Paul Tillich (1886–1965) is an interesting mix of Existentialist philosopher and Lutheran theologian. Having already read his Dynamics of Faith and his most famous work, The Courage to Be, I was excited to get an inside look at Tillich from this brief autobiography.

Tillich presents himself as a man who exists on the boundary.

I thought that the concept of the boundary might be the fitting symbol for the whole of my personal and intellectual development. At almost every point, I have had to stand between alternative possibilities of existence, to be completely at home in neither and to take no definitive stand against either. (13)

This self-understanding is reflected by the chapter titles which in include “Between City and Country,” “Between Theology and Philosophy,” and “Between Religion and Culture.” Thinking about life in this way enables Tillich to resist homogenization and chart his own course (as any true existentialist should).

On the Boundary is an interesting glimpse at the spiritual and intellectual development of Tillich, but it’s more than just that. The reader is challenged to think of their own life not in terms of simple dichotomies, but rather as people who live in the liminal.

Tillich, Paul. On the Boundary: An Autobiographical Sketch. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1966.