This document discusses religious experience from a philosophical perspective. It examines how people assess the probability of various phenomena like God, life after death, and religious experiences. Professor Richard Swinburne is discussed as arguing that none of the traditional arguments for God's existence alone are persuasive, but taken together they make it reasonably plausible. Swinburne also proposes two principles for evaluating religious experiences - the principle of credulity and the principle of testimony. The document then examines several thinkers and their perspectives on religious experience, beauty, and their relationship to belief in God, including Kant, Proust, and Etty Hillesum.
This document provides an overview of concepts related to sacred power in religious traditions. It discusses how philosophers and early scientists sought to explain beliefs in spirits and the supernatural. Key concepts covered include animism, totemism, manifestations of the sacred such as gods/goddesses, ancestral spirits, and beliefs about the nature of God across religions like monotheism, pantheism and atheism. Specific traditions such as Daoism, Christianity, Hinduism are examined in terms of concepts like the Trinity, avatars, and how humans interact with sacred power.
This document provides a lengthy discussion on various topics related to Christology and theology. It references the views of several scholars and discusses concepts like fivefold Christology, sophiology, soteriology, and nonduality. It aims to introduce new terminology and clarify meanings to describe spiritual formation. The document emphasizes considering approaches positively rather than through criticism, and discusses differences between mystical experience and epistemic approaches.
Christianity is based on historical events such as those in the lives of important biblical figures. Without the historical reality of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, Christianity would not exist. The knowability of history is important for both theology and defending Christianity, as the arguments are based on the historicity of the New Testament documents.
Rel 207 Understanding Religious Experienceppower47
Â
The document discusses different ways of categorizing and understanding religious experiences. It defines religious experience as any experience explained within a religious framework. Religious experiences can be categorized based on where they take place (social, sensory, interior), their point of origin (revelatory, ecstatic), or their function (shamanic ecstasy, mystical ecstasy). The document also examines 19th century theological approaches to religious experience from Schleiermacher, Otto and Freud and the 20th century psychological perspective of Carl Jung.
A Contrast of the Mystical Elements of Buddism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christia...David Grinstead, MA
Â
There are certain general characteristics of mysticism that are shared by Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christianity. This common ground is a unifying principle that positions the Divine in the midst of all genuine mystical experiences.
Theologies Overcoming Naturalism's LimitationsPaul H Carr
Â
Scientific Naturalism has no eternal life and purpose. Tillichâs existential and Whiteheadâs process theologies overcome the limitations of scientific ânaturalism without religion.â Tillich, Wildman, Whitehead, and Brackenâs theologies updates the Bibleâs promise of eternal life as well as the meaning and goal of history. Paul Tillichâs metaphor of religion as the Dimension of Depth is similar to Ursula Goodenoughâs Sacred Depths of Nature. Tillich interpreted history as a quest towards the goal (end) of establishing the Kingdom of God âon earth as it is it heavenâ (Lordâs Prayer). For Whitehead, the goal of the Universe is the production of beauty. âThe thirst for beauty that permeates our lives is an opening to transcendence,â according to theologian Philip Hefner.
1) The document discusses the distinction between spirituality and religion, and the idea of being "spiritual but not religious" (SBNR).
2) It references the work of Bernard Lonergan and Daniel Helminiak, who defined spirituality as emerging on the "philosophic horizon" and religion on the "theistic horizon".
3) The discussion centers around defining spirituality as the "disciplined transformation of our capacities for attending to attention"- focusing attention on self and world care through spiritual practices and experiences.
Rational Theology of Judaism - Introductionhellaschapiro
Â
This document provides an overview of a rational theology of Judaism proposed by Boris and Hella Schapiro. [1] It uses paradigm theory to define God as the ultimate decision paradigm, representing the generative process of being. [2] It aims to develop a usable understanding of God through a rational theological approach that can provide an operationally verifiable theory. [3] It argues that the existence of God is a personal decision rather than a theological or empirical question, and uses a four step rational method to examine the concept of God.
1) The document discusses how humanity's perception of the archetype of deity has evolved from early Greek philosophers like Pythagoras to modern quantum physics pioneers like Max Planck.
2) It gives the example of how views of the structure of the universe changed from the geocentric Ptolemaic model to the Copernican heliocentric model, and how this impacted perceptions of deity.
3) The document argues that as human consciousness evolves through scientific advances, our understanding of deity as an archetype also evolves, moving beyond localized definitions to a more unified view of a common consciousness connecting all things.
OUTLINE
1. Tillichâs Life History
2. New Being (Creation) & Spiritual Presence
3. His 2 Popular and 3 Sermon Books
4. His Questioning and Answering Theology
5. Relating Religion to Culture
TILLICH MADE THEOLOGY RELEVANT BY:
1. Reinterpreting words like FAITH AND COURAGE to remove confusion and distortion with his popular books
âDYNAMICS OF FAITHâ &
âTHE COURAGE TO BEâ
2. His ANSWERING THEOLOGY, which correlated
questions arising from our human finitude and predicament
with answers derived from divine revelation and religious wisdom.
3. RELATING RELIGION TO CULTURE: Science & Art.
TILLICHâS THEOLOGY EMPHASIZED DIALOGUE BETWEEN
âYESâ& âNO,â life & death, being & non-being,
essence & existence
freedom & destiny,
TO AVOID DISTORTED EXTREMES.
The document discusses symbolism in religion and theology. It outlines Paul Tillich's argument that all religious language is symbolic rather than literal. Symbols are meant to represent and convey religious meanings and experiences that cannot be expressed through words alone. Religious symbols can motivate people, strengthen social bonds, and clarify spiritual experiences in a way that language cannot. However, Tillich's view that symbols somehow participate in or show the reality of what they represent is criticized as being vague.
Rudolf Otto was a German theologian who developed the notion of the "numinous" to describe the unique, non-rational element of religious experience. His most famous work, The Idea of the Holy, analyzed religious experiences as stemming from a sense of mystery, awe and fascination before a "wholly other" sacred entity. Otto saw the numinous as an a priori category of human consciousness that was irreducible to rational understanding. His work established a paradigm for studying religion as a distinct, non-reducible phenomenon.
That Far Be from Milton: Divine Goodness and Justification in Paradise LostRyan Horton
Â
"That Far Be from Milton: Divine Goodness and Justification in Paradise Lost" is arguably the best paper I wrote as an undergraduate student. The essay was published in Knowledge Within Bounds, a class journal and in-house publication, not a professional, peer-edited academic journal. Within the body of "That Far Be from Milton," I defend Milton's characterization of the Father against one scholar of New Milton Criticism's assertion that the God of Paradise Lost is Heaven's tyrant, a literary manifestation of not only Milton's anti-royalist sensibilities but also his supposed rejection of the Biblical depiction of divinity.
Over centuries, God has raised up Christian apologists to defend the faith. Early apologists like Justin Martyr and Origen refuted attacks from outside the church and addressed heresy within. Later, Augustine offered one of the most comprehensive Christian views. Thomas Aquinas used Aristotelian logic to present Christian philosophy. The Protestant Reformers like Luther and Calvin addressed doctrinal issues like justification by faith alone. Apologetics continues as the faith encounters new challenges and critics seek to persuade, correct, or bring people back to orthodoxy.
Sociologists define religion in three main ways - substantive, functional, and social constructionist. Substantive definitions focus on religious beliefs like belief in God or the supernatural. Functional definitions see religion as serving social or psychological functions. Social constructionist definitions say religion cannot be universally defined and definitions are contested and influenced by those in power. Durkheim saw religion as reinforcing social solidarity through rituals and collective worship. Malinowski and Parsons argued religion helps individuals cope with stress and finds meaning. Bellah's concept of civil religion described religion uniting American society through rituals like pledging allegiance. Lenin and Marx viewed religion as a tool for ruling classes to control populations by masking exploitation.
