Philip Arthur Bence PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

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existence. But this objective progress has done little
for, and perhaps has heightened, man's existential
despair.
The tragic self—destruction of our present
world is the result not simply of the
particular contradictions bred by that world
but also of the contradictions which
characterize human life always. History shows
that, over and over again, the achievements of
man, as though by a logic of tragedy, turn
against man h1mself.7
So what can the preacher do? Tillich criticized
preachers who endeavor to promote their hearers' positive
response to God. But, every preacher must, he declared,
offer truth which enables hearers to make a valid
decision for or against the Gospel. This takes place
only when the preacher frees his preaching from outdated
elements which hinder communication with contemporary
man. The preacher must choose those symbols which
speak to technological society in the midst of its
alienation, otherwise his preaching is doomed to
irrelevance.
3. Preparation and Delivery of Selected Material
In relation to the first two of this chapter's
questions, 'Tillich lecturers', as expected, take a
position contrasting with the 'Lloyd—Jones lecturers'.
The third question unites these two groups. 'Tillich
lecturers', compared to 'Stewart'+'Rahner lecturers',
give low priority to both 'the preacher as a person' and
to the goal of communicating truth to the congregation.
Consider, also, their opinion on developing