Abandonment: Ellul believed that our present age is one of “abandonment”—one in which God has chosen to remain silent. God has stepped back, so to speak, due to people’s adherence to myths, their worship of idols, and their unquestioning faith in technique. The proper response to the age of abandonment, for Ellul, is the rejection of contemporary myths and idols, combined with an active and ongoing hope in God. This hope is renewed and refreshed through personal, existential encounters with the Wholly Other. See Hope in Time of Abandonment.
Alienation: To be alienated is to belong to someone or something other than oneself. Alienation may also mean to be separated or excluded from an authentic relationship with others, nature, God, or oneself. Ellul takes his emphasis on alienation from the works of Karl Marx. For Marx, alienation was due to the arrangement of relations of labor and production. For Ellul, in today’s world there are two primary causes of alienation: first, the mindset of technique strips the individual of freethinking and intellectual depth by turning the person into an automaton; second, propaganda causes the individual to lose historical consciousness (and simultaneously a sense of identity). Propaganda also forces the individual to be caught in a permanent state of anxiety and worry which harms the person’s relationships. Both causes deprive the individual of freedom and self-determination, leading to being “owned” and controlled by an external force. See especially chapter 1 of The Ethics of Freedom.
Anarchism: From the Greek, an (not) + archon (leader, ruler). Also related to the Greek arche, which has various meanings, including, origin, underlying substance, principle of government, or primary metaphysical authority. Ellul defines the archon as political nation-states that employ or have employed violence to solidify their existence. Thus, for Ellul, anarchism is the rejection of faith in political institutions and the simultaneous rejection of physical and psychological violence. See Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective; Anarchy and Christianity.
Christianity vs. Christendom: For Ellul, Christianity refers to authentic faith, existentially grounded in Christ and embodied in Christian practice. Christendom, on the other hand, refers to ideological, inauthentic Christianity propagated by institutions. Christendom is often marked by moralism, conflating Christianity with the latest political means, and removing the essential paradox which that lies at the heart of true faith. This distinction is nearly identical with Kierkegaard’s understanding of Christianity and Christendom. See chapter 1 of The New Demons; The Subversion of Christianity.
Dialectic: From the Greek dialegesthai, this word has three uses in Ellul’s work. First, it describes a conversation between two or more people, which weaves back and forth, intermingling various ideas and points of view. For Ellul, dialectic describes the two sides of his work: sociological and theological. As in a conversation, each side informs the other, but each is unique and autonomous. Second, dialectic refers to Ellul’s view of reality and history as composed of forces in tension. For Ellul, in order to have a proper understanding of the world one must see reality as it is: dialectically—all aspects related to one another in a dialectical whole. Third, Ellul views humans as living within a number of dialectics: between freedom and necessity, God’s presence and absence, rupture and communion. See his chapter on dialectic in What I Believe.
Faith: Simultaneously a free gift from God and a free choice of the individual. Ellul writes that faith is constantly intertwined with doubt and expectation. Faith manifests itself in hope, prayer, and social participation. See especially Living Faith: Belief and Doubt in a Perilous World.
Freedom and necessity: Technique belongs to the realm of necessity, which is characterized by enslavement, death, and hopelessness. The realm of communion with God through the Holy Spirit is one of freedom, life, and hope. Christians dialectically inhabit both realms. For Ellul, both Christians and non-Christians have a degree of autonomy and responsibility. Ellul’s guiding text in this regard is Rom 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern the will of God . . .” By exercising one’s freedom and refusing to conform to patterns of the world, one can more clearly perceive reality. See The Ethics of Freedom; Part 1 of To Will & to Do. See also realism and idealism.
Hope: Like faith, simultaneously a free gift from God and a free choice of the individual. For Ellul it is the most important of the virtues in our modern age. Hope is expressed in three primary ways: perseverance, prayer, and realism. See Hope in Time of Abandonment.
Iconoclasm: Refers to the duty Christians have to question, challenge, and destroy the idols of our current age. These idols include, but are not limited to, new forms of technology, religious and political ideologies, money, power, and the fetish for efficiency. See The New Demons; Humiliation of the Word.
Means and ends: To view oneself, others, and the earth as a means is to see these merely as objects or tools to be used for one’s purposes. To view oneself, others, and the earth as an end is to recognize, respect, and value the inherent worth of each, regardless of their instrumental value. Under the dominance of technique, all things are seen as ends only, as devoid of innate worth, as simple tools to be used. This is sometimes referred to as instrumental reason. See the chapter “The Ends and the Means” in Presence in the Modern World.
