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Jacques Ellul (1912–1994)

Author of The Technological Society

Includes the names: Ellul-J, Ellul J, Jaques Ellul, Jacques Ellul, Jacques Ellul, Mr. Jacques Ellul, Jacques; Trans. John Wilkinson Ellul

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Jacques Ellul, historian, theologian, and sociologist, is one of the foremost and widely known contemporary critics of modern technological society. Born in Bordeaux, France, Ellul received a doctorate in the history of law and social science in 1936 from the University of Bordeaux. In 1947 he was appointed professor of social history at the University of Bordeaux, remaining there until his retirement in 1980. Although influenced strongly by his early reading of the Bible Marx, Ellul has been unable to synthesize Marxist doctrine with Christianity. These readings and experiences have influenced his later philosophy and writing. Ellul has taught and written extensively in his areas of specialization - Roman law, the history and sociology of institutions, Marxism, propaganda, and technique in society. He also served in the French Resistance during World War II, worked as a lay pastor, and has been active with various theological organizations, including the World Council of Churches. In addition, Ellul has been active in the environmental movement and has worked to prevent juvenile delinquency and violence. Since 1969, he has been editor of Foi et Vie (Faith and Life). Although retired as a teacher, Ellul has continued writing. One of his writing projects is an autobiography to be published after his death. Ellul has provided a sociopolitical as well as a theological analysis of contemporary society in more than 40 books and 800 articles. The Technological Society (1954) established Ellul as a social critic. The book has had a major impact on the collective consciousness of a society just beginning to recognize the central role and force of technology. Here Ellul develops the notion of "technique," a concept much broader than technology: "Technique is the totality of methods rationally arrived at." In Ellul's view, technology in this sense tends to become all-encompassing. His subsequent books, especially The Political Illusion (1965) and Propaganda (1962), further develop and refine elements of this central theme. This "trilogy" of books reflects Ellul's desire to alert readers to the dangers of technological determinism and thereby help them transcend it. Because of a dialectical approach separating his sociopolitical and theological studies, Ellul has often been criticized as overly pessimistic in his sociologically based writings. His theological works, however, provide a more positive perspective and counterpoint to his sociological work. Most notable are The Politics of God and the Politics of Man (1966), The Meaning of the City (1970), and especially The Ethics of Freedom (1973). The main body of Ellul's sociopolitical critique of technical society is reflected by The Technological Society, The Political Illusion, Propaganda, and The Technological System. Among his other works are Autopsy of Revolution (1969), which questions what kind of revolution is realistically possible, The Humiliation of the Word (1981), which expands upon the concept of "human techniques", and The Technological Bluff (1990), which discusses the state of contemporary society, especially in regard to such technologies as computers and genetic engineering and the progressive "discourse" that surrounds their societal incorporation. (Bowker Author Biography)
— biography from The Technological Society
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Works by Jacques Ellul
The Technological Society 701 copies, 4 reviews
Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes 617 copies, 4 reviews
The Subversion of Christianity 241 copies, 9 reviews
The Meaning of the City 237 copies, 4 reviews
Anarchy and Christianity 227 copies, 7 reviews
The Presence of the Kingdom 221 copies, 1 review
Money & Power 135 copies, 1 review
The Humiliation of the Word 133 copies
The Politics of God and the Politics of Man 124 copies, 1 review
Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective 120 copies
Technological Bluff 117 copies, 1 review
Prayer and Modern Man 108 copies
The ethics of freedom 104 copies
Reason for Being: A Meditation on Ecclesiastes 100 copies
The Judgement of Jonah 97 copies
Technological System 86 copies
The Political Illusion 82 copies
Hope in time of abandonment 75 copies
The New Demons 73 copies
Perspectives on Our Age: Jacques Ellul Speaks on His Life and Work 71 copies, 1 review
What I Believe 54 copies
Apocalypse: The book of Revelation 53 copies
Jesus and Marx: From Gospel to Ideology 50 copies, 1 review
The Betrayal of the West 42 copies, 1 review
Living Faith: Belief and Doubt in a Perilous World 41 copies
False presence of the kingdom 39 copies
Autopsy of revolution 37 copies
In season, out of season: An introduction to the thought of Jacques Ellul 35 copies
Islam and Judeo-Christianity 35 copies
