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Systematic Theology: Three Volumes in One
In 'Systematic Theology' Paul Tillich restates the Christian faith for the twentieth century. Here complete between two covers are the three volumes of this monumental work-the summation of Tillich's thought-which appeared in 1951,1957, and 1963.
911 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
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About the author
Paul Tillich
280 books425 followersPaul Tillich was a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. Tillich was – along with his contemporaries Rudolf Bultmann (Germany), Karl Barth (Switzerland), and Reinhold Niebuhr (United States) – one of the four most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century. Among the general populace, he is best known for his works The Courage to Be (1952) and Dynamics of Faith (1957), which introduced issues of theology and modern culture to a general readership. Theologically, he is best known for his major three-volume work Systematic Theology (1951–63), in which he developed his "method of correlation": an approach of exploring the symbols of Christian revelation as answers to the problems of human existence raised by contemporary existential philosophical analysis.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 29, 2015
Disagreements with Tillich notwithstanding, this is a monument of liberal Christian theology. Tillich was thoughtful, rigorous, and promoted a program of theology as correlation because he wanted theology to speak meaningfully to culture. On this point of method he differs quite significantly, obviously, from recent theologians who advocate ressourcement / renewal through retrieval. Tillich was steeped in existentialism and, more specifically, the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. For this reason his theology doesn't age all that well, but it's still worth the effort to read him, if only vol. 1.
Recommended for those with interest in the history of the engagement of philosophy and theology.
Recommended for those with interest in the history of the engagement of philosophy and theology.
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November 21, 2009None
May 26, 2012
Brilliant.
July 15, 2020
Volume 1 & 2
Five stars do not mean my agreement with Tillich, but that this is a monumental theological work: rigorous, thoughtful, and honest. The book promoted his programme for systematic theology - a theology of correlation between questions (of human existence) and (Divine) answers. Correlation specifically does not mean causation: questions do not cause answers but rather relate to them. He wanted (and built) the theology on the language adequate in the present circumstances.
He defended the orthodoxy in Christology and other main domains, at the same time opposed any fundamentalism in theology, any intention to find a solution in good old time. He insisted that theology should have adequate answers to the challenges of the time, which could not be borrowed from the past and must be developed from Revelation in each particular epoch. His work is the attempt to offer such theology for contemporaries.
He stressed the need for an adequate language of the theology and criticised the vocabulary of Greek philosophy as inadequate for Christian dogmatics, and for describing Christ in particular. This point is more or less apparent, but his pretension to mend it with using the language of modern philosophy is not. Of course, it suits well for the description of poverty and wretchedness of human existence, but, when it comes to Christology, his word could well interpret as Arianism, which he consistently denied all the book, as well as many other heresies due to the lack of clarity.
My edition includes commentary of the very orthodox kind the commentator is more willing to denounce Tillich's idea at any point that they deviate from the teaching of Orthodox Church than to explain his position. It adds breadth to the reading but not depth.
Five stars do not mean my agreement with Tillich, but that this is a monumental theological work: rigorous, thoughtful, and honest. The book promoted his programme for systematic theology - a theology of correlation between questions (of human existence) and (Divine) answers. Correlation specifically does not mean causation: questions do not cause answers but rather relate to them. He wanted (and built) the theology on the language adequate in the present circumstances.
He defended the orthodoxy in Christology and other main domains, at the same time opposed any fundamentalism in theology, any intention to find a solution in good old time. He insisted that theology should have adequate answers to the challenges of the time, which could not be borrowed from the past and must be developed from Revelation in each particular epoch. His work is the attempt to offer such theology for contemporaries.
He stressed the need for an adequate language of the theology and criticised the vocabulary of Greek philosophy as inadequate for Christian dogmatics, and for describing Christ in particular. This point is more or less apparent, but his pretension to mend it with using the language of modern philosophy is not. Of course, it suits well for the description of poverty and wretchedness of human existence, but, when it comes to Christology, his word could well interpret as Arianism, which he consistently denied all the book, as well as many other heresies due to the lack of clarity.
My edition includes commentary of the very orthodox kind the commentator is more willing to denounce Tillich's idea at any point that they deviate from the teaching of Orthodox Church than to explain his position. It adds breadth to the reading but not depth.