Myths and idols: Modern myths include progress, patriotism, nationalism, materialism, and scientism, among others. Idols include technology, money, commodities, celebrities, sports teams, and anything worshiped which is human made. Myths crystallize ideologies and prejudices, whereas idols end up enslaving the worshipers. Both lead to alienation and dehumanization. See The New Demons; Humiliation of the Word; Money and Power.
Politics: Ellul writes: “The term ‘political’ must be taken in its precise and restricted sense, i.e. with relation to the state and not to just any power, or just any social activity. Max Weber’s definition is both classic and excellent: ‘Politics is the leadership by a political body called the state, or any influence exerted in that direction.’ I also agree with Weber that the state can be defined sociologically only by its specific means, which is force.” Thus, politics always relates to the modern nation-state, which employs force or violence as a means of greater control. The “political illusion” for Ellul refers to the misbelief that humans can direct the state. Ellul maintains that technique is now the primary determining factor in contemporary politics. See The Political Illusion; The Politics of God and the Politics of Man; Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective; Anarchy and Christianity.
Prayer: Rather than as a process of making requests or having a discussion with God, Ellul describes prayer as a state of being-with-God or the Christian’s mode of being-in-the-world, a constant and continual acknowledgment and awareness of the presence of God. Prayer brings hope, confidence, and strength to the believer. See Prayer and Modern Man; Hope in Time of Abandonment.
Presence: Christians are the presence of the kingdom, or the presence in the modern world. By questioning, challenging, and fighting against the myths and idols of our age; by nonviolent resistance; and by living ethically, Christians embody the message of Christ. This is also how Christians are able to bring freedom into the realm of necessity. See Presence in the Modern World; False Presence in the Modern World.
Propaganda: Ellul writes, “Propaganda is a set of methods employed by an organized group that wants to bring about the active or passive participation in its actions of a mass of individuals, psychologically unified through psychological manipulations and incorporated into an organization.” This is only a partial definition for Ellul, but one which sums up nicely his understanding of propaganda. In our modern world, propaganda must be employed by the state in order to manipulate and control the masses. Ellul also refers to propaganda as “psychological violence” because it causes individuals to live in a constant state of anxiety, fear, and worry. See Propaganda; Critique of the New Commonplaces.
Realism and idealism: Idealism is viewing the world as one would like it to be rather than as it is. Realism is seeing the world clearly, without illusion. Due to technique, propaganda, and modern myths, it is quite easy to slip into idealism. Ellul argues that Christ’s example and teaching, along with the ongoing revelation of the Holy Spirit, help individuals see the world in a realistic manner. See The Political Illusion; Hope in Time of Abandonment.
Revolution: For Ellul, all contemporary forms of government within the industrialized world are governed by technique; traditional notions of revolution only serve to increase the totalitarian nature of the state. Authentic revolution involves a radical change in lifestyle, resistance against current myths and idols, constantly challenging institutions, and forming small grassroots communities that reject the use of power and violence. See Autopsy of Revolution.
Salvation/reconciliation: Ellul believes that Jesus Christ brought reconciliation to all of humanity through his life, death, and resurrection. Christians see and understand this truth. Non-Christians are unaware of this. Eventually all people—Christian and non-Christian—will be reconciled with God in a future state of existence. Ellul writes, “All are saved, but only those who believe the gospel know it.” See Apocalypse; What I Believe; The Meaning of the City.
Technique: Simultaneously the ensemble of technologies that envelop us and an overly calculating mindset (or, consciousness) that sees everyone and everything as a means to an end. The mindset of technique values rationality, instrumentality, and quantification over the “irrational” expressions of human existence: art, poetry, music, and the like. Also, technique causes humans to see the world in an overly simplistic, binary way (e.g., as true vs. false, right vs. wrong, us vs. them) rather than in a dialectical, multifaceted manner. See The Technological Society; The Technological System; The Technological Bluff.
Violence: The destruction of one’s ability to make free judgments and decisions or to determine oneself. There are two primary forms of violence condemned in Ellul’s writings: physical and psychological. Examples of physical violence may include war, colonialism, and economic exploitation. Examples of psychological violence primarily include the use of psychological manipulation (propaganda). See Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective; Propaganda.
Word of God: In Ellul’s writings, the Word of God refers to the revelation of God, which is ongoing, active, and unpredictable. This revelation occurred primarily in the life and teachings of Jesus. God also chose to reveal Godself in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. However, the revelation of God is not limited to Jesus or Scripture. It may often arise in dialogue between two people, in prayer, or in various forms of worship. Revelation can only be accessed and understood by faith and cannot be objectified. See Humiliation of the Word; To Will & to Do.