Paul Tillich and Religious Socialism

Kirk R. MacGregor is associate professor of philosophy and religion and department chair at McPherson College.

• DedicationAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1.Historical Backdrop to Tillich’s Religious Socialism2.Politics and Ultimate Reality3.The Idolatrous Nature of Political Romanticism4.The Demonic Structure of Capitalism5.The Socialist Principle of Expectation6.Power and Ethics7.Socio-Economic Features of a Religious Socialist Government8.Building a Kingdom of Peace and JusticeConclusionBibliography

During a time in American politics when “socialism” has become a new point of contention, MacGregor’s refurbishment of Tillich’s work reminds readers of the viability of religious socialism for our shared communal life. Not only does MacGregor thoughtfully articulate Tillich’s own relationship to religious socialism in both the German and American context, he updates Tillich’s work to make it applicable to our current context in ways that are faithful to Tillich’s original work. Rather than distance theology from the realm of politics, MacGregor furthers a theo-politics that condemns the idolatries and demonic aspects of our current political landscape while promoting a vision for peacemaking and social justice that are eschatologically oriented. Ultimately, the book asks people of faith to consider alternative forms of political life that foster genuine democracy.