What is the Meaning, Goal, Purpose, & End of the Evolving Cosmos?Paul H. Carr
Â
This document summarizes and compares the views of Teilhard de Chardin, Paul Tillich, and John Haught on the meaning and end of the evolving cosmos. Teilhard envisioned an Omega Point of spiritual convergence, while Tillich described the "Kingdom of God" unfolding within history. Haught asserted Teilhard's evolutionary vision was more adequate than Tillich's classical theology. The document also discusses their different approaches to relating science and religion, with Tillich emphasizing distinct dimensions and Haught advocating contact and confirmation. Overall, it provides an overview of these theologians' perspectives on cosmology, evolution, and the relationship between science and spirituality.
A problematics of belief structures and the creation of the concept of the selfmahogan
Â
The development of religion and belief structures within the pre-classical Greek period 800-759 BCE and how it developed with the care of the self into montheism
SEE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED AREA BELOWPart 1.Laying the Foundat.docxjeffreye3
Â
SEE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED AREA BELOW
Part 1.
Laying the Foundations of Spiritual Formation
Chapter 1.
Introducing Spiritual Formation
Jonathan Morrow
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
â1 John 3:2 NASB
The Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, is the Word of God written and is therefore inerrant in the autographs. God is a Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power and glory.
âDoctrinal Statement, Evangelical Theological Society
Spiritual formation1 has had many traditional and denominational expressions throughout church history.2 In recent years resurgence in thinking about spiritual formation has swept over the evangelical landscape. Our purpose here is to set forth a distinctively evangelical view of spiritual formation. Our journey will begin as we (1) examine the necessary preconditions for doing distinctively evangelical spiritual formation. We will then (2) examine spiritual formation in light of the gospel and (3) explore in panorama the theological implications for spiritual formation. We will conclude our journey, equipped with theological clarity and content, as we (4) show how God spiritually forms believers into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Preconditions for Doing Evangelical Spiritual Formation
Certain preconditions for doing distinctively evangelical spiritual formation will frame our approach. These are the indispensable rails on which the following discussion runs. One essential distinctive of an evangelical approach to spiritual formation is a high view of Scripture.3 All else derives from this unique source of God's special revelation to humanity. Before examining Godâs special revelation in the Bible, it should be noted that evangelicals also affirm Godâs general revelation through what he has made. God has not left himself without witness since all of creation is stamped with the divine fingerprint.4
God has spoken. But what precisely does that mean? Evangelicals confess that God has spoken truly5 and authoritatively6 through his Word (special revelation). David Clark in his comprehensive work, To Know and Love God, offers a crisp summary of the evangelical view of Scripture.
[The Bible] alone is the unique, written revelation of God, a permanent, meaningful, and authoritative self-expression by God of his nature and will. The Holy Spirits act of superintendenceâ inspirationâwas decisive in the writing of Scripture and is the reason the Bible possesses unique status as revelation. Through inspiration, the Holy Spirit aided those who wrote the Bible. The Spirit then guided the church in identifying inspired works and collecting them as the canon. This supervision renders Scripture uniquely authoritative for Christian believers. Of course, the Spirit also preserved the Bible and now guides in interpreting the Bible, .
This document provides an overview of religion from an academic perspective. It discusses various definitions of religion from scholars such as Comstock, Eliade, James, Freud, and Jung. It also outlines dimensions of religion such as the practical, experiential, narrative, doctrinal, ethical, social, and material. Finally, it discusses why religions exist in providing meaning, social organization, and stimulating art, and outlines some key terms used to classify religions such as theistic, monotheistic, polytheistic, and monistic.
Christian voices in the public square often sparks debate around the appropriate role of religion in politics. There are differing views on this issue, from those who advocate a strict separation of church and state to allow no religious influence in lawmaking, to those who believe religious arguments are acceptable. The document discusses debates around justificatory liberalism, which holds that only non-religious "public reasons" should justify laws, and alternatives that are more open to religious perspectives but still respect pluralism. It analyzes challenges with finding a neutral common ground and how limits on religious voices could disenfranchise citizens.
This document provides an overview of philosophy of religion. It defines philosophy of religion as the branch of philosophy that studies religion from a rational perspective, examining themes such as the existence and nature of God, religious experience, and the problem of evil. The document summarizes some of the main themes in philosophy of religion, including arguments for the existence of God, views on immortality, types of religious experience, and the nature of religious language. Philosophy of religion analyzes religious doctrines and experiences to investigate their metaphysical and epistemological implications.
This document discusses secularism and its relationship to Christianity. It defines secularism as separating politics from religion and promoting religious freedom and indifference to religion by the state. The document argues that social secularization has emancipated society from religious control and promoted individual freedom and responsibility before God. While secularism can protect religious pluralism, an ideology that declares all religion as anti-scientific goes too far. Ultimately, secular politics will cease at Christ's second coming when all people will acknowledge Him as Lord.
1) Sacramentals are objects, actions, or places that help make God's grace-filled presence known to us, while sacraments were instituted by Christ as visible signs of an invisible grace.
2) Both sacramentals and sacraments use tangible signs or symbols to communicate invisible spiritual realities to human beings in a way we can understand.
3) The Eucharist, as the source and summit of Christian life, commemorates Christ's paschal mystery through the consecration of bread and wine, making Christ's sacrifice truly present through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Module 7 AVP
PHI 110RS Module 7
The Pluralist Hypothesis: Hickâs Response to Religious Diversity
The Problem of Conflicting Truth-Claims
The fact is that there are lots of different religions in the world and these religions donât all teach the same thing. According to Christians, for example, God is Trinity; he is made up of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And as such, he is divine. Islam, on the other hand, teaches that, while Jesus was a great prophet of God, he was by no means divine in the sense that Allah is divine. Allah is one; there is no division of parts within him. He is most certainly not a Trinity.
Religions also differ when it comes to life after death. According to some Eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, human beings a caught in vast system of birth and rebirth, and the great majority of human beings will be reincarnated into some new form after this present life. Islam and Christianity, on the other hand, teach that human beings will die only once, and after that, face judgment. There is no âsecond chanceâ to come back and try again.
What this fact of religious diversity entails is that, at most, only one religion can possibly be absolutely true. Perhaps no religion is absolutely and exclusively true, but at most, only one of them is.
Religious Pluralism
Religious pluralism responds to the problem of religious diversity by arguing that no one religion is absolutely true. At best, each religion is only partially true. But no one of them has a monopoly on the truth. No one of them gets all of the facts right about the world.
Yet, religious pluralism is not religious skepticism. Religious skepticism throws in the towel and concludes that since no one religion contains the absolute truth, all religion is bunk and should be rejected. Religious pluralism, on the other hand, is an earnestly religious response to the problem of conflicting truth-claims. Although no one religion is absolutely true, says pluralism, many religions are nonetheless good, beneficial, and imperfect interpretations of an undeniably real divine reality.
Hickâs Pluralistic Hypothesis
Hickâs pluralistic hypothesis is that the various different religions are distinct ways of experiencing the same ultimate divine reality. Hick calls this divine ultimate reality âthe Real.â
Just as people often experience the same thing in different ways without contradicting each other, different religions experience the Real in different ways, without contradiction.
Interpretation of the Real as âSeeing-Asâ
To see how Hickâs hypothesis of the Real works, let us consider an analogy. Look at the image on the screen. What do you see?
Chances are that you see one of the following: either a duck or a rabbit. If you only see a duck, try looking at the image a little differently. The two long peninsulas that make up the duckâs bill can also be viewed instead as rabbit ears. So that rather than a duck facing toward the left, ...
