Crisis and Salvation -- An Introduction to Tillich's Cultural Theology

Author: Chen Shulin
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Features: Each volume of the "Contemporary Cultural Criticism Series" focuses on a significant critical thinker from 20th-century philosophy and sociology as its research subject, either through individual case studies or thematic research on a key work of the thinker. The selection criteria for critical thinkers primarily concentrate on modern rational critique, such as critique of modernity, critique of Enlightenment rationality, critique of technical rationality, critique of ideology, critique of mass culture, critique of character structure, critique of the modern state, critique of authority, and so on. Tillich is one of the most representative thinkers in the contemporary Western religious philosophy movement and is renowned as the "master of modern theology." His philosophical and theological thoughts have been valued by scholars in Hong Kong and Taiwan since the 1960s, and in recent years, they have attracted widespread attention in mainland academia. However, due to the diverse theoretical perspectives, value orientations, and problem awareness of researchers, the current study of his thought lacks systematicity, comprehensiveness, and depth, and his theoretical value has not been fully explored. This paper approaches his thought from the perspective of cultural theology to conduct a systematic study and overall grasp, placing Tillich's philosophical and theological thought within the framework of 20th-century Western cultural critique to examine its theoretical characteristics and value. Christian theology, particularly Protestant theology, serves as the theoretical foundation and ideological criterion for Tillich's critique of modern culture. The alienated condition of humans in modern society, especially the emptiness and meaninglessness caused by the fragmentation of cultural spirit, is the fundamental theme of his cultural theological critique. The theoretical purpose of cultural theology is to construct a cultural-legal system with Christianity as its spiritual essence and to provide humans with ultimate concern. From the perspective of Christian theology, Tillich profoundly analyzes the ontological anxiety of humans and its contemporary characteristics, delving deeply into the nature and roots of the existential of modern people. He interprets and theoretically integrates the intrinsic contemporary cultural trends, including existentialism, psychoanalysis, and Marxism, from a theological standpoint. Tillich's theological critique of the 20th-century Western cultural crisis addresses some shortcomings of pure rationalist philosophical critique, making his theory highly significant both theoretically and practically.