Paul Tillich, among the greatest Christian theologians of the 20th century, wrote 112 pieces for the "Voice of America," to be broadcast into Nazi Germany between March 1942 and May 1944. A few years ago, manuscripts of these broadcasts were collected, translated, and published under the title Against the Third Reich. These broadcasts bear witness to the prophetic role of Christianity in the face of tyranny, and illustrate the capacity of a single individual to discern and confront the profound issues that too often remain hidden by daily routine.
Dismissed by the Nazi regime from his position as a professor and dean at the University of Frankfurt, Tillich emigrated to the United States in 1933. He taught for more than 20 years at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and remained a prolific author, speaker, and scholar of cultural theology until his death in Chicago in 1965.
Now, instructed by the knowledge of history, we can easily see the "right on" relevance of Tillich's words. But another question arises: Do we see our own times and its challenges with similar clarity? Or are we inclined, as Tillich said of German intellectuals, to find "superficial beauty more important than deeply penetrating truth"? Paul Tillich, Against the Third Reich, p. 57. It can be tempting to use religion as a means to comfort, rather than redeem, ourselves and mankind. We may find solace in contemplating higher things instead of insisting that those ideals be manifest in our lives.
