Ambiguity of history and missionary function of the Church: the missiological content of Paul Tillich's theology of religions

To what degree does Tillich's late theology of religions differ from John Hick's so-called 'pluralism'? The 1954 lecture entitled 'The Theology of Missions' casts new light on this often debated question. Tillich's earlier discussions of Ernst Troeltsch's account of the absoluteness of Christianity made him conclude that all metaphysics of history is inherently self-referential. On this basis, he praises missions as expressing a concrete universalism but denies the possibility of affirming, in a non-circular way, the equal truth content and salvific value of all religions.