Tillich's Collected Works ((Twentieth Century Thinkers Library))

Author: Tillich
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1999-01-01
Features: The readers can already access the content of each work in this Selected Works; however, understanding them may be an endless process. In the long river of this understanding, my own comprehension is merely a small scoop. Therefore, here I do not wish to (perhaps cannot, and also do not need to) comment on each work individually, but only want to briefly introduce some considerations in the arrangement and related background, and then offer a brief commentary on Tillich's life and certain themes in his thought, hoping to provide some assistance to the readers.
First, it should be noted that the works included in this Selected Works are essentially presented in their entirety without any (except for the Systematic Theology, which is incomplete with only three of its five volumes included, and none of the three included volumes has been). This departure from the convention of "excerpts" is determined by the characteristics of these writings. One of Tillich's major features in expressing his thoughts is their rigorous logic and systematic completeness. His writings are not the accumulation of impromptu, fragmented thoughts, but rather a meticulous progression of rational thinking. The absence of any single element would not only disrupt the perfection of his works, which resemble artistic creations, but could also prevent readers from following the progression of his thought, thus hindering their understanding of its geometrically complete meaning.
The arrangement of this Selected Works is a combination of chronological order and classification by form, meaning that the selected works are divided into three major categories (short writings, lectures or sermons, and major works), with each category's works arranged chronologically (though some are necessarily arranged by publication date). This approach serves both to preserve the internal logic and the continuity required for understanding certain famous serial works (i.e., the second and third sections of this Selected Works) and to facilitate readers' reading and retrieval. After all, for instance, arranging them purely by chronological order and inserting several short writings and sermons between the second and third parts of the Systematic Theology would appear quite awkward.