Overview
Paul Tillich (1886–1965) was a German-American Protestant theologian and philosopher of religion who fled Nazism for Union Seminary, Harvard, and Chicago. The Courage to Be and Systematic Theology correlatively linked existential questions to Christian symbols. He treated philosophy and theology as mutually critical partners. Handbook dates: 1886–1965. His public lectures made him a mid-century religious intellectual celebrity.
Main ideas
Faith is ultimate concern—what claims us unconditionally—risking idolatry when finite things are absolutized. Being-itself names God beyond theistic objectification; symbols participate in what they point to. Correlation method answers existential questions with theological symbols. Anxiety of fate, guilt, and meaninglessness meets the courage to be. Protestant principle criticizes every finite claim to absoluteness. Culture is a theological concern: art and politics disclose ultimate concern.
Major works
- Systematic Theology
- The Courage to Be
- Dynamics of Faith
- Theology of Culture
Legacy
Tillich shaped mainline Protestant thought, existential theology, and dialogue with secular culture. Critics fault vagueness; admirers credit conceptual hospitality. “Ultimate concern” entered wider religious studies vocabulary.