Sources and Trajectories: Eight Early Articles by Jacques Ellul That Set… 32 copies
The theological foundation of law 27 copies
Presence in the Modern World: A New Translation 26 copies
To Will and to Do 19 copies
On Freedom, Love, and Power 19 copies
On Being Rich and Poor: Christianity in a Time of Economic Globalization 16 copies
Métamorphose du bourgeois 15 copies
Exégèse des nouveaux lieux communs 13 copies
The Empire of Non-Sense: Art in the TecHnological Society 12 copies
If You Are the Son of God: The Suffering and Temptations of Jesus 11 copies
An Unjust God? 11 copies
Pour qui, pour quoi travaillons-nous ? 10 copies
A critique of the new commonplaces 10 copies
Histoire de la propagande 9 copies, 1 review
La Pensée marxiste : Cours professé à l'Institut d'études politiques… 9 copies
Jacques Ellul on Politics, Technology, and Christianity: Conversations… 7 copies
De la révolution aux révoltes 6 copies
To Will & To Do: An Introduction to Christian Ethics, Volume I 6 copies
Les successeurs de Marx: Cours professé à l'Institut d'études… 5 copies
«Je suis sincère avec moi-même» et autres lieux… 5 copies
Storia delle istituzioni: 2 5 copies
L'Apocalypse : Architecture en mouvement 4 copies, 1 review
Guds närvaro i modern tid 4 copies
Histoire des institutions XVIe-XVIIIe siècle 4 copies
To Will & To Do: An Introduction to Christian Ethics, Volume II 4 copies
Changer de revolution: L'ineluctable proletariat (Empreintes) 3 copies
Storia delle istituzioni 3 copies
Théologie et technique 3 copies
Israël, Chance de Civilisation 3 copies
Le bluff technologique: Préface de Jean-Luc Porquet de Jacques… 3 copies
Le défi et le nouveau - œuvres théologiques 1948-1991 3 copies, 1 review
Ellul par lui-même 3 copies
Silences: Poemes 3 copies
Déviances et déviants dans notre société intolérante 2 copies
Un chrétien pour Israël 2 copies
Entretiens avec Jacques Ellul 2 copies
A técnica e o desafio do século 2 copies
Il fondamento teologico del diritto 2 copies
L'homme a lui-meme: Correspondance (Vifs) 2 copies
Conférence sur l'Apocalypse de Jean, suivi du texte de l'Apocalypse 2 copies, 1 review
Propositions Concerning The Christian’s Attitude Toward Justice :… 2 copies
Histoire des Institutions 2 copies
De grote stad een bijbels perspectief 1 copy
A temps et à contretemps : entretiens avec Madeleine… 1 copy
La edad de la técnica (Límites) (Spanish Edition) 1 copy
Lavoro e religione. Per chi e perché lavoriamo? 1 copy
À contre-courant: entretiens 1 copy
Les sources de l'éthique chrétienne: Le vouloir et le… 1 copy
To Will & To Do 1 copy
9781532676192: An Introduction to Christian Ethics, Volume II 1 copy
La loi de liberté. Commentaire de l'épître de… 1 copy
La speranza dimenticata 1 copy
Le fondement théologique du droit 1 copy
Es posible la revolucion? 1 copy
Interview with Jacques Ellul: On Vocation and the Ethics of the Workplace 1 copy
La foi au prix du doute: «Encore quarante jours...» 1 copy
Het verraad van de techniek 1 copy
FLN propaganda in France during the Algerian War 1 copy
Ethique de la liberté, tome 2 (livre non massicoté) 1 copy
The Cultural and Social Factors Influencing Church Division 1 copy
Pesquisa e Projeto: 4: A Palavra Humilhada 1 copy
Wenn du Gottes Sohn bist ... Leiden und Versuchungen Jesu 1 copy
Le Vouloir et le Faire : une critique théologique de la morale 1 copy
Religion, société et politique : mélanges en hommage à Jacques Ellul 1 copy
Le vouloir at le faire: Recherches éthiques pour les chrétiens 1 copy
Il tradimento dell'Occidente 1 copy
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Also by Jacques Ellul
Philosophical Issues: A Contemporary Introduction (Contributor) 16 copies
Callings! (Contributor) 4 copies
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Canonical name
Legal name
Ellul, Jacques Cesar Emile
Other names
Date of birth
1912-01-06
Date of death
1994-05-19
Burial location
Gender
male
Nationality
France
Country (for map)
France
Birthplace
Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Place of death
Pessac, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Cause of death
Places of residence
Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Education
University of Bordeaux
University of Paris
Occupations
Professor of History and the Sociology of Institutions
philosopher
theologian
sociologist
Relationships
Organizations
University of Bordeaux
Awards and honors
Agents
Short biography
a French philosopher, Law professor, sociologist, theologian, and Christian anarchist. He wrote several books about the "technological society", and about Christianity and politics, such as Anarchy and Christianity (1991)—arguing that anarchism and Christianity are socially following the same goal.

A philosopher who approached technology from a deterministic viewpoint, Ellul, professor at the University of Bordeaux, 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. His constant concern has been the emergence of a "technological tyranny" over humanity. As a philosopher and theologian, he further explored the religiosity of the technological society.

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