Tillich’s Relation of Religion with Other Fields: History and Philosophyof Religion

Authors : Mustafa Turan

Pages : 1-16

Doi:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15776561

View : 25 | Download : 0

Publication Date : 2025-06-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In our article, we tried to explain Paul Tillich`s understanding of history and philosophy. In this article, what Tillich understood from history is explained by quoting from his past sources. While his approach to history exhibits an existential structure, his main focus is on the figure of Jesus, the Messiah, that is, the Jesus of faith. According to him, while whether events are real or not is a subject of another science, as a philosopher who looks at history through religion, the meaning that historical events express for the person is more important. Another approach style is seen in explaining the relationship between religion and philosophy. While conceptually separating the sign and symbol, he also states that these sciences use different styles of expression. For example, while philosophy expresses the reality it investigates with concepts; religion explains by referring to symbols. As a method, we have tried to use a holistic and critical perspective that sees the whole as it is without forcing it. Tillich is a thinker who lived in both America and Europe, experienced big and small cities at the same time, was raised in a liberal family environment from his mother and a conservative family environment from his father, and has also seen both transitional centuries. He aims to use nothing in his method without wasting it, and while doing so, he exhibits an approach that does not resort to reductionist forcing.
Keywords : Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, History, Tillich

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL