Understanding Jacques Ellul

Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) was one of the worlds last great polymaths and one of the most important Christian thinkers of his time engaging the world with a simplicity sincerity courage and passion that few have matched. However Ellul is an often misunderstood thinker. As more than fifty books and over one thousand articles bear his name embarking on a study of Elluls thought can be daunting. This book provides an introduction to Elluls life and work analyzing and assessing his thought across the most important themes of his scholarship. Readers will see that his remarkably broad field of vision clarity of focus and boldly prophetic voice make his work worth reading and considering rereading and discussing. Understanding Jacques Ellul is an academic treasure. . . . The complicated correlation between Elluls biblical thinking and his social theoretical work is developed with extraordinary sophistication. This book lives up to its own internal promise demonstrating with impeccable scholarship Elluls distinctiveness as a Christian thinker. --Clifford Christians University of Illinois Understanding Jacques Ellul is a useful introduction to the prolific author who was a sociologist historian and a Christian. This book is the first to give equal weight to his secular and Christian views. Given Elluls voluminous writings the authors had to be selective and their choice of topics is excellent. --Richard Stivers Professor of Sociology Illinois State University Jacques Ellul was one of the twentieth centurys most insightful Christian analysts of contemporary society. His writings remain of great value for Christian mission today. This study shows his continued relevance through its accessible well-informed introduction and overview of some of the many key themes in his extensive corpus. I hope it introduces Elluls thought to a new generation of Christian disciples and scholars. --Andrew Goddard Associate Director Kirby Laing Institute of Christian Ethics This revealing overview of Elluls life and work enables us to grasp the underlying unity of his principal interests: communication and Christianity. . . . This balanced study will be of prime service to anyone who [wishes to] understand Elluls thought and insights. --Eric McLuhan author of Know Thyself: Action and Perception Jeffrey P. Greenman is Associate Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies and Professor of Christian Ethics at Wheaton College (IL). Read M. Schuchardt is Associate Professor of Communication at Wheaton College (IL). Noah J. Toly is Director of Urban Studies and Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Wheaton College (IL).