February 6, 2021
A Teologia Protestante tem fundamentalmente quatro linhas principais: Ortodoxia, Pietismo e similares, Liberalismo e Dialética (ou Neo-Ortodoxia). Paul Tillich desenvolveu uma teologia que não pode ser atada a nenhuma delas, como um meio-termo entre as duas últimas. Ele comparte com a Neo-Ortodoxia, a preocupação de evitar que o cristianismo se dissolva numa experiência genérica de religiosidade, entretanto se distancia por considerar que ela não valoriza a experiência humana. O que Tillich busca é uma teologia do diálogo com o humano, que supere a oposição entre fé e razão.
Sua teologia tem como característica os paradoxos que surgem da intenção de levar o entendimento além daquilo que a linguagem propriamente diz. Um bom exemplo é o conceito de Deus além de Deus, que ele usa para evitar o teísmo que carrega uma imagem divina muito antropomórfica. Tillich evita a objetivação de Deus e sublinha Sua profunda transcendência, que se revela através da experiência como a mas intima imanência.
Um dos pontos principais é o seu Método de Correlação que visa expor, explicar e ofertar os conteúdos da fé cristã através de uma mútua interdependência entre as questões existenciais que o ser humano atravessa e as respostas teológicas que o cristianismo oferece. Também é central a sua visão da cultura, cujas manifestações– artes, filosofia, literatura, ciências, etc. – ele apresenta como reveladoras do Fundamento de todo ser (Deus).
Sua teologia tem como característica os paradoxos que surgem da intenção de levar o entendimento além daquilo que a linguagem propriamente diz. Um bom exemplo é o conceito de Deus além de Deus, que ele usa para evitar o teísmo que carrega uma imagem divina muito antropomórfica. Tillich evita a objetivação de Deus e sublinha Sua profunda transcendência, que se revela através da experiência como a mas intima imanência.
Um dos pontos principais é o seu Método de Correlação que visa expor, explicar e ofertar os conteúdos da fé cristã através de uma mútua interdependência entre as questões existenciais que o ser humano atravessa e as respostas teológicas que o cristianismo oferece. Também é central a sua visão da cultura, cujas manifestações– artes, filosofia, literatura, ciências, etc. – ele apresenta como reveladoras do Fundamento de todo ser (Deus).
October 3, 2021
Tillich is one of my favorite contemporary philosophers of religion. I particularly like his view of miracles and the workings of the Spirit.
Tillich professes a view of miracles that may impact the mainstream belief in miracles. He said that miracles (of God) do not destroy the structure of being. Those that destroy the structure of being are, to Tillich, demonic. That if gravity pulls us to stay aground, then floating on air would destroy the structure of being, and, in this case, is demonic. And many Biblical miracles, if taken literally, would be. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Tillich is not quoted as much as Barth or CS Lewis in theology. His view of miracles challenges the mainstream view.
But this did not put me off because I have long wondered why we do not encounter any miracles that would prove the existence of the Biblical God, and why many, theologians and atheists alike, question the verity of miracles.
In this book, Tillich attempts to give us alternative views that can help answer our questions concerning many mainstream views. To me, Tillich is right in many respects.
Tillich professes a view of miracles that may impact the mainstream belief in miracles. He said that miracles (of God) do not destroy the structure of being. Those that destroy the structure of being are, to Tillich, demonic. That if gravity pulls us to stay aground, then floating on air would destroy the structure of being, and, in this case, is demonic. And many Biblical miracles, if taken literally, would be. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Tillich is not quoted as much as Barth or CS Lewis in theology. His view of miracles challenges the mainstream view.
But this did not put me off because I have long wondered why we do not encounter any miracles that would prove the existence of the Biblical God, and why many, theologians and atheists alike, question the verity of miracles.
In this book, Tillich attempts to give us alternative views that can help answer our questions concerning many mainstream views. To me, Tillich is right in many respects.
October 13, 2018
Most important book I’ve ever read.
November 16, 2012
Probably one of the most accessible liberal theologians one will encounter in the US. Lots of thought provoking thoughts... some fascinating insights... VERY light on engagement of the actual historical faith and Scripture... Better places to go - better libs to read.
June 21, 2015
Great book - very existential, phenomenological in content. It's easy to see that Heidegger was a big influence on Tillich.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews