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also so in Christianity, in Judaism, in Islam – in the monotheistic religions which have criticized to a certain extent idolatrous elements in the religions in which they appeared; but this criticism is not strong enough.

The weakness of all faith is, as Calvin^c said, that the human mind is a continuously-working factory of idols. We all produce idols continuously. Sometimes our work becomes an idol, sometimes a beloved one becomes an idol, sometimes a religious dogma, a sacrament – and the human mind never escapes this: it is always creating ultimates which are not really ultimate.

This is the reason that I said (I think it was in the second hour of these lectures) something about which I have often been asked in the meantime, and which I want to repeat now, in order to say what I believe is the criterion of the really ultimate.

We cannot have the really ultimate as something which we can grasp – then it wouldn't be ultimate at all. Ultimacy includes transcendence beyond anything relative, and our language, and everything we would say about the ultimate, is relative.

Therefore I said: the only real ultimate is that finite which sacrifices itself as finite. I referred this to the Messiah who, against all expectations, instead of bringing a new period of history, was crucified by the old period of history. Then I got from many of you the question, “Now there are so many martyrs; self-sacrifice cannot be a criterion, because in every very idolatrous or quasi-religious movement, there are people who sacrifice themselves.” Now this was a misunderstanding, for which I am responsible, and therefore I am glad that