The nature of man in the thought of Paul Tillich.

Abstract

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityThe nature of man according to Paul Tillich is that a finite creature has the hope and possibility of transcending himself. This statement contains the major suggestion about the nature of man. Man is created. He is created of the totality of being by God. Thus he is created of God and must, to some degree, be like unto his creator. However, in creation he is separated from the creator. That is to say that as the created man's being is limited or finite. Thus man is limited in his ability to cope with the structure of life. Because he is so limited he feels himself threatened by the possibility of non-being. He is anxious that he may lose the limited being which is his. As the finite he cannot cope with this situation by himself. But as the finite he is driven to search for a way he can cope with his anxieties. [TRUNCATED