Within religious experiences, there has been a shift from impersonal, community experiences to more personal experiences for individuals. However, these unique experiences cannot serve as universal evidence for God's existence. If experiences are generalized to apply to all people, they become too vague and abstract to point to a recognizable divine being. Likewise, at the individual level, experiences are shaped by preexisting religious beliefs. Only by examining the common structures behind experiences while removing culturally specific details can experiences offer proof, but then they no longer connect to personal salvation or a living God in a meaningful way. Religious experience is a private feeling that cannot be generalized or prove broader claims, per Schleiermacher.
Bader Alsulami 1Bader Alsulami Daniel Julich CIV .docxwilcockiris
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Bader Alsulami: 1
Bader Alsulami
Daniel Julich
CIV 2
9 May, 2020
Ancient History
1. Define Humanism, and then write a paper that explains how The Prince represents a
humanist approach to the art of governing, in contrast to the idea of government based on
divine authority and Catholic dogma.
Humanism can be defined as a system of education and mode of inquiry that originated from
northern Italy in the 13th and 14 centuries. It later spread to continental Europe. It was a cultural
movement during renaissance that focused on the ancient roman and Greek thoughts turning
away from medieval scholasticism. It was also referred to as Renaissance humanism (Gilbert,
450). This philosophy was heavily anchored on âhumanistasâ concepts that were written and
advocated for by Marcus Cicero, a Roman scholar and statesman. Humanism focused on having
a people that are able to engage in issue of public concern as well as moral excellence and
developing discipline based on reason.
According to the book, humans could make meaningful choices in their lives and thus
determine their destiny. Machiavelli explains that human dignity was more attributed to the
exercise for freedom. The philosophies in the book entailed embracing ideas of freedom,
excellence and dignity (Gilbert, 450). Machiavelli gives the analogy of a prince who comes to
Daniel Julich
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Word count for second is 515
Daniel Julich
109090000000001724
Word count for first is 415
Daniel Julich
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I will provide a score for the second topic but try to provide some comments on the first as well.
Daniel Julich
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Do not include discussion prompt
Daniel Julich
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Only one topic is meant to be discussed each week. The posting for that one topic should be 750 words.
Daniel Julich
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State which book you mean here. I am assuming that you mean the Making of the West textbook as you seem to be discussing the characteristics of humanism. Or are you talking about Machiavelli's book?
Daniel Julich
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Overall not a bad definition of humanism. The opening paragraph should include a thesis statement that answers the question of how Machiavelli's work reflects the ideas of Renaissance humanism.
Daniel Julich
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Both topics are considered here. The posting should deal with one.
Daniel Julich
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Where does he explain this? Provide a quotation or evidence to support this statement.
Bader Alsulami: 2
power through powerful figures and support. The power can easily be snatched as the prince
lacks the virtues of how to maintain the power and to command loyalty.
Chapter 9 explains how one may become a prince through selection. Such a person requires
political astuteness. If elected by the âpeopleâ, he is likely to rule for long as his regime is built
on justice and fairness (Gilbert, 450). Machiavelli is also quick to show how just leaders in
hi.
This document discusses different conceptions of spiritual capital. It begins by explaining the concept of 4Capital Theory and how spiritual capital fits within this framework. It then examines three ways spiritual capital can be conceived:
1) SC1 - Resources like materials, intellectual works, and relationships that have the potential to serve and spread spiritual purposes/values when viewed and used in certain ways.
2) SC2 - Foundational life experiences that develop a conviction in beauty, truth, goodness, and love as the heart of existence. Examples given include stories from Thomas Berry and Tony De Mello.
3) SC3 - The "self-presence of authenticity," an inherent and foundational form of being present to oneself
The Book of Samuel is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and that aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets.
The Enchantment and Shadows_ Unveiling the Mysteries of Magic and Black Magic...Phoenix O
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This manual will guide you through basic skills and tasks to help you get started with various aspects of Magic. Each section is designed to be easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions.
Protector & Destroyer: Agni Dev (The Hindu God of Fire)Exotic India
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So let us turn the pages of ancient Indian literature and get to know more about Agni, the mighty purifier of all things, worshipped in Indian culture as a God since the Vedic time.
A375 Example Taste the taste of the Lord, the taste of the Lord The taste of...franktsao4
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It seems that current missionary work requires spending a lot of money, preparing a lot of materials, and traveling to far away places, so that it feels like missionary work. But what was the result they brought back? It's just a lot of photos of activities, fun eating, drinking and some playing games. And then we have to do the same thing next year, never ending. The church once mentioned that a certain missionary would go to the field where she used to work before the end of his life. It seemed that if she had not gone, no one would be willing to go. The reason why these missionary work is so difficult is that no one obeys Godâs words, and the Bible is not the main content during missionary work, because in the eyes of those who do not obey Godâs words, the Bible is just words and cannot be connected with life, so Reading out God's words is boring because it doesn't have any life experience, so it cannot be connected with human life. I will give a few examples in the hope that this situation can be changed. A375
The Hope of Salvation - Jude 1:24-25 - MessageCole Hartman
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Jude gives us hope at the end of a dark letter. In a dark world like today, we need the light of Christ to shine brighter and brighter. Jude shows us where to fix our focus so we can be filled with God's goodness and glory. Join us to explore this incredible passage.
Monthly Khazina-e-Ruhaniyaat Junâ2024 (Vol.15, Issue 2)Darul Amal Chishtia
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2nd issue of Volume 15. A magazine in urdu language mainly based on spiritual treatment and learning. Many topics on ISLAM, SUFISM, SOCIAL PROBLEMS, SELF HELP, PSYCHOLOGY, HEALTH, SPIRITUAL TREATMENT, Ruqya etc.A very useful magazine for everyone.
A Free eBook ~ Valuable LIFE Lessons to Learn ( 5 Sets of Presentations)...OH TEIK BIN
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A free eBook comprising 5 sets of PowerPoint presentations of meaningful stories /Inspirational pieces that teach important Dhamma/Life lessons. For reflection and practice to develop the mind to grow in love, compassion and wisdom. The texts are in English and Chinese.
My other free eBooks can be obtained from the following Links:
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Chandra Dev: Unveiling the Mystery of the Moon GodExotic India
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Shining brightly in the sky, some days more than others, the Moon in popular culture is a symbol of love, romance, and beauty. The ancient Hindu texts, however, mention the Moon as an intriguing and powerful being, worshiped by sages as Chandra.
Heartfulness Magazine - June 2024 (Volume 9, Issue 6)heartfulness
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Dear readers,
This month we continue with more inspiring talks from the Global Spirituality Mahotsav that was held from March 14 to 17, 2024, at Kanha Shanti Vanam.
We hear from Daaji on lifestyle and yoga in honor of International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2024. We also hear from Professor Bhavani Rao, Dean at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, on spirituality in action, the Venerable BhikkuSanghasena on how to be an ambassador for compassion, Dr. Tony Nader on the Maharishi Effect, Swami Mukundananda on the crossroads of modernization, Tejinder Kaur Basra on the purpose of work, the Venerable GesheDorjiDamdul on the psychology of peace, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on how we are all related, and world-renowned violinist KumareshRajagopalan on the uplifting mysteries of music.
Dr. Prasad Veluthanar shares an Ayurvedic perspective on treating autism, Dr. IchakAdizes helps us navigate disagreements at work, Sravan Banda celebrates World Environment Day by sharing some tips on land restoration, and Sara Bubber tells our children another inspiring story and challenges them with some fun facts and riddles.
Happy reading,
The editors
Trusting God's Providence | Verse: Romans 8: 28-31JL de Belen
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Trusting God's Providence.
Providence - Godâs active preservation and care over His creation. God is both the Creator and the Sustainer of all things Heb. 1:2-3; Col. 1:17
-God keep His promises.
-Godâs general providence is toward all creation
- All things were made through Him
Godâs special providence is toward His children.
