The Dynamics of Faith was published by Harper & Brothers in 1957 as part of the World Perspectives series edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen. At barely 130 pages, it is Tillich’s most concentrated and accessible theological statement — the book most often recommended to readers approaching his thought for the first time.
Tillich’s central redefinition: faith is not belief. It is not the acceptance of propositions that contradict reason. It is not certainty. Faith, Tillich argues, is “the state of being ultimately concerned” — the condition in which something matters to a person unconditionally, in which a person is “grasped” by a concern that demands total surrender and promises total fulfillment.
This definition immediately expands faith beyond religion: a nation can be someone’s ultimate concern (nationalism as faith), or money (capitalism as faith), or success (the American dream as faith). These are all forms of faith — but idolatrous forms, because they elevate something finite (a nation, wealth, status) to the level of the ultimate. True faith directs itself toward the truly ultimate — toward that which is infinite, unconditional, and absolute. In Christian terms, this is God understood as Being-itself rather than as a supreme being.
The book’s most influential argument concerns doubt: “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.” Living faith always includes doubt — the awareness that one’s symbols for the ultimate are symbols, not the ultimate itself. Certainty (the elimination of doubt) is actually a form of idolatry: it treats human formulations as absolute, confusing the finger pointing at the moon with the moon. The courage of faith is precisely the courage to maintain ultimate concern despite the absence of certainty.
Collecting The Dynamics of Faith
First edition (Harper & Brothers, New York, 1957): Cloth binding, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition in dust jacket: $20–$50
- Without jacket: $5–$12
- Signed copies: $50–$150
Tillich’s most widely read single work and a standard text in theology, philosophy of religion, and religious studies courses worldwide. Continuously in print since 1957.