GPT

The Ground of Being – Tillich rejected the idea of God as a being among other beings (even an omnipotent one). Instead, he described God as the Ground of Being, the depth and source of existence itself. This shifts theology away from a personal, theistic deity toward something more akin to process and being itself.

The Courage to Be – In his book The Courage to Be, Tillich explores how anxiety and despair arise from our confrontation with non-being (death, meaninglessness, and guilt). He argues that authentic courage consists in affirming one's being despite these existential threats, which he connects to faith in the Ground of Being.

Faith as Ultimate Concern – For Tillich, faith is not mere belief in doctrines but an existential ultimate concern—the thing that grips a person at their core and gives life meaning. He warns against idolatrous faith, where finite things (nation, success, ideology) are treated as ultimate.

The Protestant Principle – Tillich critiques religious institutions that claim to possess absolute truth, arguing that true faith remains open to critique and reformation. He insists that no human or institution can fully grasp the divine.

Method of Correlation – He develops a theological method that "correlates" existential human questions with theological symbols. Rather than imposing dogma, theology should engage with human struggles and provide answers in meaningful ways.

Kairos and History – Tillich sees history as punctuated by kairos moments—times when the eternal breaks into the temporal, often through radical social, political, or religious transformation.