Review of Tillich's Dynamics of Faith: Meaning for Modern Readers
This paper offers a critical review of Paul Tillich's Dynamics of Faith, examining his central thesis that faith is the act of surrendering oneself to an ultimate concern — identified as God — through which one discovers one's true self. The review evaluates Tillich's fusion of theology and philosophy, his discomfort with the word "faith," his engagement with Freudian psychology, and his treatment of myth and symbol. While the reviewer finds Tillich's project largely successful and intellectually stimulating, the paper also identifies limitations in Tillich's theoretical approach, arguing that a simpler, more direct engagement with God and Christ would serve the modern reader more effectively than the elaborate philosophical scaffolding Tillich erects.
- Tillich's Central Thesis: Faith as Ultimate Concern: Faith as self-giving act toward ultimate concern
- The Problem with the Word 'Faith': Tillich's discomfort with the term faith
- Theology, Philosophy, and the Modern Mind: Combining theology and philosophy to explain faith
- Freudian Psychology and Its Limitations in Tillich's Framework: Critique of Freudian psychology in faith discussion
- Myth, Symbol, and the Reality of Christianity: Myth, symbol, and Christianity as true myth
- Overall Assessment and Personal Reflection: Reader's balanced verdict on Tillich's book
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper engages directly with Tillich's text through close reading, citing specific passages with page references that ground its evaluative claims in textual evidence.
- The reviewer balances appreciation with criticism, identifying both the strengths (the joining of faith and reason, the treatment of myth) and the weaknesses (over-reliance on Freudian psychology, theoretical complexity) of Tillich's argument.
- Personal voice is integrated appropriately: the writer shares expectations and reactions without abandoning analytical rigor, making the review both scholarly and readable.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective evaluative synthesis — the ability to assess an author's argument on its own terms before offering a counter-perspective. Rather than simply summarizing Tillich, the reviewer measures his method against an alternative standard (simplicity of approach, directness about God and Christ) and uses that standard consistently to build a coherent critique throughout the review.
Structure breakdown
The review opens by laying out Tillich's thesis and its theological foundations, then moves to a critique of his discomfort with the word "faith." Subsequent sections address his philosophical method, his use of Freudian psychology, and his treatment of myth and symbol. The paper closes with a personal reflection that synthesizes the reviewer's overall judgment. Each section builds on the previous one, maintaining a clear evaluative thread from introduction to conclusion.
Tillich's Central Thesis: Faith as Ultimate Concern
Paul Tillich's thesis in Dynamics of Faith is that faith is the act of giving oneself to something larger than oneself — something external and greater than oneself — and that in doing so, one discovers one's true self. It is rooted in the concept of becoming: the idea that one is always in a state of becoming, and that faith is the expression or medium through which this act of becoming is generated. It is also linked to the idea expressed by St. Paul that in placing one's faith in Christ, one is able to put on the new man. The point of faith is to be connected to the ultimate concern, which for the Jews of the Old Testament was God — God was the end point, the end all be all. Tillich makes this apparent early on in the book, and the concept being expressed is certainly valid.
The challenge that Tillich aims to address is how the faith of the Jews of the Old Testament — their focus on the ultimate concern, i.e., union with God — can be translated into the language of today so that a modern person can appreciate it and apply it to his own life.1
The Problem with the Word 'Faith'
One of the problems with Tillich's approach, however, is that he longs — as he clearly states in the introductory remarks to the book — to see the word "faith" dropped from the lexicon of the English language. He does not like it, does not want to use it, but is compelled to because of the "powerful tradition [that] protects it."2 This is troubling primarily because faith is a stumbling block only for those who do not believe. 1 Corinthians 1:23 states, "we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles." In other words, Christ and faith in Christ is an obstacle when one has no belief. Faith is an act, as Tillich correctly proposes, but it is one that has to be rooted in the mind and expressed in the will. There has to be good reason to have faith. Tillich also acknowledges this; his concern is that the word "faith" triggers too many emotions in people today. It carries too much bad blood — too many wars, too many horrors, too much suffering, too much hope, too much emotionalism, and too little reason and rationality.
It is a point that Walker Percy makes in some of his works as well: faith is a dead word and should be replaced — but, like Tillich, Percy arrives at the conclusion that it cannot be replaced. The reason Percy gives, however, differs from Tillich's. Percy holds that the term "faith" cannot be replaced because it is the reality — the word used by God Himself. Faith is what He wants from us, and as such, there is no thought of trying to get around it. As embarrassing, frustrating, and difficult as it may be to talk about faith, it has to be done, and the more confidently and securely one can speak about it, the more likely one is to generate the act of faith — the act of becoming, as Tillich describes it — that is needed to become truly united with God and the Trinity.
Theology, Philosophy, and the Modern Mind
Tillich's thesis is supported through references to both Scripture and philosophy. He combines theology and philosophy in order to show what faith is and how it works, invoking a new kind of concept of how faith can be imagined for the reader of the modern world. Tillich describes faith as the ultimate concern and provides the example of the person concerned with success. Faith is an expression of concern, and religious faith is an expression of the ultimate concern — successful union with God.3 Tillich explains this fully and convincingly, and the example of the businessman who is concerned with success in business helps to show exactly what he means by concern and faith as the state of ultimate concern. The ultimate concern is, of course, the question of what is the point of life — why are we here; where are we going; why do we do the things we do? Tillich aims to show that faith is there to help us answer these questions by showing us how to find the answers in Christ.
Although Tillich's aim is to explain the necessity of faith to the modern reader, he does not believe "faith" is a good word, since it has been corrupted over time by inappropriate sentiments and associations. Tillich attempts to situate his explanation in a theoretical field that at times complicates the concept more than necessary. Faith should be approached simply and humbly. Intellectual theories and philosophical notions can be useful, of course, but the modern mind is just as much out of sorts with these ideas as it is with the notion of faith. In order for the modern person to approach faith correctly, there must be a submission of the will — the will must be willing to stop asserting Self and allow God to begin asserting some of His own messages.
Bibliography
Tillich, Paul. Dynamics of Faith. NY: Harper, 2001.
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