An invigorating and disturbing trial

I rather regret not having read a line Ellul before it began my sixth decade. I had heard of the man, his critical thinking, unclassifiable, multiple currents that claim to rightly or wrongly as his successors.
I knew nothing of the theologian. This reading is probably the most severe slap me to be taken recently to me.
The author, writing by a nerve, even urgent, Leglise shows how the churches, as an institution (s), have gradually away from the Jesus movement. The essence of the gospel would have been misguided. Not that we imagine as long as the primitive church lived in a perfect irenicism; understanding of the Son of Man and his words were not identical in the movement of Paul and the Johannine community, even if the confession is essentially the same for all. Jesus was little understood in his lifetime, and very differently by the crowds, the disciples, priests and power.
For Ellul, the distance of the source of faith became fatal when the Jesus movement growing in the Roman empire and political power harassed wanted its legitimacy on the spiritual movement while expanding. It must be said that the Roman gods were beginning to tarnish and tired.
Constantine's conversion, sincere or not, coincides with the time when the Church institution has crossed a line "against nature": ally with the temporal power. This merger was not necessarily well weighed by the successors of the apostles. The rest of history is more serious, more tragic for compromise: the alliance of the sword and the brush is not an aphorism complacent. In the end, why become an evangelical church so little, if moralizing, making so little faith in the intelligence? Why such a compromise with "the prince of this world," a payment in the moralism with list of more or less venial sins, indulgences ... negotiated and salvation?
The author shatters all the debris of a badly swallowed adolescence Catechism (I was a force-fed goose that just regurgitated).
Speech disrupting puisqu'Ellul shows us how the Gospel undermines everything, authorities, institutions, pride of a material life "successful" -and sometimes poor also trust his values ​​... and how we make God in our image, in good faith often, how the Gospel urges us to reform ourselves constantly and trample our consciences good foundation. Protestant and therefore free theologically speaking, probably more influenced by Calvin as by Luther, pessimistic about man, the author knows how we are so few able to respond to a God whom we invoke or seek, and how difficult it is "follow" Jesus without betraying it. Free the Christian God is indeed unbearable to anyone who will listen. We are so prone to follow only ourselves or any idol, a providential man.
The only sin of Israel, lidolâtrie, is of course also ours.

Ellul does not really do the Church's trial, he stands perfectly amid the errors, the true evangelical spirit. "These churchmen, alas, not all of disgusting," sang Brassens ... The About Ellul are fundamentally anticlerical but are, in my opinion, much more impactful.

But I émettrai a number of reservations:
1 / Christianity would be too frog with Islam: it is undeniable that the intermingling of cultures played there for many; this is not necessarily bad. I know too little texts of Islam. If the tree is judged by its fruits, there are a lot of rotten fruit to the prophéète feet. I agree that it is futile to look for a relationship between Islam and Judeo-Christianity. This does not mean that denude flaw to Islam every spiritual value. It seems to me still read in Ellul, against Islam as presented in its fundamentalist version of a prophetic vision.
2 / Calvinist pessimism is not mine: I do not forget that many of the First Testament texts were written when the promise is fundamental and pervasive, that the world is basically good despite repeated falls from Israel stiff neck. I think we must read these texts with a Jewish understanding.
3 / Ellul, without being fundamentalist in his theology-that severely relativize as all théologies- no heed of any textual criticism. Everything is true, even if the truth must be absolutely clear of the written text. Paul is not fundamentally misogynist, I can believe, but exegeses provided by the author of some controversial lines of women overlooked apostle are very convincing, even if they can be received. Women have a role in "salvation history" role that should not be overestimated. The biblical writings reflect a world primarily patriarchal where women are systematically as inferior. It is not inappropriate to think that Paul had the prejudices of his time and it would be anachronistic to him complain.
4 / And yet it continues to move: yes, but I wonder if Ellul, in his last game, is clairvoyant. Revivals, whether Pentecostal or charismatic, I raise questions as to its fundamentalism. Declare permanently connected to the Spirit does not dispense discernment (Paul was very strict on this point). Baptist preaching did much damage among both Native Americans than among Arctic peoples. It seems to me that in celebrating the Grand Manitou, Indians are much closer to the deity that preachers of original sin. Ellul also awards a clean bill justified in Wasa, ... but "forgets" Karol Wojtia. He also forgets lambiguïté Wasa, his populist shift and homophobic ..
5 / Openness to other spiritualities: there, it's all empty (but my knowledge of Ellul is very fragmentary, so it is very possible that I'm wrong). I think it is also agnostic spirituality (even if the "" bottom "is Christian). In "atheists" Onfray is unbearable ... Comte Sponville seems worth reading and listening. And Brassens disbeliever has always seemed to me much more evangelical than many "good Christians". You will excuse me, I hope this long digression and prefer the side roads to highways.

In short, these reserves not nobèrent the very good performance of this test, his strong spiritual requirement and intelligence of the faith of its author ..

Text revised December 2, 2014