Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective

by Jacques Ellul

English, French (translation)

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Politics, Christian, Religion

Hardcover

First published April 16, 1970

About the author

Baptised Catholic, Ellul became an atheist and Marxist at 19, and a Christian of the Reformed Church at 22. During his Marxist days, he was a member of the French Communist Party. During World War II, he fought with the French Underground against the Nazi occupation of France.

Educated at the Universities of Bordeaux and Paris, he taught Sociology and the History of Law at the Universities of Strausbourg and Montpellier. In 1946 he returned to Bordeaux where he lived, wrote, served as Mayor, and taught until his death in 1994.

In the 40 books and hundreds of articles Ellul wrote in his lifetime, his dominant theme was always the threat to human freedom posed by modern technology. His tenor and methodology is objective and scholarly, and the perspective is a sociological one. Few of his books are overtly political -- even though they deal directly with political phenomena -- and several of his books, including "Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes" and "The Technological Society" are required reading in many graduate communication curricula.

Ellul was also a respected and serious Christian theologian whose 1948 work, "The Presence of the Kingdom," makes explicit a dual theme inherent, though subtly stated, in all of his writing, a sort of yin and yang of modern technological society: sin and sacramentality.

Reviews

[Squolle]

Klassischer Ellul: steil, anti-alles und ziemlich geil. Was will man mehr.

[Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellul is rightfully attuned to the capacity propaganda has on modern society. Modernity is mediated by technology, and consumption of technology and with technologies is the highest social good and generally considered the point and goal of human existence. Thus any deprivation of consumption is an unbearable indignity—worthy of a social movement to redress it. These movements employ propaganda in order to obtain access to technologies and consumable-goods. And all these movements employ violence as their means.

(aside: the brilliance of this point is to show that most modern social movements only conceive of happiness materially. But they would do well to look at the apathy and depression of the modern West: gaining the world and losing their soul. Material goods will not make you happy, and any social revolution premised on securing material affluence for the sake of happiness will be a failure because the means will not satisfy the ends: supposing violence could do something it could not in the first place—bring about a new just order)

Ellul is firstly critical of ideological nation-states (whether they are capitalist or communist) for their use of oppressive violence. Many things can be said of Ellul, but he is not a partisan. Part of his issue, is that both communist and capitalist, social revolutionary and elitist are fundamentally partisan in their justifications of violence: 'one for me but none for thee' is the mantra—and propaganda is deployed in order to justify and reifying the preexisiting conclusions.

Contra Fanon: Ellul believes that physical, psychological, and economic violence is NEVER justifiable. He does not give the oppressed a pass by virtue of their oppression. This is not to say he does not logically understand the frustrations of Che Guevara or Stokely Carmichael. But violence, Ellul argues, is of sinful human nature. Violence is of necessity in a fallen world, but it will not bring about peace and goodness.

Ellul believes Christian however frees us from the necessity of violence. We do not have to join violent social revolutions in order to bring about a better world—rather through prayer and good works done in faith (the violence of Love) we trust in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to bring about a new world. We do not have to hate the rich or the poor—we can rightly see all humans as our brothers and sister in need of repentance of their sinfulness and the grace of God. We must open ourselves to true faith which is trust that the Lord will work in the world and that our obedience to his commands is not merely good advice, but it is precisely one of God's means of working in the world. Christians are empowered to reject the utopianism of ideology, the messianism of social revolutionaries, the naivete of scientism, technologism, and libertinism. These will fail and are shown to be failing in our present time. We struggle not with flesh and blood but with the powers.


This review is already too long and please forgive me if you read it because its less of a review and more of a chance to get my thoughts down about this book. Ellul's philosophy is consistent, as best I can tell. And I feel as if I agree with him largely. Yet, if someone were immediately threatening those that I loved, I would defend them, and pray for mercy if I could have done otherwise somehow. Ellul seems to understand this, but would tell me to not pretend like I did it for Christian reasons. He argues that any justification for violence opens a breach large enough to drive a MAC truck through it. And he may be correct. But I'm not entirely convinced. Ellul does briefly address Old Testament violence, but not quite enough. All in all, I think he was trying to take the Bible and its commands upon us seriously, and this was quite commendable.

[Stephen Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book will have a very lasting impact methinks. It was one of those books that begins to twist things in your mind that you thought were well sorted out. As the title says, the topic was Violence. Mr. Ellul is lucid and uncompromising in his exposition of the Christian’s role in and around violence of all kinds (psychological, economic, physical, etc.). And to be honest, it is rather unsettling.

The first chapter is about the three main perceptions of violence from a Christian perspective. The second concerns the arguments that Christians use to justify participation in violence. The third handles the nature of violence in the world and how a Christian is to confront its undeniable reality. The fourth illuminates a path forward in the face of a violent world.

This concise work will have me dwelling on the realities of violence in the world and my role, as a Christian, in the face of these realities for some time to come. Even more impressive is the fact that Mr. Ellul is writing in 1970; the height of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. These are excellent case studies to tackle such a complicated subject. His wisdom is as pertinent today as it was almost 50 years ago.

