Mikhael Lindra

Box # 26

Exposition Paper, The Dynamics of Faith Paul Tillich

Paul Tillich starts in his book with What Faith Is in the chapter 1. In order to give his definition of faith, Tillich puts into 6 sections, such as Faith as Ultimate Concern; -Faith as a centered act; -The source of faith; -Faith and the dynamics of the holy; -Faith and doubt; -Faith and community. On the last section, chapter 6, Tillich discusses about The Life of Faith. He discusses it into 5 sections, such as Faith and courage; -Faith and the integration of the personality; -Faith, love and action; -The community of faith and its expressions; -The encounter of faith with faith. In this paper, I will give some highlights that underlie Tillichs thought in his book. In the first chapter, Tillich states that Faith is the state of being ultimately concerned: the dynamics of faith are the dynamics of mans ultimate concern. He then explains that, ultimate concern, not only concerning personal God, but also can be regarded as god; as long as it shows clearly the unconditional character of an ultimate concern. When Tillich ties Faith and ultimate concern, he gives the definition of ultimate concern as If it claims ultimacy it demands the total surrender of him who accepts this claim, and it promises total fulfillment even if all other claims have to be subjected to it or rejected in its name. Notice on the key terms that he gives on that definition, such as ultimacy, total surrender and total fulfillment. Those terms give a notion of the correlation or measurement of something ultimate with our response to it, and

the promise or benefit from our response to it. He quotes Deut. 6:5 as the proof text of the term ultimate concern is derived. Tillich gives a concluding paragraph in the end of the first section, he says that the first step to understand the dynamics of faith, one needs to understand the formal definition of faith rather than the content. Tillich argues Faith is a centered act, by describing it happens in the center of personal life, not an act of any special section or function. Based on his understanding on faith as the center, Tillich ties faith and freedom as identical. These two are related because both freedom and faith are the possibility of personal act. Without this freedom, according to Tillich, Faith is a compulsion. Furthermore, Tillich discusses about the paradox of faith, on the one hand, faith is a product of consciousness, rational structure, and cognitive affirmation; and on the other hand, faith is a product of unconsciousness, emotion and will. Because of its place in the center, faith is transcending or ecstatic, means, standing outside of oneself without ceasing to be oneself. Tillich moves on to the subjective definition of faith and the objective definition of faith. He says, The ultimate concern is concern about what is experienced as ultimate. In this way we have turned from the subjective meaning of faith as a centered act of the personality to its objective meaning, to what is meant in the act of faith. Furthermore, he describes the relation between the subjective and the objective in two phrases, fides qua creditur (faith through which is believed) and fides quae creditur (faith which is believed). The first term is about ones ultimate concern, whiles the second is about the ultimacy of faith and both are the same.

Tillich mentions about the relationship between faith and the infinite as Augustines concept. He says that human heart seeks the infinite because that is where the finite finds the rest. This concept ties with his understanding about true and idolatrous faith. In true faith, the ultimate concern is a concern about the truly ultimate, while the idolatrous faith preliminary. One other angle that Tillich finds out about faith is that doubt and risk are key elements in faith. Tillich says that it takes courage in the formation of faith because there is the possibility of failure. If faith is understood as being ultimately concerned, doubt is a necessary element in it because it is a consequence of the risk of faith. Even further, Tillich says, Serious doubt is confirmation of faith. It indicates the seriousness of the concern, its unconditional character. In the last section of Chapter I, Tillich asked a serious question, If doubt is considered an intrinsic element of faith, Can a community of faith e.g. a church accept a faith which includes doubt as an intrinsic element and calls the seriousness of doubt an expression of faith? To start answering the question, Tillich makes an assertion that act of faith is dependent on language and therefore on community. What he means by language is more on the language of symbol and myth, which is created within the community of the believers. Secondly, he says that the answer of that question deals with faith and doubt within the community of faith itself; whether the dynamic of faith is incompatible with the community. The last chapter of Dynamic of faith deals with the life of faith. Tillich says, Where there is faith there is tension between participation and separation, between the faithful one and his ultimate concern. Therefore, there is no faith without participation and without separation. Where the element of participation follows the certainty of faith and the element of

separation follows the doubt in faith. As Tillich described earlier, he repeats it again that doubt is a key element of faith and doubt is overcome not by repression but by courage. For Tillich, this is a path where everyone will face in the formation of faith. The force of doubt tries to prevent the affirmation of ones faith. However, faith still can be affirmed if the certainty is given because the failure of the risk of faith cannot separate the concern of ones daring faith from the ultimate. Besides all the risk of faith, Tillich reminds about the centrality of faith, which the absent of a uniting center can produce disintegration of the personality. More to say along the line, but one very interesting thing that Tillich points out is the relationship between Faith, love and action. On the question regarding faith as human merit or Gods grace, Tillich lays out the argument as follow: If faith is understood as the belief in things without evidence or if faith is understood as the state of being ultimately concerned. In the first case, it is natural to deny any direct dependence of love and action on faith; in the second case, love and action are implied in faith and cannot be separated from it. Tillichs answer is the concern of faith is identical with the desire of love. He understands that the separation of faith and love is always the consequence of a deterioration of religion. These are the highlight of Tillichs idea of faith as the response toward the object of religion. Comment: On my reflection upon Tillichs Dynamic of Faith, first of all, I admire his effort to make Christian faith relevant in his contemporary context. Tillichs understanding of the ultimate concern is an existential philosophy understanding of Christian faith. Compare to classics writings on the same subjects that starts from either the epistemological or ontological

arguments of Christian faith, from my understanding, Tillich has more emphasize on the subject of faith. Tillichs subtle description of faith as the ultimate concern and a centered act gives me a better understanding of faith from existential perspective. There are some points to mention from the existential perspective. First, from the existential perspective gives a better understanding because the starting point for that perspective is self. In the Western philosophy, prior to Rene Descartes, the epistemological starting point always start from God. Descartes turns it upside down by giving claims that the point of certainty always starts from I. The paradigm shift also happened in the psychological perspective from Psychoanalytic that starts with the unconsciousness, to the Humanistic psychology that starts from I. Having said that, Tillichs effort to make Christian faith relevant is successful because he points out the heart of human existence in the first place. Secondly, Tillichs understanding of the paradoxical of Christian faith in human life hits the bulls eye. He mentions the subjective-objective, faith and doubt, participation and separation of faith in both dialectical and paradoxical. Tillich points out the factors in faith that seems to contradict are not negating one another. Instead, these factors necessitate one another because those are a part of the process or dynamic. In other words, Tillich sees the process or the becoming is an essential part of the being. In my personal life, I almost become a Hindu and a Buddhist, even though I was brought up as a Christian in a Christian family. But since in the college, I started to read some challenging books. Since I read Alan Watts on Eastern Philosophy and Religion, I never stopped to challenge my foundation of faith. Reading Tillich brings me the memory of doubt and courage in my life before I totally submit to Christ.