Jacques Ellul

**Jacques Ellul** (January 6, 1912 – May 19, 1994) was a French philosopher, sociologist, theologian, and Christian anarchist. He wrote several books about the "technological society", and about Christianity and politics, such as _Anarchy and Christianity_ (1991) –  anarchism and Christianity are socially following the same goal. A philosopher who approached technology from a deterministic viewpoint. Ellul was professor at the University of Bordeaux. He authored some 40 books and hundreds of articles over his lifetime, the dominant theme of which has been the threat to human freedom and Christian faith created by modern technology. Ellul spoke often about the emergence of a "technological tyranny" over humanity.

Ellul has been credited with saying the phrase, "Think globally, act locally."

## Books

- _Étude sur l'évolution et la nature juridique du Mancipium_.  Bordeaux: Delmas, 1936.
- _Le fondement théologique du droit_.  Neuchâtel: Delachaux & Niestlé, 1946.
    - _The Theological Foundation of Law_.  Trans. Marguerite Wieser.  Garden City NY: Doubleday, 1960.  London: SCM, 1961.  New York: Seabury, 1969.
- _Présence au monde moderne: Problèmes de la civilisation post-chrétienne_.  Geneva: Roulet, 1948. Lausanne: Presses Bibliques Universitaires, 1988.
    - _The Presence of the Kingdom_.  Trans. Olive Wyon.  Philadelphia: Westminster, 1951.  London: SCM, 1951.  New York: Seabury,  1967.  Colorado Springs: Helmers and Howard, 1989.
- _Le livre de Jonas_.  Paris: Cahiers Bibliques de Foi et Vie, 1952.
    - _The Judgment of Jonah_.  Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971.
- _L'homme et l'argent (Nova et vetera)_.  Neuchâtel: Delachaux & Niestlé, 1954.  Lausanne: Presses Bibliques Universitaires, 1979.
    - _Money and Power_.  Trans. LaVonne Neff.  Downers Grove IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984. Basingstoke, England: Marshall Pickering, 1986.
- _La technique ou l'enjeu du siècle_.  Paris: Armand Colin, 1954. Paris: Économica, 1990.
    - _The Technological Society_.  Trans. John Wilkinson.  New York: Knopf, 1964. London: Jonathan Cape, 1965.  Rev. ed.: New York: Knopf/Vintage, 1967. with introduction by Robert K. Merton (professor of sociology, Columbia University). This  may be his best-known work; Aldous Huxley brought the French edition to the attention of an English publisher, and thus brought it to English readers. Theodore Kaczynski had a copy in his cabin and said he read it five times—his "manifesto" addresses similar themes.
- _Histoire des institutions_.  Paris: Presses Universitaires de France;  volumes 1 & 2,
- _L'Antiquité_ (1955); vol. 3, Le Moyen Age (1956); vol. 4, Les XVIe-XVIIIe siècle (1956); vol. 5, Le XIXe siècle (1789–1914) (1956).
- _Propagandes_.  Paris: A. Colin, 1962. Paris: Économica, 1990
    - _Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes_.  Trans. Konrad Kellen & Jean Lerner.  New York: Knopf, 1965.  New York: Random House/ Vintage 1973
- _Fausse présence au monde moderne_.  Paris: Les Bergers et Les Mages, 1963.
    - _False Presence of the Kingdom_.  Trans. C. Edward Hopkin.  New York: Seabury, 1972.
- _Le vouloir et le faire: Recherches éthiques pour les chrétiens: Introduction (première partie)_.  Geneva: Labor et Fides, 1964.
    - _To Will and to Do: An Ethical Research for Christians_.  Trans. C. Edward Hopkin.  Philadelphia: Pilgrim, 1969.
- _L'illusion politique_.  Paris: Robert Laffont, 1965.  Rev. ed.: Paris: Librairie Générale Française, 1977.
    - _The Political Illusion_.  Trans. Konrad Kellen.  New York: Knopf, 1967. New York: Random House/Vintage, 1972.
- _Exégèse des nouveaux lieux communs_.  Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1966. Paris: La Table Ronde, 1994.
    - _A Critique of the New Commonplaces_.  Trans. Helen Weaver.  New York: Knopf, 1968.
- _Politique de Dieu, politiques de l'homme_.  Paris: Éditions Universitaires, 1966.
    - _The Politics of God and the Politics of Man_.  Trans./ed. Geoffrey W.  Bromiley. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972.
- _Histoire de la propagande_.  Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1967, 1976.
- _Métamorphose du bourgeois_.  Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1967. Paris: La Table Ronde, 1998.
- _Autopsie de la révolution_.  Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1969.
    - _Autopsy of Revolution_.  Trans. Patricia Wolf.  New York: Knopf, 1971.
- _Contre les violents_.  Paris: Centurion, 1972.
