Paul Tillich's Case

Paul Tillich's definition of faith is one that is ambiguous at first. Paul Tillich describes faith as an act of being ultimately concerned. He explains in his book Dynamics of Faith that faith does not always have religious content. He approaches the idea of faith from an almost secular point of view though the ambiguity of his definition can be dissolved if one looks upon faith as an ultimate concern for the ultimate reality. He says in his book, "The content of faith matters infinitely for the life of the believer, but it does not matter for the formal definition of faith".

Tillich argues that faith is an act of the total personality meaning it takes place in the unconscious as well as the conscious. He says that because of this, it is beyond rational and irrational thinking. He believes that faith is possible simply because man understands that there is an ultimate. This is enough to have an ultimate concern for it.

Tillich's views faith as uncertain. Faith must include a sense of doubt or it is not faith at all. He claims that doubt is not always there, but it's always an element of faith. In his way of thinking, doubt demonstrates faith. Tillich's doubt is not concerned with the true or false, but with insecurity. Having doubt implies a seriousness of concern. Therefore, doubt is the confirmation of faith because there is a concern of the uncertain. Tillich states, "The dynamics of faith are the dynamics of man's ultimate concern" (1). Like all other living beings man has many concerns, but we also have spiritual concerns that make us unique to other animals. Some of these concerns can become urgent or vital, making it an ultimate concern. This demands total surrender of oneself, promising total fulfillment in return.

Tillich argues that a church cannot quench doubt by calling it unorthodox. Since faith contains doubt, any entity that tries to terminate doubt is not a true supporter of faith. Tillich states that a community of faith should be a continuous risk because risk is a part of faith. In this sense, an ideal church would allow and encourage doubt. Nobody can be sure of their ultimate concern and so uncertainty and doubt are always present. The role of the church is to act as an entity that helps resolve people's doubts.

To Tillich, truth of faith is different than the truth found in other things. He admits that there are