[Gino · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this brief and thoughtful book, Ellul makes a clear case against Christians participating in violence. This book would serve as a wonderful introduction to. Christian nonviolence/anti-violence as he is clear and concise. Additionally, he touches on the way propaganda and culture pressure of consumption (capitalism) form and shape us in violence. I’m telling you, Ellul is doing a lot of work in these 175 pages! For example:

“I have tried to show that, while violence is inevitable and belongs to the order of necessity, this fact does not legitimize it in the sight of God; that indeed violence is contrary to the life in Christ to which we are called. Therefore, as Christians, we must firmly refuse to accept whatever justifications of violence are advanced; and in particular we must reject all attempts to justify violence on Christian grounds. Let me say once more that this applies to the violence of the powerful, of the capitalist, the colonialist and the state, as well as to the violence of the oppressed.” (139-140)

For a book about nonviolence, he pulls no punches. 😉

4.5⭐️for me.

[Leandro Dutra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extraordinaire, mais naïf dans sons marxiennisme.

[Jared Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a tough read for me possibly because of the philosophical nature and possibly because it was a second language for Ellul.

However, there were a few points he made that caused me to think. He is writing this from outside the US in the midst of the Vietnam War, and it is primarily addressed to liberal Christians that proclaim passivism (a far cry from the dominant Christian position today).

His main point is that as long as governments exist, violence is inevitable so the Christian cannot close their eyes and make it go away. He also makes the point that any Christian that pursues violence for just causes (revolution against corrupt government, defending the rights of the oppressed, etc) is still missing the point even if violence in that situation was inevitable.

Instead, he advocates for Christians to display a radical nonviolence which to me was hard to wrap my head around what exactly he meant. I think he is trying to say that Christians should not hitch themselves to a political ideology because (even just causes) are necessarily violent. Instead we should engage in the world (participate in revolutions, go to war) while refusing to act violently even if that means being ridiculed and misunderstood.

In our polarized climate today, I think his most salient point today is that Christians should should not use their religion to justify their political ideology, even if the ideology is a just cause such as fighting for the oppressed. He acknowledges that Christians may need to engage in violence for just causes (because being a bystander can permit violence from the other side) but that this isn't a representation of true Christianity and should be avoided at all costs.

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a masterful and concise treatise on violence from a thoroughly Christian perspective. Ellul spends a great deal of time sharpening the axe of his rhetoric, and the final fourth of this work is profoundly comprehensive. History is becoming more and more kind to a work like this–and Ellul’s words seem increasingly prophetic. This book does not prescribe an impractical idealism, but it also does not rationalize compromise. It is an essential companion to Wink’s “Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way”, and serves as a greater theological construct for Wink’s assertions for the individual.

[Orion · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book I'll finish in 2021 and definitely one of the best books I've had the pleasure of reading. This book, perhaps more than any other of Ellul's works, highlights the dialectic that he loves to build in his faith doctrine. Holding two truths which seem opposed and yet are both true. The thesis of this book is to show, through realism, that violence is natural and necessary. But, that the Christian should never "make the great mistake of thinking what is natural is good and what is necessary is legitimate."

[Lukas Stock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sharp and unsettling study. The radical nature of Christianity’s singular and fundamental call serves as a challenge that shatters the ways of the powers and principalities.

All the best bits about Barth are taken up by Ellul and applied to his rigidly honest appraisal of violence in the life of the Christian and the church.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like every other Ellul book I've read, he draws a definite line in the sand as regards just about every conceivable divisive topic in the world (in his day, and ours). The call to "Christian realism" is certainly a hard one, but it is a choice that must be made one way or another.

[loitering outside 711 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western liberation theologians should stop larping

[Tynan Brooks]

Not sure Ellul's positive prescriptions amount to much, but it's a challenging read.

[Drew Fajen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellul resonates. His writing style, his wit, cynicism, creativity, and thoughtfulness cuts to the point and makes you question your perspective. The cultural context of this book, it’s era and geography, creates a perspective that needs to be heard in today’s society. I greatly value his perspective and am glad I read Ellul while on a vacation in France. His French lens was enlightening of the culture o was steeped in. If you want to re-think your perspective on violence, Christian or not, I highly recommend this book.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be my favorite work by Ellul yet. He lays out what he calls the 5 laws of violence (continuity, reciprocity, sameness, violence begets violence, those who use violence always seeks to justify it and themselves) and rejects the distinction between "just" and "unjust" violence. He also insists that Christians are never permitted to use violence in any form (psychologically, economically, etc.) even when doing so is necessary. We (Christians) are not to be surprised when the world uses violence, and we are not to condemn the world.

"The Christianity that accommodates itself to the culture in the belief that it will thus make itself more acceptable and better understood, an more authentically in touch with humanity - this is not half-Christianity; it is a total denial of Christianity (p. 146)."

[John Lussier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Violence is Ellul's reflection on Violence from Christian standpoint. He first discusses three traditional views on violence, compromise, nonviolence, and violent theologies. The temptation to use violence is an overwhelming one for Christians today and must be examined. He next examines violent theologies and their dependence on modern trends. Ellul asks that violence be viewed realistically and not as an ultimate. In doing so we find that violence, while necessary to the way of the world and inevitable, must therefore be rejected by the Christian.

Christians are freed by Christ in order to avoid the necessity of violence. That Ellul was forward enough to point this out we should be thankful.

[A.J. Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book. Jaques Ellul was one of the greatest thinkers of our time....a very wise man.

[Jonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still relevant now as in 1969. Seems to be highly influential. Cogent, beautifully argued. W&S's translation is good.