Paul Tillich Ultimate Concern Summary

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There are thousands of different religious views in the world today. We see ads on television, in magazines, and hear them on the radio talking about faith, but what exactly is faith and what does it mean to have faith? Paul Tillich asserts that faith actually goes deeper than just believing in a certain religion, but also that it enters our lives in other ways that may not have anything to do with religion at all. He explains his view that faith is a state of “ultimate concern” and illustrates how it can be seen in terms of nationalism, religion, and success. He also explains the source of faith and what it requires of us, and how faith can be related to doubt. In terms of faith being a state of “ultimate concern,” Tillich explains that…show more content…
8). He proposes that man’s concern is actually two sides of the same relationship, one side would be man, the one who is concerned, and the other is whatever or whoever it is that man is concerned about. He implies that the reason man has this concern is that we can distinguish between the finite aspect of daily experiences, thoughts, and emotions and the infinite aspects of man, in terms of a spiritual and indefinite essence. He also says that the term “ultimate concern” is what brings together the two sides of faith, which are subjective and objective. The subjective side is the faith that we have in something beyond ourselves and the objective side is whatever or whoever it is that we have faith in. With both of these parts intertwined, he also states that you cannot have one without the other. Tillich also states, “In terms like ultimate, infinite, absolute, the difference between subjectivity and objectivity is overcome” (pg. 11). Furthermore, he references passages that say that successful prayers are only possible if God is in us. This can also be looked at in terms of the Holy Spirit and the fact that it is considered to be the spirit of God that dwells within us. He then goes from faith in terms of religion to faith in terms of nationalism and success. He argues that these concepts of faith are false intimacies. He believes this because, even though they claim infinity, they are actually finite aspects of life. While nationalism is closer to being infinite than success, because it has much greater longevity than success, it is still finite in nature. He also believes that in both of these types of faith, the subject and the object will always be separate and cannot become one, as in the case of religion. This makes them an idolatrous, which, in

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