TY - JOUR

T1 - Crisis, Kairos, and Kairotic Moments

T2 - A Consideration of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Light of Paul Tillich's Concept of Kairos

AU - Kristensen, Anne-Milla Wichmann

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Tillich interpreted the situation after the First and the Second World War through the concept of kairos, emphasizing the situations as kairotic moments. I consider whether his concept of kairos can illuminate the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has been described as a crisis reaching beyond a mere health crisis. The pandemic is both illuminated by the idea of a kairotic moment as “a new beginning” and “a vacuum”, which contain the idea of possible transformation and by the idea of the reaction to the kairotic moment as being prone to error and as a demonically distorted moment. Thus, I consider if the development of his concept of kairos can illuminate the possibilities of a crisis and the actuality of a crisis.

AB - Tillich interpreted the situation after the First and the Second World War through the concept of kairos, emphasizing the situations as kairotic moments. I consider whether his concept of kairos can illuminate the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has been described as a crisis reaching beyond a mere health crisis. The pandemic is both illuminated by the idea of a kairotic moment as “a new beginning” and “a vacuum”, which contain the idea of possible transformation and by the idea of the reaction to the kairotic moment as being prone to error and as a demonically distorted moment. Thus, I consider if the development of his concept of kairos can illuminate the possibilities of a crisis and the actuality of a crisis.

U2 - 10.1515/9783110984729

DO - 10.1515/9783110984729

M3 - Journal article

VL - 15

SP - 37

EP - 52

JO - International Yearbook for Tillich Research

JF - International Yearbook for Tillich Research

SN - 1990-4231

ER -