Thomas Merton is one of many who were deeply influenced by the work of Jacques Ellul (1912-1994), a French philosopher and lay theologian. His prophetic critique of modern civilization and technology won an appreciative audience far beyond Christian circles. Yet this was only one half of a project that drew deeply on his Christian faith.

Among his fifty books, most were either sociological or theological. Ellul referred to these as
"two rails of a train track," both moving in the same direction, but separate and distinct. For nearly every sociological book he wrote, Ellul would write a theological or spiritual counterpart. And yet this other half of his work has received relatively little attention. This volume corrects the balance, highlighting spiritual gems on prayer, hope, and universal salvation. His call to reject the worship of the state and to embrace nonviolent activism has an abiding relevance and urgency.