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The church in the spiritual and theological sense always contains a current that is hostile to political power, that is revolutionary and anarchical. But this is not the current that society as a whole, and especially the political authorities, recognize as the church. If these many movements have failed, it is primarily because of their intrinsic nature. Spiritual currents cannot last. When they attach political power, this power attacks them in return and proclaims that the true church is that which is in alliance with it.

— Jacques Ellul The Subversion of Christianity (1984)

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More quotes by Jacques Ellul

I describe a world with no exit, convinced that God accompanies man throughout his history.

Interview in Le Monde (1981)

Hate, hunger, and pride make better levers of propaganda than do love or impartiality.

Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes (1962)

What seems to be one of the disasters of our time is that we all appear to agree that the nation-state is the norm.

Anarchy and Christianity [Anarchie et Christianisme (1988)

In a society such as ours, it is almost impossible for a person to be responsible.

The Betrayal by Technology (1993)

The will of the world is always a will to death, a will to suicide. We must not accept this suicide, and we must so act that it cannot take place.

The Presence of the Kingdom (1948)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Jacques Ellul (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.