Paul Tillich was a prominent public theologian of the 1950s and 1960s who immigrated to the US following Nazi expulsion from his post at a German university. In this collection his better-known Cold War–era works rightly share the stage with his 1933 work The Socialist Decision and his wartime broadcasts which offered Germany a stark alternative to Nazi theorist Carl Schmitt’s Political Theology (1922). These essays by senior, mid-career, and rising scholars will enrich both newcomers to Tillich and seasoned readers. Essays in section 1 contextualize Tillich’s early work: his traumatic WW I experience, Weimar-era political theologizing, and its continuity with his Systematic Theology (1951). The middle section brings Tillich’s work into dialogue with varied liberationist theologians—James H. Cone, Delores S. Williams, Óscar Romero. Section 3 demonstrates the enduring relevance of Tillich’s work for contemporary issues in political theology—as Sámi reindeer herders in the Artic face "ultimate ecological concern"; as his sermons inform issues of disability; as his critiques of nationalism, Fascism, and the "demonic" address issues surrounding migration, religious violence, and the current American political scene. All told, this volume makes a compelling case for retaining Tillich in the canon of essential theological reading and for giving greater attention to his earlier work and the political "demonic." Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.

Choice Reviews

The Political Theology of Paul Tillich brings together leading Tillich scholars to revisit Tillich’s political theology for a new and diverse audience. Representing an impressive array of nationalities, backgrounds, and methodologies, authors mine Tillich’s work to find its relevance to a diverse range of topics relevant to contemporary theology. Both appreciative and critical, this book will help to ensure Tillich’s work will remain relevant within the field of political theology.

Devan Stahl, Baylor University

Paul Tillich was a prophetic, political theologian. The book bespeaks the continuing relevance of Tillich's political theology to contemporary issues in various contexts. I am especially impressed by the variety of perspectives Rachel Sophia Baard has brought together in this volume.

Francis Ching-Wah Yip, The Chinese University of Hong Kong