    - _Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective_.  Trans. Cecelia Gaul Kings. New York: Seabury, 1969.  London: SCM Press, 1970.  London: Mowbrays, 1978.
- _Sans feu ni lieu: Signification biblique de la Grande Ville_.  Paris: Gallimard, 1975.
    - _The Meaning of the City_.  Trans. Dennis Pardee.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970. Carlisle, Cumbria, England: Paternoster, 1997.
- _L'impossible prière_.  Paris: Centurion, 1971, 1977.
    - _Prayer and Modern Man_.  Trans. C. Edward Hopkin.  New York: Seabury, 1970, 1973
- _Jeunesse délinquante: Une expérience en province_.  Avec Yves Charrier.  Paris: Mercure de France, 1971.  2nd ed.: _Jeunesse délinquante: Des blousons noirs aux hippies_.  Nantes: Éditions de l'AREFPPI, 1985.
- _De la révolution aux révoltes_.  Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1972.
- _L'espérance oubliée_.  Paris: Gallimard, 1972.
    - _Hope in Time of Abandonment_.  Trans. C. Edward Hopkin.  New York: Seabury, 1973.
- _Éthique de la liberté_,  2 vols.  Geneva: Labor et Fides, I:1973, II:1974.
    - _The Ethics of Freedom_.  Trans. and ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976.  London: Mowbrays, 1976.
- _Les nouveaux possédés_.  Paris: Arthème Fayard, 1973.
    - _The New Demons_.  Trans. C. Edward Hopkin.  New York: Seabury, 1975.  London: Mowbrays, 1975.
- _L'Apocalypse: Architecture en mouvement_.  Paris: Desclée, 1975.
    - _Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation_.  Trans. George W. Schreiner.  New     York: Seabury, 1977.
- _Trahison de l'Occident_.  Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1975.
    - _The Betrayal of the West_.  Trans. Matthew J. O'Connell.  New York: Seabury,1978.
- _Le système technicien_.  Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1977.
    - _The Technological System_.  Trans. Joachim Neugroschel.  New York: Continuum, 1980.
- _L'idéologie marxiste chrétienne_.  Paris: Centurion, 1979.
    - _Jesus and Marx: From Gospel to Ideology_.  Trans. Joyce Main Hanks.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
- _L'empire du non-sens: L'art et la société technicienne_.  Paris: Press Universitaires de France, 1980.
- _La foi au prix du doute: "Encore quarante jours . . ."_  Paris: Hachette, 1980.
    - _Living Faith: Belief and Doubt in a Perilous World_.  Trans. Peter Heinegg.  San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1983.
- _La Parole humiliée_.  Paris: Seuil, 1981.
    - _The Humiliation of the Word_.  Trans. Joyce Main Hanks.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.
- _Changer de révolution: L'inéluctable prolétariat_.  Paris: Seuil, 1982.
- _Les combats de la liberté_.  (Tome 3, L'Ethique de la Liberté) Geneva: Labor et Fides, 1984.  Paris: Centurion, 1984.
- _La subversion du christianisme_.  Paris: Seuil, 1984, 1994. réédition en 2001, La Table Ronde;
    - _The Subversion of Christianity_.   Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.
- _Conférence sur l'Apocalypse de Jean_.  Nantes: AREFPPI, 1985.
- _Un chrétien pour Israël_.  Monaco: Éditions du Rocher, 1986.
- _Ce que je crois_.  Paris: Grasset and Fasquelle, 1987.
    - _What I Believe_.  Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.
- _La Genèse aujourd'hui_.  Avec François Tosquelles.  Ligné: AREFPPI, 1987.
- _La raison d'être: Méditation sur l'Ecclésiaste_.  Paris: Seuil, 1987
    - _Reason for Being: A Meditation on Ecclesiastes_.  Trans. Joyce Main Hanks. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.
- _Anarchie et christianisme_.  Lyon: Atelier de Création Libertaire, 1988. Paris: La Table Ronde, 1998
    - _Anarchy and Christianity_.  Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.
- _Le bluff technologique_.  Paris: Hachette, 1988.
    - _The Technological Bluff_.  Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley.  Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.
- _Ce Dieu injuste . . .?: Théologie chrétienne pour le peuple d'Israël_.  Paris: Arléa, 1991, 1999.
- _Si tu es le Fils de Dieu: Souffrances et tentations de Jésus_.  Paris: Centurion, 1991.
- _Déviances et déviants dans notre société intolérante_.  Toulouse: Érés, 1992.
- _Silences: Poèmes_.  Bordeaux: Opales, 1995.
- _Oratorio: Les quatre cavaliers de l'Apocalypse_.  Bordeaux: Opales, 1997.
- _Sources and Trajectories: Eight Early Articles by Jacques Ellul that Set the Stage_.  Trans./ed. Marva J. Dawn.  Grand Rapids:  Eerdmans, 1997.

