One of the most categorical statements of Tillich's philosophical theology is that religion enables us to experience the holy, that is, something that is untouchable, something that is awe-inspiring, something which constitutes the ultimate meaning, the source of the greatest courage. According to Tillich, the holy is like the fulfilled, even the ultimate concern for the totality of being. The paper puts a special emphasis on Tillich's comprehension of the holy. Being the highest, the holy is beyond all embodiment, and religious symbols are no more than symbols of the holy. Man experiences the holy in a double way: as something that is given and as a demand. "The holiness of being" and "the holiness of what ought to be" are elements of every religion. If the holy is understood mainly in terms of what is given or of the holiness of being, we have the sacramental type of religion (Catholicism). If, however, the holy is understood mainly in terms of the demand or of the holiness of what ought to be, we have the eschatological type of religion (Protestantism). The sacramental type is represented by the priest, while the eschatological one is represented by the prophet, Protestantism being the prophetic protest against the sacramental interpretation of faith.
|
