--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fear is the absence of faith." description: "\"Fear is the absence of faith.\" — Paul Tillich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/paul-tillich-3183_absence_fear-is-the-absence-of-faith-1036461_1036461.jpg" --- # Fear is the absence of faith. ![“Fear is the absence of faith.” quote by Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/paul-tillich-3183_absence_fear-is-the-absence-of-faith-1036461_1036461.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/paul-tillich-3183_absence_fear-is-the-absence-of-faith-1036461_1036461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/paul-tillich-3183_absence_fear-is-the-absence-of-faith-1036461_1036461.jpg) > “Fear is the absence of faith.” [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear arises when faith is missing; faith eliminates fear. **In simple terms:** Fear lacks faith; faith removes fear. Key Takeaway Cultivate faith to reduce fear. Themes faith fear belief Mood reflective steady Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public speaking - career change - health challenges - spiritual practice Key Concepts theology existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does faith mean to you? - How can you strengthen faith in uncertainty? A Different Perspective Faith may be challenged by reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Absence Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence-faith-942956/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-absence-1024815/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“fear is nothing more than the absence of faith!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hudson-smith/fear-is-nothing-more-than-the-absence-of-faith/) [Linda Hudson-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hudson-smith/) > [Fear is the absence of faith and knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-yap/fear-is-the-absence-of-faith-and-knowledge/) [Joel Yap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-yap/) > [ It's so much a part of me that it's almost hard to describe myself in the absence of \[faith\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-s-so-much-a-part-of-me-that-it-s-almost-hard-to-describe-myself-in-2/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [As an atheist and lapsed Catholic, I feel the absence of faith in my own life quite acutely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/as-an-atheist-and-lapsed-catholic-i-feel-the-absence-of-faith-in-my/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [LONELINESS is not an absence of someone dear in our life¦ it is an absence of faith in The Almighty God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manna-chisim-sangma/loneliness-is-not-an-absence-of-someone-dear-in-our-life-it-is-an/) [Manna Chisim Sangma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manna-chisim-sangma/) > [What we call doubt is often simply dullness of mind and spirit, not the absence of faith at all, but faith latent with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-wiman/what-we-call-doubt-is-often-simply-dullness-of-mind-and-spirit-not/) [Christian Wiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-wiman/) > [You can have my isolation, you can have the hate that it brings… You can have my absence of faith, you can have my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ctate/you-can-have-my-isolation-you-can-have-the-hate-that-it-brings-you/) [CTate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ctate/) > [Doubt, or the absence of faith and naivete, is a vice peculiar to this age, for no one is obedient nowadays; and naivete, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/doubt-or-the-absence-of-faith-and-naivete-is-a-vice-peculiar-to-this/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [“Worry is absence of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-palnik/worry-is-absence-of-faith/) [Paul Palnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-palnik/) > [Faith is an absence of doubt, and doubt is an absence of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/faith-is-an-absence-of-doubt-and-doubt-is-an-absence-of-faith/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [“It is not the absence of hope. Rather, it is the absence of our faith in hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-absence-of-hope-rather-it-is-the-absence-of-our-faith/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear-not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/courage-is-resistance-to-fear-mastery-of-fear-not-absence-of-fear/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The absence of pain led to an absence of fear, and the absence of fear led to a disregard for consequence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/the-absence-of-pain-led-to-an-absence-of-fear-and-the-absence-of-fear/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [“My only fear is that my absence has gained more weight and popularity than my presence. The past is praised while the present is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/my-only-fear-is-that-my-absence-has-gained-more-weight-and-popularity/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“Courage, I realised, was not the absence of fear: it was the absence of selfishness; putting someone else's interest before one's own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-cohen-corasanti/courage-i-realised-was-not-the-absence-of-fear-it-was-the-absence-of/) [Michelle Cohen Corasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-cohen-corasanti/) ## More by Paul Tillich > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [Faith is the state of being ultimately concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/faith-is-the-state-of-being-ultimately-concerned/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [ \[American\] conformism might approximate collectivism, not so much in economic respects, and not too much in political respects, but very much in the pattern… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/american-conformism-might-approximate-collectivism-not-so-much-in/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [There is no condition for forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/there-is-no-condition-for-forgiveness/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [He who risks and fails can be forgiven. He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/he-who-risks-and-fails-can-be-forgiven-he-who-never-risks-and-never/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [Symbols have one characteristic in common with signs; they point beyond themselves to something else. The red sign at the street corner points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/symbols-have-one-characteristic-in-common-with-signs-they-point/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [In those who rest on their unshakable faith, pharisaism and fanaticism are the unmistakable symptoms of doubt which has been repressed. Doubt is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/in-those-who-rest-on-their-unshakable-faith-pharisaism-and-fanaticism/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [When you love someone and you love them with your heart, it never disappears when you're apart. Anh when you love someone and you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/when-you-love-someone-and-you-love-them-with-your-heart-it-never/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [Being religious means asking passionately the question of the meaning of our existence and being willing to receive answers, even if the answers hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/being-religious-means-asking-passionately-the-question-of-the-meaning/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [The joy about our work is spoiled when we perform it not because of what we produce but because of the pleasure with which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/the-joy-about-our-work-is-spoiled-when-we-perform-it-not-because-of/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [In the courageous standing of uncertainty, faith shows most visibly its dynamic character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/in-the-courageous-standing-of-uncertainty-faith-shows-most-visibly/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [For love ... is the blood of life, the power of reunion in the separated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/for-love-is-the-blood-of-life-the-power-of-reunion-in-the-separated/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [Man's ultimate concern must be expressed symbolically, because symbolic language alone is able to express the ultimate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/man-s-ultimate-concern-must-be-expressed-symbolically-because/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [man is free, in so far as he has the power of contradicting himself and his essential nature. Man is free even from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/man-is-free-in-so-far-as-he-has-the-power-of-contradicting-himself/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [The citizens of a city are not guilty of the crimes committed in their city; but they are guilty as participants in the destiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/the-citizens-of-a-city-are-not-guilty-of-the-crimes-committed-in/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) [Explore all 136 Paul Tillich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. 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Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Fear is the absence of faith.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Tillich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/fear-is-the-absence-of-faith/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/fear-is-the-absence-of-faith/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/paul-tillich-3183_absence_fear-is-the-absence-of-faith-1036461_1036461.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/paul-tillich-3183_absence_fear-is-the-absence-of-faith-1036461_1036461.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/paul-tillich-3183_absence_fear-is-the-absence-of-faith-1036461_1036461.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Fear is the absence of faith.” — Paul Tillich", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Tillich", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Fear is the absence of faith.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/fear-is-the-absence-of-faith/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/fear-is-the-absence-of-faith/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```