We may suffer now, but joy can and will come
God can see what we cannot see
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The Vulnerabilities of Individuals Born Under Swati Nakshatra.pdfAstroAnuradha
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Individuals born under Swati Nakshatra often exhibit a strong sense of independence and adaptability, yet they may also face vulnerabilities such as indecisiveness and a tendency to be easily swayed by external influences. Their quest for balance and harmony can sometimes lead to inner conflict and a lack of assertiveness. To know more visit: astroanuradha.com
The Vulnerabilities of Individuals Born Under Swati Nakshatra.pdf
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Christology tillich
1. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
The Symbolistic Christology
of Paul Tillich
H.D. McDonald
[p.75]
âIt is almost a truism to assert that religious language is symbolicâ, declares Paul Tillich in an
article entitled, âExistential Analysis and Religious Symbolsâ.1 It follows, consequently, that
Tillichâs whole theology from first to last is dominated by this one idea. Tillich thus rejects
out of hand the concept of God as literally a personal and spiritual Being who literally enters
into personal and spiritual relationships with human beings. He seeks, therefore, to transform
the content of historical Christian dogmatics into an array of symbols; and so contends that
the whole theological enterprise is to set forth the religious meaning of these symbols.
âTheology as suchâ, states Tillich, âhas neither the task nor the power to confirm or negate
religious symbols. It is to interpret them according to theological principles and methodsâ.2
Between the publication of the first volume of his Systematic Theology in 1951 and the
second volume in 1959, he sees the problem of symbolic knowledge of God as having moved
into the centre of the philosophical interest in religion.3 It is, consequently, Tillichâs firm
conviction that knowledge of God can be described only through the semantic use of
symbolic words. The literalist principle of biblical hermeneutics, Tillich declares, is proved
false by reason of the many curious attempts to construe a âJesus of Historyâ. It was premised
that the gospels afforded data for a historiographic account of the events of the life of Jesus of
Nazareth. But, according to Tillich, the truth is far otherwise. The real Jesus of history is
virtually unknown.4 He was at most a quite undistinguished peasant who became clothed with
the âsymbolsâ of the churchâs faith in âthe Christ eventâ.5
The true hermeneutical principle is that which found expression in the tradition of the
Alexandrian teachers, Clement and Origen. They were the first openly to repudiate the merely
historical and literal in the conviction that the essential meaning of scripture must be sought
below the surface. Tillich contends quite simply that all religious affirmations are ânon-
literalâ. In this respect he regards the idea of symbolism as akin to the Thomistic doctrine of
analogy.6 He protests against anyone using the phrase âonly a symbolâ. Such a statement is to
be avoided, for the simple reason that ânon-analogous and non-symbolic knowledge of God
has less truth than analogous or symbolic knowledgeâ.7 Tillich is, therefore, emphatic in
declaring that âthe centre of my theological doctrine of the knowledge of God is the concept
of symbolâ.8
1
âExistential Analysis and Religious Symbolsâ in H A Basilus (ed Contemporary Problems of Religion 1956)
37f; cf W Herberg, Four Existential Theologians (1958) 306f.
2
Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology (1951) 266 (hereafter referred to by the symbol ST); cf âTheology is for
Tillich the interpretation of the symbols of manâs ultimate concernâ, âThe Life and Mind of Paul Tillichâ, in
Religion and Culture; Essays in Honour of Paul Tillich (1959) 355 n9; see D H Kelsey, The Fabric of Paul
Tillichâs Theology (1967) 21f, 40f.
3
Cf Tillich, ST 11 (1957) 9.
4
ST II, 121.
5
Cf âFaith cannot even guarantee the name âJesusâ in respect to him who was the Christ. It must leave that to the
incertitudes of our historical knowledge.â ST II, 121.
6
Cf ST I, 266; II 132; cf G Weigel, âMyth and Symbolâ in Religion and Culture, 127.
7
ST I, 146; cf 267.
8
Tillich, âReply to Interpretation and Criticismsâ, in C W Kegley and R W Bertnall (eds) Tillich (1956) 333.
2. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
[p.76]
Tillichâs need for symbolism arises directly out of his view of the Christianâs faith in God.
For Tillich the word âGodâ holds a twofold meaning. On the one hand âGodâ is the âaltogether
Otherâ, or, as he prefers to put it, the âunconditional transcendentâ.9 or âecstatically
transcendentâ.10 As a result of this declaration, Tillich advances an extreme form of âsupra-
rational theismâ.11 Although it is a serious question whether in the end his is a genuine
theismâ.12 The other sense of the term âGodâ connotes for Tillich an object somehow endowed
with qualities and actions. It is the âObjectâ envisaged by the religious consciousness. In this
context the term âGodâ is a symbol; indeed, the basic and all-embracing symbol of religion.
Tillich therefore conceives of a âGod beyond Godâ. There is âGodâ as ultimate reality, as
âbeing itselfâ, or âthe ground of all beingâ; and âGodâ in relation to the religious
consciousness, endowed with personal attributes.
God in the ultimate sense is âbeing itselfâ. He is not a Being or even the Being, since that
would make âhimâ just primus inter pares. As Being itself, God is the ultimate of all, and
inherent in all. As such he cannot be particularised by any adjectival prefixes as the âmostâ
this or that. As Being itself âGodâ is beyond all contrasts of essence and existence, and is
âpriorâ to âthe split which characterises finite beingâ.13 Yet God is not to be regarded as a
Being, whether by the ontological argument which includes essence in existence, or by the
Aristotelian cosmological method of deriving existence from the things of sense. In truth the
question of Godâs existence can be neither asked nor answered.14
In the first volume of his Systematic Theology, Tillich taught that the only non-symbolic
statement about God is the declaration that he is âbeing itselfâ; ânothing else can be said about
God which is not symbolicâ, he affirmed.15 But in the second volume even the concept of God
as âbeing itselfâ, is pronounced as symbol.16 According to Walter Leibrecht, Tillich âtakes
great pains to show to modern man the meaning of each symbolâ.17 But to do this it is
essential that he should specify the canons by which symbols are to be interpreted. This is a
theme to which he returns again and again.18
âFirst and most fundamentalâ, he declares, âis the character of all symbols to point beyond
themselvesâ.19 The âsomethingâ to which the symbol points cannot itself be grasped directly.
It can be done only through the use of âsymbolic materialâ. It is impossible for a finite being
to grasp in any direct manner infinite Being for âBeing-itself transcends every finite being.
There is no proportion or graduation between the finite and the infinite. There is an absolute
9
Tillich, âReligious Symbolâ in S Hook (ed) Religious Experience and Truth (1962) 315.
10
ST II, 10.
11
C A Campbell, On Selfhood and Godhood (1957) ch xvii.
12
Cf Hook, âThe Atheism of Paul Tillichâ in Religious Experience, 59f.
13
ST I, 262.
14
Cf ST I, 227; The Dynamics of Faith (1957) 47.
15
ST 1, 265; cf âthe religious symbol has special character in that it points to the ultimate level of being, to
ultimate reality, to being itself, to meaning itself. That which is the ground of being is the object to which the
religious symbol points.â âTheology and Symbolismâ in F E Johnson (ed) Religious Symbolism (1955) 109-110.
16
Cf ST II, 10.
17
âThe Life and Mind of Paul Tillichâ in Religion and Culture, 23.
18
Cf Tillich, The Dynamics of Faith (1957) ch 2.
19
Tillich, âThe Meaning and Justification of Religious Symbolsâ in Religious Experience, 4.
3. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
break, an infinite âjumpââ.20 What we can know of this Being-itself, therefore, must be
expressed in symbols taken from finite reality. âThat which is the ground of being is the
object to which the religious symbol pointsâ.21
It is a further characteristic of the symbol that it should participate in the reality which it
represents. A true religious symbol is one which not
[p.77]
only points to the divine but participates in the power of the divine to which it points.22 In
some sense it radiates the power and meaning for which it stands. Tillich shows particular
anxiety to labour the point by a constant reiteration. Symbols cannot be created at will. In this
respect they are to be distinguished from signs. Symbols are, so to speak, socially created;
they are due to the âunconscious-conscious reaction of the groupâ.23 The individual, it is
declared, can devise signs for his own ends, but the symbol is given; and it carries with it the
âacceptabilityâ of the group. The sign is therefore arbitrary, possessing no âinnate powerâ, and
having no ânecessary characterâ.24 Symbols have the power of opening up dimensions of
reality which would otherwise remain obscured or closed. âReligious symbols mediate
ultimate reality through things, persons, events which because of their mediating functions
receive the quality of âholyââ.25
Symbols have the power to integrate or disintegrate either individuals or groups. They can
create or destroy. The religious symbol in particular has all the characteristics of
representative symbols. They are essentially âfigurativeâ, and they must be âperceptibleâ in the
sense that in the symbol the intrinsically invisible, ideal, or transcendent is represented, and is
thus given âobjectivityâ. But the distinguishing feature of religious symbols is to be found in
the fact âthat they are a representation of that which is unconditionally beyond the conceptual
sphere; they point to the reality implied in the religious act, to what concerns us ultimatelyâ.26
THE CHRIST SYMBOL
It is when he comes to treat of Christology that Tillichâs concept of symbol has its clearest
application. As the second volume of his Systematic Theology is studied, it becomes clear that
Tillich regards the whole content of Christian faith as a series of symbols. Having argued that
such declarations as âthe wrath of Godâ and âcondemnationâ are really symbols of manâs
experience of despair arising out of his estrangement from âBeingâ, and his own condition of
finitude, Tillich goes on to discuss the âsymbolâ of the âChrist-eventâ. This estrangement
between essence and existence characteristic of human nature is overcome in the ânew beingâ,
which is Jesus as the Christ.
20
ST I, 263.
21
Tillich, âTheology and Symbolismâ in Religious Symbolism, 110.
22
Cf âThe symbol participates in the reality which is symbolised.â ST II, 10; cf Tillich, âReligious Symbols and
Our Knowledge of Godâ in The Christian Scholar, 38, 191.
23
âThe Meaning and Justification of Religious Symbolsâ in op cit, 4 cf ST II, 9.
24
Tillich, âThe Religious Symbolâ in op cit, 302.
25
âThe Meaning and Justification of Religious Symbolsâ in op cit, 5.
26
âThe Religious Symbolâ in op cit, 303.
4. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
All religious symbols are essentially quests for the New Being.27 This means that the symbol
âMessiahâ (âChristâ) has an origin which transcends both Judaism and Christianity. âThe
universal quest for the New Being is a consequence of universal revelationâ.28 In Christianity
the term âChristâ is the central symbol and can thus claim universality, for in Christianity âthe
different forms in which the quest for the New Being has been made are fulfilled in Jesus as
the Christâ.29 In the light of this central symbol âChristians will judge the attempts of other
religions
[p.78]
to identify the Christ differently from what Christianity asserts. With the symbol of the Christ
we are at the cosmic crossroads of all religionsâ.30 âChristâ is, then, the bearer of the âNew
Beingâ in his relation to God, man, and the universe, but who, or what, is the Christ?
In his article on âTheology and Symbolismâ, Tillich, having specified that a symbol points
beyond itself to the ground of being, declares that Jesus is the bearer of what in symbolic
terms is called âthe Christâ. And, he avers, it would be sheer idolatry to identify the symbol
with what it points to; to the reality in which it participates. In chapter xvii of the second
volume of his Systematic Theology, Tillich seeks to explicate the subject, âJesus as the
Christâ. This assertion, he allows, is central in the Christian gospel. âChristianity was born,
not with the birth of the man who is called âJesusâ, but in the moment in which one of his
followers was driven to say to him, âThou art the Christââ.31 âJesus Christâ is then for Tillich
not the name of a known individual. It is the combination of the proper name âJesusâ with the
title âChristâ which expresses in âthe mythological tradition a special figure with a special
functionâ.32
Such terms as âSon of Manâ, âSon of Godâ, and the like, are symbols of this âChrist-eventâ.
The symbol, âSon of Manâ, for example, is to be regarded as expressive of the original unity
between God and man.33 The term âSon of Godâ, must not be taken literally for that would be
to project âa human family situationâ âinto the inner life of the divineâ. The title âSon of Godâ
belongs to one in whom the essential unity of God and man appeared under the conditions of
existence. Here the essentially universal has become the essentially unique. But this
uniqueness is not exclusive; for it appears, in final account, that Jesus is the first who
appeared to unite the estranged conditions of existence. The development of âdivinityâ in
Jesus is what, in a measure, the process should be in us if we are united with that same ground
of our being which is for us a matter of âultimate concernâ.34 Thus Tillich declares that it was
more or less accidental that the personification of the Christ-symbol took place in Jesus of
Nazareth.
Although Tillich regards the personal life of Christ as the âcentre of historyâ and as the
criterion by which the past and the future must be judged, yet he warns against viewing that
life as âisolatedâ. The New Being is not limited to his being. It is, as Tillich says, âeruptedâ, or,
27
ST II, 100f.
28
103.
29
loc cit.
30
G H Tavard, Paul Tillich and the Christian Message (1961) 61.
31
ST II, 112.
32
129.
33
127.
34
Cf Tillich, Ultimate Concern: Dialogue with Students, D Mackenzie Brown (ed) 1965.
5. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
âspilled overâ upon the community which recognized âJesusâ as âthe Christâ. As the bearer of
the New Being, Jesus as the Christ, has a special and universal relation to existence, which is
expressed in the twofold symbol of the âcrossâ and âresurrectionâ. The âcrossâ is a symbol of
Christâs subjection to the actualities of existence.35 While the symbols which corroborate the
symbol of the cross of the Christ are to be taken to mean that âhe who is the Christ subjects
himself to the ultimate negativities of existence and that they are not able to separate him
from his unity with Godâ.36 The âresurrectionâ is for Tillich the symbol for the
[p.79]
conquest of the New Being over the existential estrangement to which he subjected himself.
The âascensionâ is viewed as another symbol expressing the same event as that which the
resurrection points to. If taken literally the âspecial symbolismâ of the ascension would be
absurd. Likewise is the statement about Christ âsitting on the right hand of Godâ a symbol
suggestive of Godâs creative activity in association with the New Being in Christ. âThe
ultimate judgement of the world by Christ is one of the most dramatic symbolsâ.37 Yet this
ultimate judgement does not refer to the ânot yetâ. âIt is an immanent judgement which is
always going on in history, even where the name Jesus is not known but where the power of
the New Being, which is his being, is present or absent (Matthew, chapter 25)â.38
ULTIMATE INTERPRETATION OF THE CHRIST SYMBOLISM
In Jesus, declares Tillich, essential Godmanhood has appeared as âChristâ, within existence
and under the conditions of existence without being conquered by them.39 In a personal life
has the New Being found complete individualization. âJesus as the Christ is the bearer of the
New Being in the totality of his being, not in any special expressions of it. It is his being that
makes him the Christ because his being has the quality of the New Being beyond the split of
essential and existential being.â40 His words, deeds, and sufferings are all expressions of that
New Being which is the quality of his being. Various Christologies have singled out one or
other of these manifestations of the New Being that is the Christ and have thought to interpret
his âpersonâ by its use. Thus rationalism has separated his words, pietism his deeds, and
orthodoxy his sufferings, from his being. But, Tillich, affirms, âThe suffering on the cross is
not something additional which can be separated from the appearance of the eternal
Godmanhood under the conditions of existence; it is an inescapable implication of this
appearance. Like his words and his deeds, the suffering of Jesus as the Christ is an expression
of the New Being in him.â41 The truth of the matter is that his being is his work; and his work
is his being. So that in the final analysis, as J Heywood Thomas says, for Tillich Christology
âis a function of soteriologyâ.42
In replying to the criticism that his Christology is Nestorian43 and Adoptionist44, Tillich
allows that from the point of view of the accepted dogma the charge may be correct; and he
35
ST II, 183.
