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Abstract: The article analyzes and compares the philosophical theology of Kierkegaard and Tillich. They are usually represented as exponents of the same (existentialist-Protestant) tradition, but a different perception of the main questions and possibilitiesfor philosophical theology to answer them guides these philosophers to radically different conclusions regarding the philosophy of religion. A closer look at how they understand faith (pistis) unlocks new possibilities to interpret the ideas of Kierkegaard and Tillich rather than to accept “chrestomathic” analyses. Tillich’s implicit loyalty to Platonic and Hegelian ideas subordinates the existential aspects of his system to answers, which can be described as a “gnostic” understanding of faith and knowledge. This violates the limits for theoretical knowledge set by Kierkegaard. Such a Tillichian ontological loyalty explains that an ontological search is implicated in every religious experience. This basic presupposition of interaction with the sacred for Tillich lets us view Kierkegaard’s famous interpretation of biblical myths critically, and to argue that these stories do not mean that the only possible faith is “blind” faith. This opens a path for Tillich to rationalize every aspect of Christianity and to talk about “true God,” God beyond the gods of actual religions.
Keywords: Paul Tillich, Søren Kierkegaard, faith, knowledge, religious experience, theology
Published in DiRROS: 11.09.2025; Views: 728; Downloads: 358
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