[284] LECTURE XXIII, February 2, 1956 . . . The reading [pp. 281-84) is expected but will not be controlled.  . . . The title is "RELIGION^a and CULTURE.^b" What we did in the first hours of last semester was to give a definition of religion, and especially of the religious act---which I called "faith^c"--- on the basis of which the relationship of religion and culture could be discussed. The fundamental definition was "Religion is the state of being ultimately concerned." (By the way, this must have interested most of those who took an examination because they chose, in their presentation, the question "What does religion mean? What does faith mean?" as one of their three subjects). This fundamental definition was the main subject of the first lectures, and of many discussions, going on actually through the whole semester, not only in the discussion hour but also in the lecture itself. And since I come to this, let me say that I like you, if you feel like it, to raise your finger to interpret

the stream of my speech and to compel me to repeat what I said in other words, in order to make it more understandable, or putting a question which is meant as a criticism of what I said. Both is permitted, even during the lecture hour. Beyond this, my assistant Professor Leibrecht^d will give special discussion hours in which the content of the previous disucssions [sic.] here are discussed with those who want. The basic statement about the nature of religion is something which must be presupposed also in all the following lectures because my main thesis is that religion in this sense is present in every human being, because everybody has an ultimate concern, however it is expressed, and that every cultural