36
182.
37
189.
38
Loc cit.
39
Cf op cit, 108.
40
Ibid, 139.
41
Ibid, 142.
42
J Heywood Thomas, Paul Tillich: An Appraisal (1963) 99.
43
See ch 3 above, n 12.
6. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
has no stake in denying the accusation. But in the same context he draws attention to the then
forthcoming third volume of his Systematic Theology in which the decisive elements of the
synoptic picture are restated under the heading of âA Spirit Christologyâ.45
What he has to say there seems, however, to be a development of a remark he makes in the
second volume. âOne could also speak of essential God-manhood in order to indicate the
divine presence in
[p.80]
essential manhood; but this is redundant, and the clarity of thought is served best in speaking
of essential manhoodâ.46 Directed, then, by Tillich himself to the latest addition to his
Systematic Theology we find that he identifies the New Being carried by Jesus as the Christ
with the presence in him of the divine spirit as the spiritual presence. âThough subject to
individual and social conditions his human spirit was entirely grasped by the Divine Presence;
his spirit was âpossessedâ by the divine Spirit, or, to use another figure, âGod was in himâ.â47
While not rejecting the Logos Christology, Tillich asserts that its âcomplete victory in the
later dogmatic developmentâ,48 led to the obscuring of important aspects of the synoptic
picture. He insists, therefore, that âThe Synoptic stories show that the earliest Christian
tradition was determined by a Spirit-Christology.â49 It is through the driving force of the
Spiritual Presence that he lived and had such âecstatic experiencesâ as that alluded to on the
Mount of Transfiguration. The two manifestations of this Spiritual Presence are the faith and
love he displayed. Tillich thus defines âfaithâ as the state of being âgraspedâ by the divine
Presence; and in his case he was âgrasped unambiguously by the Spiritual Presenceâ.50
Two theological implications follow for Tillich from this understanding of the divine element
in his makeup. âOne is the assertion that it is not the spirit of the man Jesus of Nazareth that
makes him the Christ, but that it is the spiritual Presence, God in him, that possesses and
drives his individual spirit.â51 The other is âthat Jesus, the Christ, is the keystone in the arch of
Spiritual manifestations in historyâ52. Thus the âSpiritâ which created the Christ in Jesus is the
same Spirit who continues the work of preparing man for encounter with the New Being in
him. It was the Spirit which made him the Christ which would bring the Christ to birth in
every man.
âThe whole picture given by Tillich of Jesus becoming âthe Christâ â, says R Allan Killen, âis
one of the gradual divination of a man. A divination which occurs in all if they are to have
what Tillich calls âeternal lifeâ, which is to enjoy union with the Ground of their being or
God.â53
44
Ibid, n 9.
45
Tillich, âAppreciation and Replyâ, in Paul Tillich and Catholic Thought (eds) T OâMeara and C D Weisser
(1965) 309.
46
ST II, 108; cf âIf the being of Jesus as the Christ is the New Being, the human spirit of the man Jesus cannot
make him the Christ; then it must be the divine Spirit, which, like the Logos, cannot be inferior to God.â ST II,
165.
47
ST II, 154.
48
âAppreciation and Replyâ, in op cit, 306; cf ST I, 157f; I1, 109, 128; III, 155, 158.
49
ST III, 154.
50
Ibid, 155.
51
Ibid, 156.
52
Loc cit.
53
R A Killen, The Ontological Theology of Paul Tillich (1956) 167.
7. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
CHRISTOLOGY AND THE HISTORIC FAITH
When it comes to the question of the genuineness of the incarnation Tillich has no
reservations in his denial. The idea of the Son of God as Second Person of the divine Trinity
literally and actually taking human flesh he declares to be âNonsense!â. He asks the question,
âWho is the subject of the Incarnation?â The orthodox answer, âGod has become manâ he
regards as a nonsensical statement.54 The word âGodâ, he has contended, points to ultimate
Being, and even the most consistent Scotist would allow that the one thing God cannot do is
to cease to be God. And this, he believes, is what the assertion âGod has become manâ
[p.81]
would have us accept. It is therefore unacceptable to speak of God taking flesh; rather may it
be said that a âdivine beingâ has become man; in the sense, that is to say, that in Jesus there
has emerged âthe new aeonâ. âThe unqualified use of the term âIncarnationâ in Christianity
creates pagan, or at least superstitious connotations.â55
In an article entitled, âA Reinterpretation of the Doctrine of the Incarnationâ, Tillich avows his
unequivocal rejection of the historical doctrine of God becoming man. It is not God, as such,
he declares, but rather âa divine beingâ with human characteristics, the spiritual and heavenly
man, or a moral being who chooses self-humiliation, or the creative reason or word, who
appears in space, and is subject to the law of the flesh and of sin, namely human existence.
The paradox of the incarnation is not that God becomes man, but that a divine being who
represents God is able to reveal him in his fulness, manifest himself in the form of existence
which is in radical contradiction to his divine, spiritual, and heavenly form.56 In the same
article, Tillich confessed that when he first arrived in America he was amazed by the
importance given to the concept of the incarnation for the theology and liturgy of the
Protestant Episcopal Church. In spite of this he admits to being unable to give to the doctrine
of the incarnation any clear interpretation.57 Yet he does insist that it is his view that the idea
of the incarnation is a mythological expression for the emergence into âhistorical existenceâ of
the ânew aeonâ, for that is, according to Tillich, what John means by the term âfleshâ. It does
not mean at all âmaterial substanceâ.58 In the end, for Tillich âincarnationâ is regarded as a
symbol for âthe eternal relation of God to man which is manifest in the Christâ.59 No wonder,
then, that Tavard can assert that âTillichâs embarrassment with the doctrine of the Incarnation
is patent.â60 For as OâMeara says, âLooking at Tillichâs theology from the point of view of the
incarnation, we see that he has denied as excessive and idolatrous any claim about such an
entrance of the divine into the world. Jesus is not the Logos incarnate among us... It is
essential to Tillichâs consistent view of mankind and his existential need of a Christianity that
54
ST II, 109f; cf âWho is the subject of Incarnation? If the answer is âGodâ one often continues by saying that
âGod has become manâ, and that this is the paradox of the Christian message. But the assertion that âGod has
become manâ is not a paradoxical but a nonsensical statement.â ST 11, 109.
55
ST III, 156.
56
Cf Church Quarterly Review (1959) 133-148.
57
Ibid, 134.
58
ST I, 110.
59
Ibid.
60
Tavard, op cit, 120.
8. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
God be not enmeshed in what is human. Has not Tillich enclosed the divinity in a theological
circle whose destruction was the very purpose of the Incarnation?â61
The historic view that there was a real Jesus Christ, one person existing in the unity of two
natures, a human and a divine, is also pronounced as âAbsurd!â by Tillich. A real man, Jesus,
there may have been. But nothing can be said for sure about him; for the âbiblical picture of
Christâ is not an historical presentation.62 âThe search for the historical Jesus was an attempt
to discover a minimum of reliable facts about the man Jesus of Nazareth, in order to provide a
safe foundation for the Christian faithâ. But the attempt was, and always must be a âfailureâ.63
The picture presents at most âa faint possibilityâ.64
The epithet âthe Christâ has for Tillich no personal actuality; it is a
[p.82]
title of function merely. He is therefore sure that, âIt is inadequate and a source of a false
Christology to say that the mediator is an ontological reality beside God and man.â65 He is
consequently unsure of the cogency and usefulness of the two-nature doctrine. How indeed
can it be otherwise? For with a Jesus hardly knowable and the Christ as an expression of the
New Being, the idea of a twofold nature in the one person of Jesus Christ cannot but be
absurd. He thus affirms that a Christology based on the homoousios which posed the
Christological problem of âthe dialectical relation of finiteness and infinityâ is a âChristology
of absurditiesâ because âthe starting point was wrongâ.66 Yet he will still allow the expression
to remain if interpreted to mean that, âOnly the God who is really God can create the New
Being, not a half-godâ.67
Tillich does admit that the two great councils, Nicaea and Chalcedon, did safeguard
something of the truth for the church; for âboth the Christian character and the Jesus character
of the event of Jesus as the Christ were preservedâ. The doctrine of the two natures in Christ
raises the right question but uses wrong conceptual tools. âThe basic inadequacy lies in the
term ânatureâ when applied to man; it is ambiguous; when applied to God it is wrong.â68
Tillich thinks that by replacing the concept âdivine natureâ by that of âeternal God-man-unityâ,
or, âeternal God-manhoodâ he has made comprehensible the unity between God and man
established in the New Being. âSuch concepts replace a static essence by a dynamic relation.
The uniqueness of this relation is in no way reduced by its dynamic character; but, by
eliminating the concept of âtwo naturesâ which lie outside each other like blocks and whose
unity cannot be understood at all, we are open to relational concepts which make
understandable the dynamic picture of Jesus as the Christâ69. Despite this, however, Tillich
does not make clear that what he asserts is now understandable. For the truth is as Heywood
Thomas says, âThe reasons which Tillich brings forward to support his rejection of the two-
natures theory are strange and in the end, as far as I can see, only verbal.â70
61
âPaul Tillich and Ecumenismâ in Paul Tillich and Catholic Thought, 298-299.
62
Cf ST II, 101f.
63
Ibid, 114f.
64
Cf Tillich, The Interpretation of History (1936) 260; cf 165.
65
ST II, 108.
66
âA Reinterpretation of the Doctrine of the Incarnationâ in op cit, 138.
67
ST II, 165.
68
Ibid, 164.
69
Ibid, 170.
70
J Heywood Thomas, op cit, 97.
9. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
Was there an actual rising of Jesus from the dead, a literal coming back from the grave of the
One who was crucified? âBlasphemy!â declares Tillich. Asserting that, âthe resurrection of
gods and half-gods is a familiar mythological symbolâ71, Tillich goes on to argue that I
Corinthians chapter 15 is a late attempt to rationalise the âevent of the resurrectionâ; to
interpret it with physical categories that identify âresurrectionâ with the presence or absence of
a physical body. So says Tillich, âthe absurd question arises as to what happened to the
molecules which comprise the corpse of Jesus of Nazareth. Then absurdity becomes
compounded with blasphemyâ.72 Besides rejecting an actual rising of Jesus from the dead, the
physical theory, as Tillich calls it, has no religious significance. No less unacceptable is the
âspiritualisticâ
[p.83]
theory which explains the appearances as manifestations of the âsoulâ of the man Jesus to his
followers; and the âpsychologicalâ theory which regards the resurrection as an inner event in
the minds of Christâs admirers. He thereupon presents what he calls the ârestitutionâ doctrine
according to which the resurrection is regarded as the ârestitution of Jesus as the Christâ; a
restitution which is rooted in the personal unity of Jesus and God, and the impact of this unity
on the minds of the apostles.73
A CRITICAL COMMENT AND ASSESSMENT
G H Tavard, although expressing hearty disapproval of the main drift of Tillichâs
interpretation of Christian doctrine, is yet sure that his personal faith is fundamentally
Christian.74 Tillichâs theology as expounded in his Dogmatics may indeed be pronounced
unchristian but, declares Tavard, the passion and spirit of his published sermons reveal that
âTillich the preacher is infinitely more faithful to the Word than Tillich as system-makerâ.75
On the other side, Leonard F Wheat in a hostile critique of Tillich contends that he set out
deliberately to destroy the basis of Christian faith from within.76 It is not easy at times to
speak the truth in love. Yet Christian charity requires on our part that we credit to Tillich the
best of Christian intentions. At the same time from the perspective of biblical and historical
understanding of the person of Christ we are compelled to declare that Tillichâs Christology is
seriously defective. It is usual to find Tillichâs system referred to as âprofoundâ and
âconstructiveâ, and in spite of the excess of enthusiasm displayed in these verdicts such high
accreditations may be allowed to stand. Certainly the ontological framework of Tillichâs
theology includes the disciplines of culture more creatively and fruitfully than any other. He is
also right in his appreciation of the limits of the human reason in probing the ultimate mystery
of existence.
In commenting on Tillichâs Christology there are wider aspects of his theology which must
deliberately be left out of consideration. Such especially is his concept of God as âthe Ground
of Beingâ; if only for the reason that, with Dorothy Emmet, we are not clear what Tillich
71
Tillich, ST II, 177.
72
Ibid, 180.
73
Ibid, 182.
74
Tavard, op cit, 138.
75
Ibid, 139.
76
Cf Tillich, Dialectical Humanism: Unmasking the God above God (1970) 267.
10. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
means by the expression.77 On the other hand, seeing that his Christology is set in the wider
framework of his symbolic theology it does seem required that some assessment be given of
his idea of symbol in relation to his understanding of the person of Christ.
Reflecting on Tillichâs doctrine of symbol as outlined above, it seems evident that he does not
permit the necessary distinction between the symbolizanda of orthodox biblical theology and
its accepted symbolic presentations. He alleges that the Christian believer takes as literally
and factually true, such terms as âGodâ, âSon of Godâ, and the like, which are really symbolic
of his ultimate concern for the actuality of his
[p.84]
human existence. But the simplest believer is not, we venture to suggest, so easily beguiled.
He knows rightly, instinctively, and biblically, when he speaks of God in literal terms or in
symbolic ideas. He knows that, when he speaks of God as a âhigh towerâ, or even as a
âshepherdâ, he is not using such terms in a literal sense; and yet the symbolism has for him a
literal significance. God is indeed a âhigh towerâ and a âshepherdâ in relation to his people.
Tillich appears to regard all statements about God as on the same level; to speak of God as a
personal redeemer is as much a symbol for him as to speak of God as a ârockâ.
In the light of Tillichâs reduction of all theological affirmations to an array of symbols it
becomes a question of whether we can know âGodâ at all; or, indeed, whether there is a âGodâ
at all to be known. Tillich asserts emphatically that the personal âGodâ of Theism is a symbol
only. If God is not personal he cannot be personally known. âFor it is doubtfulâ, as John
Baillie says, âwhether any race of men has ever believed that man could discover anything
about God if God were not at the same time making himself knownâ.78 But can non-personal
âbeing-itselfâ act in this way? Can we âencounterâ a symbol? It seems that Sidney Hook is
justified in speaking of âthe Atheism of Paul Tillichâ. For, as he points out, âSince we can only
know God through religious symbols, and since the validity and truth of these symbols can in
no way be judged by any ontological fact but only by human experience and its needs, why do
we require the ontological reference at all?â79
Tillich must regard his religious symbols as productions of manâs ultimate concern arising out
of his estrangement from âbeing-itselfâ, and his desire to find harmonious unity thereto.
Tillich himself admits that he learned from Feuerbach the secret that the true source of
theology is to be found in the nature of man. Jacob Taubes can thus well ask, âAre
Feuerbachâs premises a good omen for a theological exterprise?â80 In the light of his
fundamental presupposition, Tillich can insist that the question of Godâs existence is of no
religious significance.81 It is precisely not so because, since being-itself is, it cannot logically
be proved to exist or be denied to be. Thus God, in the sense of Being-Itself, is not a Being,
but the very reality basic of all existence. Only in this sense can âGodâ be spoken of as the
âunconditioned transcendentâ. But this, in the last analysis, is to make Tillichâs âGodâ no more
77
Cf âGround of Beingâ in JTS (1964) 2, 280f. cf âMy trouble with Tillich is not so much that he can be called
atheist or theist according to how these words are defined, but that he makes it difficult for us to discover what
the notion of âgroundâ or âpowerâ of being does come to.â, 289.
