Jacque Ellul blends politics, theology, history, and exposition in this analysis of the relationship between political anarchy and biblical faith. While he clarifies the views of each and how they can be related, his aim is not to proselytize either anarchists into Christianity or Christians into anarchy. On the one hand, suggests Ellul, anarchists need to understand that much of their criticism of Christianity applies only to the form of religion that developed, not to biblical faith. Christians, on the other hand, need to look at the biblical texts and not reject anarchy as a political option, for it seems closest to biblical thinking. After charting the background of his own interest in the subject, Ellul defines what he means by anarchy: the nonviolent repudiation of authority. He goes on to look at the Bible as the source of anarchy (in the sense of nondomination, not disorder), working through Old Testament history, Jesus' ministry, and finally the early church's view of power as reflected in the New Testament writings. ""With the verve and the gift of trenchant simplification to which we have been accustomed, Ellul lays bare the fallacy that Christianity should normally be the ally of civil authority."" -- John Howard Yoder Jacques Ellul (1912-1994), a French sociologist and lay theologian, was Professor Emeritus of Law and of the History and Sociology of Institutions at the University of Bordeaux. He wrote more than forty books, including 'The Technological Society', 'The Humiliation of the Word', and 'Technological Bluff'.
ISBN-13: 9781606089712
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication Date: 05-18-2011
Pages: 126
Product Dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Series: Jacques Ellul Legacy
Jacques Ellul (1912-1994), a French sociologist and lay theologian, was Professor Emeritus of Law and of the History and Sociology of Institutions at the University of Bordeaux. He wrote more than forty books, including 'The Technological Society', 'The Humiliation of the Word', and 'Technological Bluff'.
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"With the verve and the gift of trenchant simplification to which we have been accustomed, Ellul lays bare the fallacy that Christianity should normally be the ally of civil authority."
— John Howard Yoder
Table of Contents
Legacy Series Foreword Jacques Ellul vii
Introduction 1
I Anarchy from a Christian Standpoint 11
1 What Anarchy? 11
2 Anarchy's Complaints against Christianity 23
II The Bible as the Source of Anarchy 45
1 The Hebrew Bible 46
2 Jesus 56
3 Revelation 71
4 1 Peter 74
5 Paul 77
Appendixes 86
The Interpretation of Romans 13:1-2 Karl Barth Alphonse Maillot 86
1 Karl Barth 86
2 Alphonse Maillot 89
Conscientious Objectors 91
Testimony: Priest and Anarchist Adrien Duchosal 96
Conclusion 103
Index of Names 106
Index of Scripture References 108
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