The Human Being between Anxiety and Courage: A Theological Anthropology from Paul Tillich

This article is a study on theological anthropology. It primarily based on the German-American Protestant theologian Paul Tillich in dialogue with other authors. Drawing heavily from Tillich, it conceptually centers around his book The Courage to Be, from which it develops an anthropology grounded in the concepts of anxiety and courage. The article investigates the existential tensions that shape the human experience. Through a dialogue between Tillich and other authors, it explores human resistance against objectification, which occurs when an individual is reduced to an impersonal entity in the world. The intrinsic relationship between the self and the world is pivotal in Tillich's anthropology, where the formation of a person occurs in encounters with others, underscoring the importance of relationality in the construction of human identity. Analyzing courage as a response to the threat of non-being, following Tillich's approach, the article highlights its theological roots in faith as an existential acceptance of the unconditional. This affirmation of life, encompassing all its ambiguities in the face of the threat of non-being, opens the door to genuine relationality, grounded in the New Being. The article concludes by emphasizing that theological anthropology does not seek certainties but rather embraces the uncertainty of concrete life. This study aims to contribute to the theological approach to the complexities of the human condition, providing a critical analysis of contemporary dynamics and contributing to a deeper understanding of the human being and the meaning of a faith response based on courage rather than dogmatism.