The Courage to Be

By: Paul Tillich

Narrated by: Mort Crim

In this classic and deeply insightful book, one of the world's most eminent philosophers describes the dilemma of modern man and points a way to conquering the problem of anxiety. The book is published by Yale University Press.

©2000 Yale University Press (P)2010 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Were I to choose the most significant book in religion published in the second half of the twentieth century, my choice would easily fall upon Paul Tillich's The Courage to Be." (Peter J. Gomes, Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in The Memorial Church, Harvard University)

what is it ?

the narration is lackluster and I have to listen to it again courage I really want to understand the teaching.

An essential read for the sophisticated seeker.

What made the experience of listening to The Courage to Be the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed every minute of it. I listened to the book several times as it is not an easy book to comprehend in just one reading.

What did you like best about this story?

Tillich is deep and is worth spending a great deal of time investigating. This is a timeless piece of true psychological and philosophical thought.

What does Mort Crim bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice was pleasant and easy to listen to as I re-listened to the book several times.

The best ontological work Iv'e ever read.

What made the experience of listening to The Courage to Be the most enjoyable?

I was very sick of shallow treatments of this subject in my "evangelical bubble". This work was not only informative, but challenging! I hope to find more works like this in the future.

What aspect of Mort Crim’s performance would you have changed?

It was quite dry, but some how his stately sound made sense for the material.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me examine my motives and identity.

fantastic introduction

This book provides a very solid and succinct introduction and overview to Niebuhr's life and writings.

challenging

Paul Tillich never ceases to stimulate, challenge and motivate.The linkage of the courage to be with the cross is extraordinary.

A book that may resist the tooth of time

There is nothing new under the sun. But Tillich’s analysis may perpetually revealing for generations to come. Little books are more worth while to pick up than this one.

The most important theological work of the 20th ce

it cannot be over stated just how important this book is. Even if only read the last three chapters, you need to read it. Tillich recapitulates faith and "God" in a way that makes the concepts accessible, universal, primordial, and consistent with the core of human existence. Only the most ardent and facile fundamentalist would be unpersuaded by the authenticity of his argument, and even atheists can draw something deeply powerful from it without feeling naive

Existentialist Philosophy as a Prolegomena

I wasn't sure where Tillich was going until the last two chapters. This is not a theological work... until the very end. It is existentialist philosophy. Approach with that lense and all will be well. That sets us up nicely for the brief excursion into Lutheran theology at the conclusion.

Amazing book, terrible narration

The content of this book make it ok to listen to the poor performance audio experience. One could not have picked a more monotonous, pompous and dispassionate narrator to read the fundamental truths of life.

The Courage to be Lost in a Book

This book was very challenging. Some sentences I never did decipher even after numerous times rewinding and relistening. If you want to tackle a thought provoking book this is a good one. Plan on taking at the very least twice as long as the length of the reading. I received great insights in the description of the human journey of courage to be wholly human. Accepting anxiety as part of our humanity is a breathe of fresh air in the midst of all of our striving to be good enough.
“The courage to be is rooted in the God Who appears when the God [in our small human box] has disappeared in the anxiety of doubt.”
I recommend this book.