Tillich, Paul Johannes (1886 - 1965)

German Protestant theologian, and one of the foremost Christian thinkers of the twentieth century.  Because of his dismissal by the Nazis in 1933, he migrated to the United States, where he spent most of his career as a professor and prolific writer.  Unlike his former ally (and, later, opponent) Karl Barth, who spoke of theology as being for the Church’s proclamation, Tillich spoke of his own theology as mediating between the Christian message and contemporary culture.  For example, in his Systematic Theology he translates “God” as the “Ground of Being” and the object of our “ultimate concern.”  By utilizing philosophical concepts to correlate religious answers with our existential questions, Tillich hoped to make the Christian faith more meaningful for modern persons.

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Contributed by: Marty Maddox/CTNS