## Interviews

- "A temps et à contretemps: Entretiens avec Madeleine Garrigou-Lagrange".  Paris: Centurion, 1981.
- "In Season, Out of Season: An Introduction to the Thought of Jacques Ellul: Interviews by Madeleine Garrigou-Lagrange."  Trans. Lani  K. Niles.  San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1982.
- "Perspectives on Our Age: Jacques Ellul Speaks on His Life and Work".  Ed. Willem H. Vanderburg.  Trans. Joachim Neugroschel.  Toronto: CBC, 1981. New York: Seabury, 1981.  Concord, Ontario: House of Anansi, 1997.
- "".  Avec Didier Nordon.  Paris: Félin, 1992.
- "Entretiens avec Jacques Ellul".  Patrick Chastenet.  Paris: Table Ronde, 1994.
- "Jacques Ellul on Religion, Technology, and Politics: Conversations with Patrick Troude-Chastenet".  Trans. Joan Mendès France.  Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998.
- "Jacques Ellul on Politics, Technology, and Christianity: Conversations with Patrick Troude-Chastenet".  Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2005.

## Related pages

- Christian anarchism
- Indoctrination
- Propaganda
- Randal Marlin
- List of anarchists

## Other websites

- International Jacques Ellul Society
- Association Internationale Jacques Ellul
- AIJE, groupe Marseille / Aix-en-Provence
- Wheaton College Library's Jacques Ellul page  (with biographical information and listings of their holdings of rare Ellul manuscripts)
- Jacques Ellul works on Jesus Radicals
- Jacques Ellul at Anarchist Archive
- A Politics of God and a Politics of Man

## Infobox (philosopher)

- **region**: Western philosophy
- **era**: 20th century philosophy
- **color**: #B0C4DE
- **image**: Jacques Ellul (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Jacques Ellul in 1990
- **name**: Jacques Ellul
- **birth date**: January 6, 1912
- **birth place**: Bordeaux, France
- **death place**: Pessac, France
- **school tradition**: Non-conformism, non-conformist
- **influences**: John Calvin, Søren Kierkegaard, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Karl Marx, Christoph Blumhardt, Karl Barth, Nikolai Berdyaev
- **influenced**: Langdon Winner, Ivan Illich, Greg Boyd (theologian), Greg Boyd