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Tillich's concept of faith

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From Theoretical To Practical: Developing Tillich's Apologetics by Wendy Morrison found at:
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/lumenetvita/article/view/1700/1547

Click on Download this PDF File at the bottom left of the web page.

And

The God above God found at
http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2011/04/god-above-god.html

You might also want to look at: The webpage
http://www.quodlibet.net/articles/smith-tillich.shtml

It contains the article What Is Faith?: An Analysis of Tillich's 'Ultimate Concern'

Write 500-600 words explaining Tillich's concept of faith. Be sure to include explanations or answers to each of the following issues. Use examples to strengthen your explanations.

1) What does it mean to say that a living being is concerned about something?

2) What is an ultimate concern? What is the relationship between how a person lives her life and her ultimate concern?

3) Can we be mistaken in our faith? What are the consequences of such mistaken faith?

4) How does Tillich describe God?

5) Discuss one important contrast you noticed between Tillich's ideas about faith and the ideas about faith usually found in the church.

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The expert examines the Tillich's concept of faith.

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Take a look at the .doc file below. What I've done is give you a rough draft of an essay that can be expanded upon. I know theology and Tillich very well. the Greek term to use is "aphophatic." This means that God is beyond all positive statements ("God is love" etc). I added one more source to use in dealing with this term, a concept which is essential to Tillich and to this essay.

Please let me know if I can assist you further.

1) What does it mean to say that a living being is concerned about something?
2) What is an ultimate concern? What is the relationship between how a person lives her life and her ultimate concern?
3) Can we be mistaken in our faith? What are the consequences of such mistaken faith?
4) How does Tillich describe God?
5) Discuss one important contrast you noticed between Tillich's ideas about faith and the ideas about faith usually found in the church.

Faith, according to Paul Tillich, is the "ultimate concern." It must be "ultimate" in order to be truly faith. To concern oneself with the created and transitory is to put one's faith in something that will change and cease to be. This redefines the normal definition of faith which is basically credulity. Credulity Tillich likens to "belief" rather than faith. Doubt is essential to this concept of faith because it constantly focuses the faithful person to consider whether or not our "ultimate concern" is, in fact, the highest that it can be.

Being an existentialist, Paul Tillich does not see doubt as a problem. We can be mistaken in our faith in one very ...

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