Presence in the Modern World: A New Translation
Presence in the Modern World is Jacques Ellul's most foundational book, combining his social analysis with his theological orientation. Appearing first in French in 1948, it has reached the status of a classic that retains all of its relevance today in the face of the challenges that beset us. How should we respond toward such complex forces as technology or the state? How can we communicate with one another, despite the problems inherent in modern forms of media? Do we have hope for the future of our civilization? Ellul responds by describing how a Christian's unique presence in the world can make a difference. Instead of acting "as sociological beings," we must commit ourselves to the kind of revolution that will occur only when we become radically aware of our present situation and undertake "a ferocious and passionate destruction of myths, intellectual idols, unconscious rejections of reality, and outmoded and empty doctrines." In this way, says Ellul, we become the medium for God's action in the modern world. This 2016 edition presents a fresh translation along with new footnotes, an introduction to Ellul's life, and a complete bibliography of his books in English and French.
Top Highlights
“The first truth that must be recalled is that for Christians there is no separation between end and means. It is a Greek and moralizing way of thinking that has produced this separation. Our starting point is that in the work of God, end and means are brought together.” (source)
“God became incarnate; it is not our job to disincarnate him” (source)
“The first duty of Christian intellectuals today is the duty to become aware. It is, in other words, the duty to understand the world and ourselves, inseparably linked and inseparably convicted, in their reality. It means rejecting appearances, information for the sake of information, the abstract phenomenon, the reassuring illusion of progress, and the belief that people and situations can be improved through a kind of good historical fate.” (source)
“It is quite possible that if Christians had truly acted according to these means, while everyone else was thinking of material warfare (which was also necessary) or simply of blessing the guns, the result would not have been this horrifying triumph of the Hitlerian spirit that we see now throughout the world.” (source)
“This is why, in facing up to Hitler, if it is true that he represented a satanic power, there was first a spiritual battle to wage. Prayer is what should have been decisive, but we no longer have confidence in the extraordinary power of prayer!” (source)
"Today the moral question above all others is how to be truly
awake and fully equal to the technological world. Jacques
Ellul as a young man saw the question and began to outline the
answer in Presence in the Modern World."
--Albert Borgmann, author of Power Failure: Christianity in the
Culture of Technology
"Read Presence in the Modern World. Not only is it the
introduction to Ellul's entire body of work, but its emphasis on
Christians' revolutionary situation in the world has never been
more relevant."
--Patrick Chastenet, University of Bordeaux; President, the
Association Internationale Jacques Ellul
"This book is Ellul at his best--essential reading for anyone
seeking a succinct expression of his prophetic Christian
vision."
--Jeffrey P. Greenman, President, Regent College; coauthor of
Understanding Jacques Ellul
"Lisa Richmond's new translation echoes Ellul's radicality and
revolutionary fervor--a brilliant experience. Enjoy this powerful
opportunity!"
--Marva Dawn, author; translator of Sources and
Trajectories: Eight Early Articles by Jacques Ellul That Set
the Stage
"[This] is Jacques Ellul's most astonishing book."
--William Stringfellow, lay theologian; social activist; from his
1967 Introduction to this book's first English edition
"Today the moral question above all others is how to be truly
awake and fully equal to the technological world. Jacques
Ellul as a young man saw the question and began to outline the
answer in Presence in the Modern World."
--Albert Borgmann, author of Power Failure: Christianity in the
Culture of Technology
"Read Presence in the Modern World. Not only is it the
introduction to Ellul's entire body of work, but its emphasis on
Christians' revolutionary situation in the world has never been
more relevant."
--Patrick Chastenet, University of Bordeaux; President, the
Association Internationale Jacques Ellul
"This book is Ellul at his best--essential reading for anyone
seeking a succinct expression of his prophetic Christian
vision."
--Jeffrey P. Greenman, President, Regent College; coauthor of
Understanding Jacques Ellul
"Lisa Richmond's new translation echoes Ellul's radicality and
revolutionary fervor--a brilliant experience. Enjoy this powerful
opportunity!"
--Marva Dawn, author; translator of Sources and
Trajectories: Eight Early Articles by Jacques Ellul That Set
the Stage
"[This] is Jacques Ellul's most astonishing book."
--William Stringfellow, lay theologian; social activist; from his
1967 Introduction to this book's first English edition
Product Details
- Title : Presence in the Modern World: A New Translation
- Authors:
- Ellul, Jacques
- Richmond, Lisa
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Publication Date: 2016
- ISBN: 9781498291354
Jacques Ellul (1912-94) was a French law professor, social theorist, and lay theologian. In addition to Presence in the Modern World, his best-known works include The Technological Society, Propaganda, The Humiliation of the Word, and Hope in Time of Abandonment.