Quest of the Spirit: From Suffering to Acceptance

72. A Faith That Strengthens Us-- Paul Tillich!

                                                                   Paul Tillich: A Faith of Action

       "Faith is an essential possibility of man, and therefore its existence is necessary and universal. It is possible and necessary also in our period. If faith is understood as what it centrally is, ultimate concern, it cannot be undercut by modern science or any kind of philosophy".—Paul Tillich

            Although it has been fifty years since Paul Tillich's publication of Dynamics of Faith, man continues to struggle against many of the same issues, and many that have worsened the dilemma for the church of the twenty-first century. The modern church is bombarded with challenges which it has never before encountered. Church participation declines, contributions drop, and congregations split over the content and nature of worship. Older members desire traditional ceremonies, and younger ones prefer a contemporary format that speaks to their generation. Church councils differ on conservative and liberal interpretations of the Scripture, while other denominations disagree over the role of priests, women, and homosexuals. The list appears endless. The increasing number of church scandals has sharpened public awareness, and prompted the need for closer scrutiny of pastors and priests alike. Drug addiction, alcoholism, rising divorce rates, latchkey children, and the psychological trauma associated with each of these dilemmas pose new problems for the pastor/psychoanalyst. While cases of embezzlement and child molestation challenge the faith of the laity, the issue of gay marriage shakes the foundation of church and state alike. Married couples are now in the minority, and when polled, most women placed their career before family. As a result, church leaders must confront these dilemmas and assume many roles. For pastors, being faithful to the Word, in the modern sense, is no longer what it was a generation ago. A pastor today must also be proficient in public relations, welfare consultation, advertising, and finance. Overwhelmed by these challenges, many men of God abandon their calling, and it is not surprising that the church is losing its respect in American society.

           In this environment, one senses a need for the immediacy of God's presence. For Paul Tillich, God's answer comes through faith, an active faith which is flexible (29) and unafraid (16). Facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, many congregations, or communities of faith, as Tillich calls them, will opt for the easy solution, but it is not enough just to leave these problems to God. According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is "the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen." This definition suggests two characteristics essential for growth in the Spirit and hope for the problems of our age. The first portion of this verse suggests that man must envision the solutions hoped for. This does not mean that the subject merely thinks about it. He must first pray, wait for God's response, and then be willing to put his faith into action even if it means doing the unconventional or acting unconditionally , without fear of reprisal. The choice will require courage and risk (18). Opposition is inevitable, but one must be willing to see beyond the earthly consequences of his actions into the realm of God's potential. Tillich describes this relation as man's ultimate concern. He defines faith as the surrender of the total personality to God's purpose, not man. In essence, the subject must realize that the subject-object construct of his physical behavior also includes a third component, namely God's intent. True faith consists of this subject-object- God relationship, which simultaneously focuses on the finite events of the real world and the infinite potential of the Divine (11). Every act of faith must include this final component; otherwise, human endeavors fail to maintain their focus on God's plan for fulfillment, and as result, they end disastrously. When people use money, power, prestige, or even their country as their ultimate concern, they suffer in this way when these false gods fail to sustain lasting fulfillment. They have placed their trust in what Tillich calls an idolatrous faith or false ultimacies (11). Faith must embody both physical and spiritual realities. The believer, acting through faith, identifies concerns of the finite world that awaken a spiritual imperative from the infinite. The process of discerning the universal from the particular also enables man to understand and appreciate the symbolic importance of prayer and Scripture. Although man cannot imagine the world of the spirit, he must remain steadfast in his vision of God's potential through his every human action. This is the essence of true faith, Tillich says. When a person makes God his ultimate concern, his fear of failure fades before the thought that God stands at the destination of every earthly undertaking. Courage and risks become normal responses in the life of faith (103). Man's greatest earthly comfort lies in the assurance even if he fails, a person never loses with God (105). Tillich describes this heavenly promise as the very heart of Christianity which makes possible the courage to affirm faith in the Christ, namely, that in spite of all forces of separation between God and man, this is overcome from the side of God" (104).