Here is the first discussion of our Lenten study of Presence in the Modern World by Jacques Ellul with Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson.
Presence in the Modern World is Jacques Ellul’s most foundational book, combining his social analysis with his theological orientation. Appearing first in French in 1948, and later in English as The Presence of the Kingdom, it has reached the status of a classic that retains all of its relevance dealing with today’s challenges. How should we respond to such complex forces as technology or the state? How can we communicate with one another, despite the problems inner to modern forms of media? Do we have hope for the future of our civilisation? Ellul responds by describing how a Christian’s unique presence in the world can make a difference. Instead of acting as ‘sociological beings’, we must commit ourselves to the kind of revolution that will occur only when we become radically aware of our present situation and undertake ‘a ferocious and passionate destruction of myths’. In this way, states Ellul, we become the medium for God’s action in the modern world.
Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson has written, edited, and contributed to numerous books of both theology and fiction and has published hundreds of articles. She hosts the podcast Queen of the Sciences, writes the e-newsletter Theology & a Recipe and the substack Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Stories, and is the Founder of Thornbush Press.
