All things Quote by Jacques Ellul
“I believe that the biblical teaching is clear. It always contests political power. It incites to "counterpower," to "positive" criticism, to an irreducible dialogue (like that between king and prophet in Israel), to antistatism, to a decentralizing of the relation, to an extreme relativizing of everything political, to an anti-ideology, to a questioning of all that claims either power or dominion (in other words, of all things political), and finally, if we may use a modern term, to a kind of "anarchism" (so long as we do not relate the term to the anarchist teaching of the nineteenth century).”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Political Economy of the World, 1975
Biblical teaching encourages questioning authority and promotes decentralized, critical dialogue against political power.
In simple terms: Religion can inspire political critique and decentralization.
Key Takeaway
Encourage critical, non‑hierarchical discussion.
Themes
politics
religion
power
dialogue
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
theological
When to use this quote
- theological studies
- political activism
- academic discourse
Key Concepts
anarchism
counterpower
decentralization
anti‑ideology
Questions to Reflect On
- What limits exist for religious critique?
- How to balance faith and politics?
A Different Perspective
Religious texts may be interpreted in many ways.
![“There is absolute truth in anarchism and it is to be seen in its attitude to the sovereignty of the state and to every form of state absolutism. [...] The religious truth of anarchism consists in this, that power over man is bound up with sin and evil, that a state of perfection is a state where…” quote by Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/98b/nikolai-berdyaev-11501_absence_there-is-absolute-truth-in-anarchism-and_891275.jpg)
