Abstract

Paul Tillich is generally considered the most original and influential theologian of the 20th century. Educated in the philosophical tradition of German Idealism, his experience on the front lines of World War I—where he watched many of his friends die—shattered his conservative intellectual upbringing. Emerging from the war, he embraced existentialism as a creative revolt against life’s destructive forces. With prescience, Tillich saw the early dangers of scientific materialism, religious fundamentalism, and industrialization and the commodification of nature—forces he exposed for the sense of meaninglessness each contributed to the nascent modern worldview. In "Love, Gravity, and God," Yunt presents, in clear language, the basic concepts and ideas in Tillich’s challenging magnum opus, his three-volume "Systematic Theology." Illustrating why he was hailed as an “apostle to the intellectuals,” Yunt shows Tillich as a seeker and mediator of deeper truths—those transcending religious beliefs asking us to deny science and reason, as well as beyond scientific worldviews that too often fail to address humanity’s vital existential concerns. Tillich shows why there should never be a conflict between science and religion, and how a proper understanding of both can liberate us from narrow, distorted views of ourselves. With the goal of discovering authenticity and healing in an increasingly alienated world, Tillich challenges us to question tradition, conformism, and false ideologies—always urging us to affirm life and actively engage in concerns beyond our own. FOREWORD by DR. PAUL LEE, Paul Tillich’s teaching assistant at Harvard. Dr. Lee was Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Harvard, M.I.T., and UC Santa Cruz, where he was also Founding Chair of the Religious Studies Department and Professor in the History of Consciousness Department. In 1989, Dr. Lee started the Santa Cruz Homeless Garden Project, which is still in operation today.