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for you to find in my sermons any directly negative statements, even against literalism. I
simply restrain myself in that situation. For instance, the resurrection stories: I do not criticize
in my sermons the highly poetic symbolic story of the empty tomb, although I would do so in
my theology and have done it in my books. But I speak of what happened to Paul and the
other apostles, as Paul describes it in I Corinthians 15. Now that is a preaching method I
would recommend for all sermons.
Student: Dr. Tillich, this problem didn t occur to me until now, but since you ve mentioned it,
I don t see how you could talk to a group of people who took the symbolism of the Bible
literally without becoming concerned over the idolatry that is expressed in their literal
interpretations.
Dr. Tillich: You are right. My answer is very simple: if they ask, I answer. If they do not ask,
and I am expected to give aid and comfort in some situation in life, as at funerals, then there
are those great words of Paul, I Corinthians 15.2 In such moments the question of literalism or
nonliteralism does not exist, for we have the power of the word. But sometimes a group of
people who are still in the literalistic attitude begin to ask. Children especially are always
asking very profound religious questions. I have often told this story of my daughter when she
was six years old. We were walking through an Alpine meadow, and suddenly she asked,
"Why is all this so? Here is the meadow, there the trees and there the mountain. Why isn t it
all different?" Now that is an expression of transcosmological argument, in a primitive way,
but as deep as Kant himself. Only Kant could state it conceptually, and my daughter was
expressing her first shock of "Why is that so and not different?" Which is only one side of the
more fundamental question: Why is there something? Why is there not nothing? Why is it this
way and not another way? This kind of questioning by children comes very early. I always
answer them; I talk with children on the level they can understand, but I would never hide
anything. The worst thing, and I censure them sincerely, is the reply of some Sunday-school
teachers, when children ask questions: "You must not ask, you must believe." My reaction to
that is very barbaric: I would say, "Throw those teachers out tomorrow morning! Forever!"
Monasticism and the Priesthood
Professor: Now for the second question: Do you not underestimate the real problem of
religious seeking and perfection? Intellectual analysis is important, but in the end a great deal
of discipline is necessary. Whether in a monastic life or by way of church participation or
mystical contemplation or devoted service to mankind, total commitment is essential, not just
 well, we won t use "speculation" again  not just thinking.
Dr. Tillich: Yes, of course. Now, in order to be a Christian or to be a fully developed
personality  this can be expressed humanistically or religiously  you have to be involved
substantially in something. We can call it commitment, but the word has to me a very bad
sound. I do not like it. It has been so much abused, and there is also the problem of the
possibility of making a vow. I would say that such vows are impossible; we cannot commit
ourselves to anything absolutely. And it follows, therefore, that divorce should be possible in
Protestant ethics. A vow for life in any respect is impossible, because it gives to the finite
moment in which we are willing to do this an absolute superiority above all other later
moments in our life.
Professor: This would apply to the vow of marriage?
Dr. Tillich: Yes.
Professor: Or to the vow of monastic discipline?
Dr. Tillich: Yes, yes, to all of them. I deny the possibility of a vow because of the finitude of
the finite. A vow, if is an absolute commitment, would make the moment in which we make it
infinite or absolute. Other moments may come which reveal the relativity of the moment in
which this decision was once made.
Professor: In other words, this vow should be continually renewed in the existential situations
of experience?
Dr. Tillich: Renewed or not renewed, according to the situation, yes. It is of course a decision,
and a decision has consequences. We cannot just jump in and out of situations at will. These
things we all know. But a decision should not have an absolute, unconditionally binding
power.
Marriage and Divorce
Professor: What s going to happen to all our marriages if this is accepted?
Dr. Tillich: Some might be divorced, but that is what is happening already. Of course, here
again we have the point of view of the Protestant, which is very sensitive; the Protestant ethic
refuses to make one moment or one decision absolute, it is quite possible that a situation may
occur when it is morally better, more in the line of agape, love, to be flexible. Agape is not
only the absolute principle but also the flexible principle. The greatness of love is that it is not
only absolute but also flexible, according to the concrete situation. Therefore there are
situations which I often have to discuss with people, where the flexibility element of agape is
necessary to the resolution of the problem.
Professor: Now on the positive side, in support of this, then, one might say that this attitude
would assure that there would be no hypocrisy, and that the relationship was a genuine one,
whether it was marriage or monastic life or anything else. It insures integrity and sincerity. On
the other side, against your position, could you not say that "the spirit is willing but the flesh [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]