The transformative imagination Book

J. Ellul writes The Subversion of Christianity (fr. La subversion du christianisme) in 1984. However, I'm afraid the book is more relevant today than it was 4 decades ago because Christianity was further subverted. I have read the Romanian translation of the book, which I think is well written, although it contains some typos.

Ellul is criticising the diversion of the institutional Church (Christendom) from the Bible inspired Christianity. The diversion is not only in theory. It has corrupted its mode of being, its practice and its core assumptions. We notice that Christianity was subverted when Revelation is compared with the practice of the church. The contradiction is obvious. The Ellul’s book examines the process by which Christianity was subverted and turned into an ideology (i.e. Christianism) throughout its history in Chapters 2-7. Moreover, it explores the reasons behind the subversion in Chapters 8-9.

There is an important premise for properly reading the book (especially for Christians): i.e. the distinction between Christianism/Christendom and Christianity (using Kierkegaard’s dichotomy). In other words, there is a distinction between the Church as the Body of Christ (organised by the Holy Spirit) and the church as an institution (denomination) that is organised by humans as a political or corporational entity. The premise is theologically verifiable and I find it to be definitely true. For Ellul true Christianity is defined in the following way: the revelation and creation of God in Jesus Christ, the true Church (Body of Christ) and the faith and life of christians characterised by love and truth. On the other hand, Christianism is an ideological and social movement which perverts Christianity with myths, legends, rituals, sacraments, officials, etc.

In Ellul’s opinion the Revelation should be interpreted historically. God reveals itself in relation to the man and for the man. Without the progress of the people with God in history, we could not understand the will of God. He is called Jesus-Emmanuel (God is with us). When the Church confuses Greek philosophy and the Roman right with the Revelation, the message of the Revelation is edulcorated. The moral and metaphysical models have no correspondence in the Bible. However, maybe the most important factor of the subversion of Christianity was the alliance with the Empire, which makes the church an instrument of propaganda. It becomes responsible both for the morality and unity of the empire. That leads both to the persecution of the heretics and to the implantation of pagans custom in the church. Even in the service of the state, it cannot be fully separated from the Revelation. So, the christianisation of the society has a lot of good implications for society. Christianity determines the apparition of the secular state, democracy, human rights, science and technology etc. However, Christianity is a polemic term which was subverted when the whole society was "christianised". True Christianity is an anti-religion. It desacralise the world, it destroys the sacred and the religious of each society. When the revelation is subverted, the Church starts to re-sacralise the world. The state and religious powers are, from my perspective, the main beasts in the book of Revelation. Christianity is also influced by Islam. From islam it borrows the holy war (Crusades), the idea that Christianity is a natural religion, the mysticism and the idea of fatality and predestination. The X century arab model of slavery and colonisation was imported in the XV century in Occident. Moreover, Ellul sees Christendom responsible for the prolificity of Nihilism today.

Christianity was subverted because it was socially intolerable. The idea of grace, of non-power and liberty are intolerable for each human society. Besides this, Christianity fights against the main powers of the world: money, prince of the world, father of lies, Satan (accuser), Devil (slanderer). Ellul is often called a Christian-anarhists. It is important to know that Chrsitian-anarhism does not refer to a social or political ideology, but to a way of living.

Ellul is not a church apologist, but he is neither a shallow critic of Christendom. Much of today's church criticism (e.g. the new atheism) is exaggerated, malicious and false. Antichristians today are sharing unverified propagandistic lies about the Church and the truth of the Gospel. However, the idea of a pure and immaculate church is also untrue. The church should not pretend otherwise. Rather, it should listen with humility, repent when the accusation is just and, if necessary, reform in accordance with the truth. I believe these are the sincere observations of a weary heart. Also, I agree with the main thesis of Ellul that Christianity was subverted and with most (but not all) of its arguments. I think the book could be written more scientifically and theologically rigorous. Besides this, Ellul is very precise in presenting the church's errors and their long-term implications. Despite all the Church’s errors, it continues to exist because God remains faithful to His promise that the Church shall prevail even against Death. If the church is in decline in one part of the world, it is thriving in another. Also, when the truth was forgotten, God has sent theologians and mystics to reform the church and rediscover the fundamental truths. The church will always survive in its saints. It doesn’t really matter if they are known or not. It doesn't matter if the saint is an old woman who prays in a country church, a familist middle-age man, an academic theologian or a teeneger who shares the Gospel of love with his friends.