“What Faith is” Paul Tillich

1. “What Faith is”Paul Tillich Katie Duncan and Erica Norton

2. Faith as Ultimate Concern • “Faith is the state of being ultimately concerned: the dynamics of faith are the dynamics of man’s ultimate concern” (Tillich 255). • What do you think man’s ultimate concern is? • “Everything is centered in the only god, the nation- a god who certainly proves to be a demon, but who shows dearly the unconditional character of an ultimate concern.” • How is the nation a demon?

3. Faith as Ultimate Concern • “Faith is the state of being ultimately concerned. The content matters infinitely for the life of the believer, but it does not matter for the formal definition of faith.” Faith: believing in something that cannot be seen.  Why does the content matter to the life of the believer but not to the definition of faith?

4. Faith as a Centered Act • “For Faith is a matter of freedom. Freedom is nothing more than the possibility of centered personal acts. The frequent discussion in which faith and freedom are contrasted could be helped by the insight that faith is a free, namely, centered act of the personality.” • How is faith a matter of freedom? • Why might it be considered an act of personality?

5. The Source of Faith • “Placing faith in something involves risk because we might fall into idolatry.” • How might one “fall into idolatry?” • “… the act of faith leads to a loss of the center and to a disruption of the personality.”  How is this so? How does having a strong belief lead to what Tillich refers to as a “disruption” of one’s personality?

6. I Have A Dream • “One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” Why is it important for blacks and whites to receive equal opportunity? Why was this such a big deal, per say, for black and white children to interact with each other in the educational system?

7. I Have A Dream • King declares in his speech, “… even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.” • What is the “American Dream” which he refers to? • “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” • This quote came from The Declaration of Independence which was signed in 1776. • So why is it that nearly two hundred years later, during the time MLK gives his speech, racial discrimination and segregation have yet to end?

8. “Let Freedom Ring” • “… when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children- black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics- will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual…” Do you think we have finally met the goal of MLK’s dream?

9. Work Cited • King Jr., Martin Luther. "I Have a Dream." The Human Experience. 6th ed. Littleton, MA: Tapestry Press, 2009. Print. • Tillich, Paul. "What Faith Is." The Human Experience. 6th ed. Littleton, MA: Tapestry Press, 2009. Print.