Jacques Ellul was a prominent sociologist and theologian whose lifelong work primarily explored the threat to human freedom posed by modern technology. His writing, characterized by an objective and scholarly tenor, analyzed political and social phenomena from a broad perspective. Ellul delved into the complex interplay between technology, society, and the human psyche, often highlighting the paradoxical relationship between sin and sacramentality in the modern world.
Exploring the intersection of radical theology and sociological critique, this posthumous volume offers a fresh perspective on Jacques Ellul's work. Compiled by his family and scholars, it includes previously published and unpublished essays that reflect Ellul's thought from the 1970s. Frederic Rognon's insightful introduction enhances the reader's understanding, while Christian Roy's translation skillfully conveys the nuances of the original French text. This book is vital for anyone seeking to grasp the depth of Ellul's Christian engagement with modern challenges.
Jacques Ellul's landmark theological work, now available in English for the first time, offers a profound exploration of Christian ethics. This publication includes a fresh translation of Volume One and the first-ever English translation of Volume Two, enhanced by recent insights and a newly discovered manuscript. Together, these volumes lay the foundation for Ellul's ambitious four-part examination of ethics, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of his thought and its relevance to contemporary issues.
Exploring the significance of the desert, this volume presents a newly translated essay by Jacques Ellul, framed within biblical, theological, and ethical contexts. Accompanied by an informative introduction, it includes five critical essays that engage with Ellul's ideas. The collection provides thought-provoking insights into Ellul's writings, resonating with contemporary societal challenges and the search for revitalization amidst desolation.
In To Will and To Do, twentieth-century French thinker Jacques Ellul presented his landmark theological contribution, yet the full text has never before been available in English. Incorporating recent insights on Ellul, and benefitting from the discovery of a lost manuscript, this new publication remedies this, combining a fresh translation of Volume One with a first English translation of Volume Two. Together, the two volumes constitute the first part of Ellul's planned four-part treatment of Christian ethics. In Volume Two, Ellul examines the origin of the problem of Good and Evil, surveys the contemporary morality of Western society, and provocatively sketches the paradox of an impossible and yet necessary Christian ethics. In Volume Two, he carries this discussion forward, outlining the characteristics and conditions of Christian ethics, and analysing the relationship between ethics, the legal texts of the Bible, and dogmatic theology. He concludes by reimagining the theological use of the ‘analogy of faith’ for scriptural interpretation. Throughout, Ellul remains in dialogue with Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Paul Ricoeur and others, helping to cement To Will and To Do as a major intervention in twentieth-century theological ethics.
Jacques Ellul offers a profound exploration of Ecclesiastes, drawing on his extensive theological and sociological insights. This work serves as his final reflection, encapsulating decades of contemplation on themes of wisdom, vanity, and the divine presence. Ellul's unique perspective as a leading thinker of the twentieth century invites readers to engage deeply with the biblical text, making it a significant contribution to theological discourse.
The book explores the shift in communication from verbal to visual in Western society, emphasizing how this transformation affects perception and interaction. It delves into the implications of a culture increasingly dominated by images, suggesting that the depth of understanding and true dialogue is lost in favor of superficial representation. Through a critical lens, it examines the consequences of this visual dominance on human relationships and societal values.
Exploring the complexities of good and evil, this work by Jacques Ellul delves into contemporary Western morality while presenting a thought-provoking Christian ethics framework. The first volume outlines ethical dilemmas and societal issues, while the second connects ethics with biblical legal texts and dogmatic theology. Engaging with influential thinkers like Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, this two-volume set offers a fresh translation of Ellul's significant theological insights, marking a notable contribution to 20th-century ethical discourse.
Exploring the complexities of Good and Evil, this work delves into contemporary Western morality and presents a thought-provoking vision of Christian ethics. The first volume examines the origins of ethical dilemmas, while the second expands on the characteristics of Christian ethics and its connections to biblical law and dogmatic theology. Engaging with notable theologians like Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, this significant contribution offers a fresh perspective on ethical discourse and scriptural interpretation, enriched by a recently discovered manuscript.
“There has never been a book provoking more delirium, foolishness and irrational movements, without any relationship to Jesus Christ [than the Book of Revelation].” —Jacques Ellul, Introduction Known for his trenchant critique of modernity and of those Christians who celebrate their captivity to it, Ellul here cuts to the heart of the theological intention of the Book of Revelation, and thereby reveals the liberating gospel in all its offensiveness. Neither an exhaustive commentary nor a work of historical-exegetical analysis, Apocalypse is a provocative, independent interpretation. Ellul seeks to rescue Revelation from the reassuring and orthodox banality to which commentators often reduce it. The goal is to perceive the totality of the book in its movement and structure. “Architecture in movement” is the key to understanding Revelation’s puzzling but simple message. This edition also comes with a new foreword by Jacob Marques Rollison who provides an essential aid for guiding readers through Ellul’s thorough engagement with Revelation.
Some 20 years after writing The Technological Society, Jacques Ellul realized how the totalistic dimensions of our modern technological milieu required an additional treatment of the topic. Writing amidst the rise of books in the 1970s on pollution, over-population, and environmental degradation, Ellul found it necessary, once again, to write about the global presence of technology and its far-reaching effects. The Technological System represents a new stage in Ellul’s research. Previously he studied technological society as such; in this book he approaches the topic from a systems perspective wherein he identifies the characteristics of technological phenomena and technological progress in light of system theory. This leads to an entirely new approach to what constitutes the most important event of our society which has decisive bearing on the future of our world. Ellul’s analysis touches on all aspects of modern life, not just those of a scientific or technological order. In the end, readers are compelled to formulate their own opinions and make their own decisions regarding the way a technique-based value system affects every level of human life.
