The Ecotheology of Paul Tillich

Paul Tillich was perhaps the 20th century's most important theologian. One element of his thought that has not been widely studied, until now, is the relation of his theology and philosophy to environmental issues. Tillich's encyclopedic knowledge of our spiritual situation, as well as his love for the natural world, provide a sound basis for the newly developed disciplines of ecotheology and ecopsychology. The radical nature of his theology also has profound implications for the burgeoning field of environmental ethics, specifically deep ecology-a movement rightly seeking to place humans within the realm of the natural world, not above it. In short, Tillich's thought is just what we need for a postmodern world that has lost sight of its rootedness in the natural world, due largely to technological overdependency and an accompanying spiritual alienation.