78
John Baillie, The Sense of the Presence of God (1962) 124-125.
79
âThe Atheism of Paul Tillichâ in Religious Experience, 61.
80
âThe Copernican Turn in Theologyâ in Religious Experience, 74.
81
Cf Tillich, The Dynamics of Faith, 47.
11. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
than âthe all-in-all of pantheistic spiritualismâ.82 What we have is a sort of Christianised neo-
Platonism, speculative after the fashion of John Scotus Erigena,83 and mystical after the style
of Dionysius.84
We will not state here other difficulties in Tillichâs use of symbols which we have detailed
elsewhere:85 but we do think that Raphael Demos is right in insisting that Tillich does not give
sufficient account of the place of beliefs in religion. And, as he says, âReligion cannot stand
up without belief.â86 But if the beliefs are not well founded, not factually
[p.85]
accepted, what then? If the whole content of Christian theology is to be regarded as symbolic,
then, what is to prevent the whole of our faith being as âan agreeable storyâ? âThe danger of
the symbolic interpretation is the dehistorisation of Christianity, the denial of the Incarnation.
Yet one of the cardinal claims of Christian theology is that Christianity is unique among the
great religions in according to history an ultimate significance. Such a claim would be a
worthless check [sic] when we find ourselves unable to cash it at the bank of actual historyâ.87
Tillichâs downgrading of the historical element in the end makes the factual content of
Christian faith so thin as to be, like the emperorâs clothes, non-existent.
It is in fact on the question of the significance of the historical in relation to Christology that
Tillichâs account is the least satisfactory. His scepticism regarding historical knowledge is
well known. He initiates a sharp divorce between historical âtruthâ and the âtruthâ of faith. The
âtruthâ of faith is then declared, âentirely independent of the problems of historical inquiry into
the facts behind the rise of the biblical picture of Christâ.88 Historical knowledge is, at best,
problematical; whereas faith carries âcertitude about its own foundationsâ.89 It would be âa
disastrous distortion of the meaning of âfaithâ to identify its âtruthâ with âthe belief in the
historical validity of the biblical stories.â90 Tillich asserts that âthe foundation of Christian
faith is not the historical Jesus, but the biblical picture of Christâ; âthe picture of Christ as it is
rooted in ecclesiastical belief and human experienceâ.91 What he seems to be affirming is that
what is âhistoricalâ is the biblical picture of the Christ symbol, and not that the biblical picture
is of an historical Christ.92 This is, of course, a quite different idea from what is ordinarily
understood by those who claim that Christology is about what Jesus of Nazareth was as the
Word of God in human flesh.
82
S Hook, âThe Atheism of Paul Tillichâ in Religious Experience, 60.
83
Cf R Kroner, Speculation and Revelation in the Age of Christian Philosophy (1959) 146 (footnote).
84
H D McDonald, Theories of Revelation (1963) 97.
85
âThe Symbolic Theology of Paul Tillichâ in SJT (1964) 414-430, especially 424, 427.
86
âReligious Symbols And/Or Religious Beliefsâ in Religious Experience, 55.
87
Ibid, 56.
88
Tillich, Interpretation of History, 264-265.
89
Dynamics of Faith, 89.
90
Ibid, 87.
91
Interpretation of History, 34; cf âSince it is the central Christian religious symbol, the picture of Jesus as the
Christ is stated at the mythological âsemantic levelâ. Theologically important content of the picture does not
include historical fact-claims.â Kelsey, Fabric, 71.
92
Cf âWhile Bultmann and Cullmann have always drawn the conclusion from the New Testament sources that in
Jesus and the Christ historical fact and interpretation are so closely interwoven that they cannot and should not
be separated, Tillich based his Christology on the âbiblical picture of Christâ. Thereby, âthe new beingâ becomes
in truth the foundation of Christian faith, while the historical fact of Jesus, though not outspokenly, is dismissed
and becomes in truth irrelevent.â M Sulzbach, âThe Place of Christology in Contemporary Protestantismâ in Reli-
gion and Life (1953-4) 212.
12. H.D. McDonald, âThe Symbolic Christology of Paul Tillich,â Vox Evangelica 18 (1988): 75-88.
Both Heywood Thomas and Tavard regard Tillichâs discounting of the actuality of the Jesus
figure as a grave error in Tillichâs interpretation. Heywood Thomas says, âAt the very least we
must surely admit that it is necessary for us to have grounds for accepting as true the historical
assertion that there was such a person as Jesus of Nazarethâ.93 Tavard sees Tillichâs
âhistoricismâ as undergoing quite extraordinary contortions with the result that he âends up in
a very strange position. Rejecting the pre-existence of Jesus as the Christ of God, he insists on
the human element in Jesus as the Christ. Then, turning his eyes to historical research, he
despairs of reaching security there and abandons Jesus as Jesusâ.94 Bruce Cameron sees
weaknesses in both Tavardâs and Donald Baillieâs critique of Tillichâs historicism; yet, while
admitting with Tillich that fact and interpretation are distinct, he asserts against Tillich that
âthe truth of interpretation depends upon its factual basisâ.95
Tillich disavows belief in an ontological Trinity and has no place for the historical Christian
doctrine of a pre-existent Logos becoming
[p.86]
united with personal human nature. This new creed of Chicago has little in common with the
old creed of Chalcedon. Tillich has, rather, his own type of Sabellianism.96 He allows that the
Godhead can be regarded as having three âmanifestationsâ or âfacesâ, but he denies that there
is a second hypostatis of the Godhead who became actual in a âmaterial substanceâ. Tillich
reads the New Testament as the account of one âJesusâ growing into divinity, becoming
divine, bringing the New Being into existence by becoming âthe Christâ. In Tillichâs view, the
Christ is the symbol of the eternal unity between God and man. As a symbol, while he points
to and participates in Being-Itself, he is not to be identified with it. Tillich, to be sure, protests
that the Christ, as the New Being, is an ontological reality, and in his own strange use of
words, so he is. But the difference between the symbol of the Christ-event and other symbols
is only a matter of degree. And does not Tillich allow that the symbol of the Buddha as well
as âthe Christâ are symbols in so far as the unconditioned transcendent is envisaged in them?
By an extraordinary twist, Tillichâs Christology turns out to be a sort of dynamic
monarchianism; a sophisticated brand of an Achievement Christology in which the human
nature of the man Jesus was so transfused by the âdivineâ as to accord him the status of
âdivinityâ. This is, of course, a logical sequence of his thesis that âGodâ is not simply a being
or even the being, but Being-Itself, the Ground of all being.
And since God is not a being, the idea of God becoming man is regarded as an impossible
contradiction. In fact God qua Being-Itself is not the object of theology for the reason that
Being-Itself does not âappearâ in the context of experience. The Object of theology is the
âmanifestationâ of Being-Itself in the symbol of the Christ-event. In this sense the Christ
stands in a special position; but as neither truly God nor truly man. Tillich contends that to
ascribe âdivine natureâ to the Christ would put him beyond existence, while to credit him with
âhuman natureâ would put him below essence. Thus is Jesus as the Christ to be regarded as a
sort of tertium quid being. Apollinarius spoke of his Christological construction of the person
of Christ as a âstrange mixtureâ; but Tillichâs presentation is of a Christ who is an even
93
J H Thomas, op cit, 89.
94
Tavard, op cit, 131.
95
B J R Cameron, âThe Historical Problem in Paul Tillichâs Christologyâ, SJT (1965) 3, 272.
96
Cf Tavard, op cit, 118.