Who is a Christian? : On Tillich’s and Barth’s Concepts of a Christian

It is very important for Christian mission to understand the relationships between Christians and non-Christians, especially in a non-Christian country like Japan. Karl Rahner, a modern Catholic theologian, uses the concept “anonymous Christian” to express this relationship. This has become a popular concept, but it has also led to considerable controversy. The reason for the controversy is that the concept presupposes the absoluteness of Christianity and includes the problem of natural theology, which accepts the idea of a direct connection between God and human beings. It is a matter of importance and great interest to determine the relationship between Christians and non-Christians in this age of the plurality of religions. Clarity about this relationship will also provide direction for Christian mission. The purpose of this paper is to understand more clearly the relationship between Christians and non-Christians by comparing Tillich’s and Barth’s concepts of what it is to be a Christian.departmental bulletin pape