McCall Comments on Tillich Systematic Theology:
Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, vol. 1(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951)
Tillich here starts with the Message in the Intro., then moving to the Nature of Sys. Theo.; he then highlights the Method and Structure of Sys. Theo. Part 1 discusses Reason and Revelation, the structure of reason, reason in existence, and the cognitive function of reason; he then discusses the Reality and Meaning of Revelation, points out how to discern Actual Revelation, and then discusses the role of Reason in Revelation, along with the Ground of Revelation. Part 2 discusses Being and God; he addresses the Ontological structure of the world, the Ontological elements, Being and Finitude, and Human Finitude. He then transitions to the Reality of God, focusing on the Meaning of God phenomenologically and the Actuality of God as: Being, Living, Creating, and as Related.
On pg. 24, he notes that the ‘theologian’ relates the structures of the ground of life to the Divine Spirit; page 45 speaks of the enthusiasts of the Reformation period, and notes that the man who has the Spirit holds the source of religious truth and is a theologian.
The Reason and Revelation section is principally Christological, and logos-based. No mention of Spirit.
The Being and God section discusses ontology largely. Notably, with ref. to the Reality of God, he mentions the historical discussion regarding the vacillations between the binitarian and trinitarian emphases re: the HS, as well as the discussions b/t trinity and quadernity (i.e. + divine substance), and notes that the trinitarian problem is one of unity:228; notable in this section is his discussion of relationality with ref. to ‘God’ in that there is no mention of the Spirit:271
Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, vol. 2(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957):
His preface says the matters discussed in this volume constitute the heart of Christian theology: man’s estrangement and the doctrine of Christ (vii).
The INTRO restates the answers given in pt 1; the ‘new’ material begins in part 3 (note that he b assumes pts. 1&2 are from the first vol.). So…
Part 3 discusses Existence and the Christ; it is composed of two sections: Existence and the Quest for the Christ, and The Reality of the Christ. The first section is composed of 5 sub-sections: Existence and Existentialism, The Transition from Essence to Existence, The Concept of Sin, Existential self-destruction and the Doctrine of Evil, and the Meaning of Christ. The second section is composed of five subsections also: Jesus as the Christ, The New Being In Jesus as the Christ, Valuation of the Christian Dogma, The Universal Significance of Jesus, and Jesus as the Power of Salvation; let me now scour the book.
Notes that the Spirit is the conqueror of the ambiguities of life:80; speaks of Paul’s conceptioning of the doctrine of the Spirit enabled the non-historical type to enter Christianity:89; states that Jesus was made the Christ through the agency of the HS, according to Synoptic theology:119 – so too can we acc. to him become ‘new beings’ through the HS.
Asserts that all of the dogmatic work of the early church – incl.existence of God and Man, the Spirit, and the Trinity – provide the presupposition or the consequences of the Christological dogma:139;
On page 157, he discusses the notion that the concrete life of JC is raised above the transitoriness of earth into eternal presence of God as Spirit, but I think he here is speaking of the Spiritual nature of ‘God’ and not the HS per se.
Notes that the HS rules the church:162; asserts that everything the Spirit has comes from the Christ, which in turn comes from the Father:163; says that the action of New Birth/Regeneration is traditionally seen to be the work of the HS in individual lives; dialogues with Melanchthon re: the Spirit’s attainment after the act of faith, and says it was the downfall of theology:178 – he argues this, seemingly, b/c the Spirit is the power that creates faith.
Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, vol. 3(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963):
This 3rd vol. covers Life and The Spirit, and History and The Kingdom of God; Part 4 is Life and The Spirit; Part 5 is History and The Kingdom of God;
Part 4, entitled Life and The Spirit, is composed of four sections: The first of which discusses the quest for unambiguous life largely, focusing on the multidimensional unity of life, the self-actualization of life and its ambiguities, and the self-transcendence of life; the second discusses the spiritual presence in the spirit of man, and thereafter the manifestation of Spiritual Presence in Historical Mankind; the third section speaks of the Divine Spirit and The Ambiguities of Life, covering the Spiritual Presence and the Ambiguities of Religion, the Spiritual Presence and the Ambiguities of culture, the Spiritual Presence and the Ambiguities of Morality, and the healing Power of the Spiritual Presence and the ambiguities of life in general; the fourth section discusses the Trinitarian Symbols;
Part 5, entitled History and The Kingdom of God is made up of 3 main sections, plus the Introduction: History and the Quest for the Kingdom of God, The Kingdom of God within History, and The Kingdom of God as the End of History.
On p. 21, he discusses the relative problem with using the word “S/spirit” in English b/c of its dual reference, depending upon the cap. Or no cap.; however, he does nevertheless argue that we should use ‘spirit’ w/ ref. to the human dimension of life:21-22;
Tillich describes the manifestation of the Spiritual presence in the Spirit of man on pages 111-149; he begins there by comparing and contrasting the Human spirit versus the Divine Spirit; he then shifts to contend that the Spiritual Presence (which is equivalent to God’s Spirit???) does not destroy the structure of the centered self which bears the dimension of spirit:114; speaks of the HS praying through man:117; speaks of the media of the Spiritual Presence, noting the sacraments, the Word, and the ‘Inner Word’:120-125; notably on 125 he contends that the liberation of the Christian conscience from Rome ended up also promoting liberation from its new ‘pope: the bible, and this action was ultimately an attack on the Spirit; however, the HS does not need such mediations b/c he dwells in the depth of the person:126-127; notes that the Reformers were concerned that the ultimate criterion of all revelatory experiences – JC – would be lost in the name of the expediency of the HS:128; contends that the Spiritual Presence is manifest as faith and love: 130-143;
Tillich discusses the manifestation of spiritual presence in historical mankind138-161; notably he asserts that the Spiritual Presence cerates the New Being:138; the Divine Spirit’s invasion of the human spirit occurs in social groups, not isolated individuals:139; the Spiritual Presence is manifest in all of history, but history is not the manifestation of the Spiritual Presence:139; he discusses the perception of the Spiritual Presence in quasi-religious phenomena on pgs 141-144; he discusses Spirit-Christology on pgs 144-49; he notes that the HS was in JC w/o distortion; he notes that it is not the ‘spirit’ of the man Jesus that makes him the Christ, but that it was the Spiritual Presence, ‘God in him”, that makes him the Christ:146;
Part III: the Divine Spirit and The Ambiguities of Life: 162-282: speaks of the Spiritual Community, the Church, and the Churches:162-72; speaks of the life of the churches on pg 172-73, noting that they are the community of faith b/c of the actions of the Spiritual Presence; this section, 162-282, seemingly is all about the Spirit’s role within the church.
The fourth sections discusses the Trinitarian Symbols:283-294; he notes that Christology is not complete w/o pneumatology:285; he discusses the challenges of post-Nicaean orthodoxy esp. w/ respect to HS:288-89; he recapitulates the history of subordinationism on 290-291; he states that the doctrine of the trinity is an impenetrable mystery by man, and that we have put it on an alter:291; he calls for a radical revision to the trinitarian doctrine and a new understanding of the Divine Life and the Spiritual Presence:292;
As aforementioned, Part 5, entitled History and The Kingdom of God, is made up of 3 main sections, plus the Introduction: History and the Quest for the Kingdom of God, The Kingdom of God within History, and The Kingdom of God as the End of History; allow me to explore these in what follows: well, there was nothing really about the HS herein.
Summary: I appreciated his sections that detailed how the Spirit is the power that creates faith, as well as his elucidation of Spirit-Christology.