Theologian/Philosopher Paul Tillich described religion as man's quest for the "ultimate concern."
Tillich wrote on the boundaries of the "God is Dead" movement, and he wanted to expand the definition of "religion" beyond the walls of the cathedral. He noted that many people had abandoned traditional religion, but nevertheless could be described as deeply religious because of the passion with which they pursued meaning in life.
Tillich therefore re-defined religion as "ultimate concern."
Every human being has some "ultimate" in his life. It doesn't have to be a Deity in the Biblical sense or in the sense of any knock-off of Biblical Faith, such as Islam or Mormonism.
This "ultimate concern" is the basis for our actions, including the act of legislating morality, the legislation of right and wrong for ourselves, our family, our business, and our society.
Ultimate Concern -
Tillich in Dialogue by D. Mackenzie Brown
Donald Mackenzie Brown is Chairman of the Department of Religious Studies
at the University of California in Santa Barbara.
This book was published in 1965 by Harper & Row, Publishers.
Digital version prepared for Religion Online by Harry W. and Grace C. Adams.
A Review by Lewis S. Ford
JSTOR:
The Journal of Religion: Vol. 46, No. 1, Part 1 (Jan., 1966), pp. 56-57
A Man of Ultimate Concern - TIME Magazine
All law is religious in nature, a reflection of the legislature's "ultimate
concern."
Why
All Man-Made Law is Religious in Nature
Quotations from R.J. Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law
About.com : Agnosticism / Atheism
Religion as
Faith and Ultimate Concern: What is Religion?
Koinonia » Life’s Ultimate Concern Christian Fellowship at UC Berkeley