Confronting Technology: The Theology of Jacques Ellul

by Matthew T. Prior

We are living through a digital revolution which already touches every area of life and will continue to shape the future in as yet unforeseen ways. Digital technologies are an ordinary part of daily life, and yet they also present an unprecedented challenge to Christians to articulate a biblical, theological framework to navigate times of rapid change. The work of the French theologian Jacques Ellul is a theological time-bomb primed for times like these. Accounts of Ellul's career often divide off his sociology and theology, but this book argues that Ellul conceived a single project of bringing technology into confrontation with the Word of God, tackling the phenomenon he named technique, the pursuit of maximal power and efficiency implicit in the technological enterprise, with a profound depth of biblical and ethical insight. Centering himself on the apocalypse or revelation of Jesus Christ in history, Ellul offers a monumental, timely (though far from flawless) contribution to contemporary ethical debates about the uses and abuses of technologies. His work blazes a trail that Christians and all concerned for the future would do well to follow, as we avoid both the naivety of "technological neutrality" and the dread of "technological determinism."

Genres: Technology, Theology

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2020

Reviews

[Michael King · Rating 2 out of 5]

The high brow type of book which I skimmed over lest I get lost in the detail.
Ellul's construct of "Technique" as some sort of spiritual power that works against God's plan of salvation is appealing at times although it often tastes like a watered-down form of Marxism. When reading the Cain and Babel narratives, you can see glimpses of Ellul's "Technique" but it ultimately feels like too weak a theological foundation.

[Brendan Kimbrough · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would not recommend very highly - love Ellul just not Prior's survey of him

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing exploration of the theology of Jacques Ellul that will serve as a good introduction to the work of Ellul from a sympathetic perspective.