German theologian Paul Tillich (1886-1995) was a seminal thinker, an innovative philosopher of religion, and a creative Christian apologist in an age of doubt. In this exceptionally fine anthology of his writings, F. Forrester Church, Senior Minister of All Souls Church in New York City, salutes his special vision, which was "open enough to speak to our situation, humble enough to heal divisions while respecting differences, and powerful enough to liberate us from the tyrannies of our time."
This paperback is divided into eight sections that reflect Tillich's major themes: Ultimate Concern; Symbols of Faith; The Protestant Principle; Addressing the Situation; Love, Power, and Justice; The Courage to Be; The Future of Religions; and Living on the Boundary. It is interesting to see the theologian's abstract philosophizing alongside his pastoral sermons. Tillich was ahead of his time pointing out "to be in the state of sin is to be in the state of separation." He was one of the few Christian thinkers to hurrah the important contributions of art, architecture, and literature to the faith of believers. Always wary of absolutes, he was a true catholic who happened to be a Protestant.