The Dynamics of Faith is an in-depth look at what faith is from a theological perspective. Tillich seems to be replying to all of the writers we have read thus far and placing their arguments within the context of faith. Nowhere is this more apparent than on page 24, in his discussion of community. He rightly acknowledges that faith is usually seen in its sociologic setting. He then proceeds to sort out the different claims, saying that community is necessary to see the manifestation of faith because we need the language to express it. He also states that we need community for the content of our faith. This is almost Durkheimian, except that Tillich does not seem to be saying that community is necessary for faith because we are ultimately concerned with society, as Durkheim would claim, but that we cannot express that faith without community. This is a nice way of tying together the religious experiences that James describes with the aspect of community that Durkheim discusses. Tillich’s observations seem to fit very well with any religious tradition. Since he is describing a theory of faith and not religion as a whole, he does not have to deal with what makes up a religion. The theory he puts forth could incorporate anything from faith in God to nationalism, as he describes. Thus, the intent is more important than the name of the organization, whether it be classified as a religion or not. Although this may be seen as copping out, as some accused James of doing, Tillich gives such a detailed definition of faith that it is impossible to accuse him of taking the easy path. He does stray away from incorporating all religion when discussing mythology. He says that Christianity is superior to religions bound to a natural myth. This is clearly a very biased statement, and throughout the book it is obvious that Tillich is much more familiar with Christianity than other traditions. However, he is very quick to remind us that...
