7/29/2019 Choosing Life and the Possibilfe and Thought of Jaques Ellul 10

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IXXUnI T H E P R E S E N C E O F T H E K I N G D O MArmed with a dialectical nterpretationof Scripture, he

whole of Christian existenceworksout a dialectical elation-ship in the world.

The Presenceof the KingdomFirst published in 1948 (Geneva: Roulet),

and later in England (London: SCM Press,1951) and theUnited States(Philadelphia:rVestminster,1951; then NewYork: Seabury, 1967), Prl,sence u mondemoderne:Probllmesde Ia ciuilisation ost-chrd,ciennes one of Ellul's shortest butmestseminalworks. He has often remarked hat it serves sanintroductionto his entire corpus.This is sonot in a ormalbutin a material way, or The Presencef cheKingdomcontains ingerminal form ideas and themeswhich in later works reachfu[ maturity and find specializedreatment. For this reasonits republication s an especiallywelcomeoccasion.

The book deserves wide readershipnot only becausetis the necessary rimer for all Etlul study (i t is the first bookone should ead by him), but becauset examines ssueshatremain perennial problems n church and society. Far frombeinga popularwriter who generalizesbout rendy ssuesasis sometimes aid of him), Etlul demonstratesn this book atimeless uality n his ability to examine ssuesar aheadof histime in a creative way. Despite its having been written ageneration ago, The Presence f theKingdomwill provoke newdialogue oday(seehis Preface).Several f its themesdeservespecialmention.According to Ellul, human history does not unfotd byany logical or causalprocess,and much lessby any divinepredeterminism (he would never considerthe questionfromthat perspectiveanyway).Rather, he contends hat history isopen, that there s an ambiguity n its direction that dependsin a radicalway upon the choicespeoplemake. f in the pastEllul hassoundedas f he believeshat history is ocked.intoanundeviatingcourseof despairand fatalism, that is only be-

Introdaction xxxtxt ,rrrse udgeshat wehavepersisrently ad epoorchoices-,r , wors til l and moreoften the case, o choiceat all ("fate(' l )cratesnly when people iv eup").In his most ecenrwritings,Ellul drawsour artenrion orlrc dea hat, according o the biblical revelation, odaywelrvc n the seventh ayof creation.ae his is he dayof "God'srt'sr"whenhumanactivity assumesternal mportance.Thisvrcw ejects he Go d of mechanistic rovidence ashe says nl'lv Presencef theKingdom,God does not drive history as a, lrrruffer rivesa car), bu t neitherdoes r imply that God isrrr..l ifferentr absent, or he issupremely God of love.Once,rg;rin,w are in the presenceof a deeply personalan d,lr;rlccticalelationship etweenGo d and humanity.Accord-rnH o th e biblical evelation,God never onstrains s.He isat i,'tl who shocksus by repentingof planned udgment, who. lr:rnges is plansaccording o human decisions,wh o an-\\r'(.rs rayer,who refuses o violate us, and who patiently.rrl lcrsour folly. Nevertheless, istory is not a random se-'lrr('nce f eventswithout a goal, no r are peoplecompletely',,lcpendentbeforeGod. Indeed, he universal alvationof,r c earion sa ac tof which Ellul scertain. 7e in d ourselvesr rlf lengedwith "la grandeproclamation"5Oound in Deu-rr'ronr)rrr) nd repeated hroughout the prophets: l havesetI'r' lorcyou life and death, th e blessingand rhe curse.Sor r,ose if e in order hat youma y ive" (Deuteronomy 0:19).I lrt ' mbiguity of historyawaits he choiceswe make.

Ellul'.sociological tudies ave ed him to conclude ha t,r',' rrve madeand continue to makepoorchoices, o hat in a,r.rywe have indeed set ourselves n a path of collective.,rr. tle.His apocalypric isionof th eworld swell-known,bu trr rs r)od o examine t here. n a sense type of "necessity"lr,rr riurophed. gain, this hasno connotationwhatsoever f,rr. l rrcrableestiny r determinist ic ausal i ty.t means ha tf , '.r'ehi s Ce qu e e crois,Part II, Chapter l, "Le septidme our," pp .r . ' J l .

I l lrr l ,Ce qu e e crois,p. 209.