Liturgy and Tillich's theory of symbols

Liturgical signs introduce us to the world of faith and invite us to contemplate the source of life and to experience the divine mysteries. Signs and symbols, in the context of religion, express and represent transcendent reality, such that they make it possible for men and women to get in touch with it through their senses: vision, hearing, taste and smell. The great protestant theologian Paul Tillich has insisted on symbolic language in his reflection on theology as articulation of faith. His original theory of symbols enables us to more deeply understand the liturgy and truths that we celebrate in the liturgy. The goal of this paper is to present Tillich's definition of symbol and to analyze the qualities symbols have in terms of their essence and function. As an important means of communication of faith, liturgical signs have the qualities of symbol, which is why liturgy simply cannot exist without them. Signs and symbols make possible the experience of the presence of God. The sacraments introduce us in a special way to the mystery of Christ. Therefore the believer has the possibility of entering into dialogue with God through signs and symbolical acts as well. According to Tillich, symbols give access to the deepest reality, to the reality that underlies every other reality, namely the reality of the Holy. Symbols show the way to God, who is the "ultimate concern" for every human being; they can be the means of revelation of the truth that the ultimate fulfillment of human existence rests in God. The author of the article concludes his analysis by proposing a few points for the believers as to how they might come to a deeper understanding of symbolical language in the context of liturgy.