The Clash of Sovereignties: Jacques Ellul's The Politics of God and the Politics of Man

An Election Day Reflection on Theology and Human Governance

I was first introduced to the writings of Jacques Ellul in the mid-Seventies through an article in Radix magazine. Ellul was a French lawyer/theologian/philosopher and author of something like 40 books. What interested me, besides his perceptive thinking and pointed writing, was how he wrote differently based on the audience he was addressing. His secular books such as The Technological Society and Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes have become classics, providing understanding of key forces shaping contemporary life.

The Politics of God and the Politics of Man, one of his many books directed toward Christian audiences, (e.g. False Presence of the Kingdom) was one of the first Ellul books that I read/purchased. From the very start he shows a keen understanding of how political structures work. The book opened my eyes to a different way of looking at political influence.

  

He begins by examining the biblical narratives, particularly focusing on the stories from the Old Testament. He argues that the Bible presents a distinct form of political thought, one that is inherently suspicious of human institutions of power and authority. Ellul proposes that while God's politics are centered around justice, mercy, and humility, human politics often succumb to pride, violence, and self-interest.

The "Politics of God," in Ellul's view, is fundamentally different from human political systems. It is not about domination or control, but about service and sacrificial love. Ellul uses the example of the prophets and their often contentious relationship with the rulers of Israel to illustrate his point. The prophets serve as the voice of God, calling for repentance and justice, and standing in stark opposition to the corrupt practices of kings and rulers.

In contrast, the "Politics of Man" is characterized by the pursuit of power and the maintenance of control. Ellul critiques the ways in which religious institutions often align themselves with political power, betraying the very principles they are supposed to uphold. He is particularly critical of how the church has historically sought to legitimize political authority, often at the expense of its prophetic mission.

We saw in the era of the Medicis, we saw it in the Church of England, and we see this compromised position today.

The book is important because of its ongoing relevance to contemporary political and social issues. Although the book focuses on biblical times, Ellul draws parallels to modern political dynamics, encouraging readers to question the ways in which power is exercised and justified in their own contexts. His critique of the complicity between religion and politics remains pertinent, urging a re-examination of how religious communities engage with political systems today.

Ellul's background as a theologian and philosopher shines through in his nuanced analysis. There were many "Aha!" insights, which makes me think I should go back and read it again.

He does not merely offer a critique but also provides a theological framework for understanding the relationship between faith and politics. His insights are grounded in a deep understanding of scripture, yet he presents them in a way that is accessible to readers from diverse backgrounds.

If you can find a copy of this book I believe you'll be rewarded by Ellul’s incisive analysis of both religious and political institutions. For those interested in theology, political philosophy, or the intersection of faith and public life, Ellul’s work is a thought-provoking contribution. 

The Origin and Meaning of Godwin's Law

This week a friend of mine brought up Godwin's Law with regards to Dems and Left-leanng media comparing Trump to Hitler. I was unfamiliar with this expression so I Googled it and found this:

Godwin's law

Also known as Godwin's law of Nazi analogies, this internet adage states that the likelihood of a comparison involving Hitler or Nazis increases as an online discussion continues.

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Through further research I learned that Godwin's Law was an internet adage coined by attorney and author Mike Godwin in 1990. It asserts that as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of someone making a comparison to Nazis or Adolf Hitler approaches certainty. Initially meant as an observation about how quickly online debates deteriorate into hyperbolic comparisons, Godwin's Law has become a widely recognized rule of online discourse.

The law highlights a tendency for individuals to invoke extreme comparisons, particularly referencing Nazi ideology, when emotions escalate in arguments. These comparisons often derail conversations, making it difficult to engage in rational debate. Although not an official rule or policy, Godwin's Law serves as a caution against the use of inappropriate or exaggerated analogies that trivialize historical atrocities.

In contemporary use, Godwin's Law is sometimes invoked to call out fallacious arguments and to encourage participants to remain on-topic and avoid reducing discussions to the lowest common denominator of debate. Over time, the term has also been used as a reminder to maintain a level of respect and seriousness, especially when discussing sensitive topics. Godwin himself, however, has clarified that the law does not apply in discussions where comparisons to Nazism are relevant or warranted based on the context. 

So there you have it.

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Have you ever called someone a Nazi? I did once. How do you feel about that today? Leave a comment and I may disclose the circumstance of my own experience.

Orwell Observations from Life on the Margins: Down and Out in Paris and London

Life at the bottom is no piece of cake. This is one fact you notice from reading George Orwell's memoir Down and Out in Paris and London. The book details what a life of menial labor and poverty consists of. 

The book is divided into two parts, the first being Orwell's experiences in Paris and the lessons he learned, such as how the starving manage to subsist, as he was one of them. In the latter part of his Paris life, Orwell works as a dishwasher in a hotel restaurant kitchen and lives in a slum. He also writes about the conditions at a charity hospital in Paris. 

Much of the book features stories about the array of characters he meets along the way along with details of the squalor and indignities people endure to survive. Occasionally, however, he steps back to interpret what he's seen, sharing conclusions he's drawn from his experiences. What's fascinating, disturbing or discouraging (depending on yout point of view) is how relevant these matters remain,

In chapter 22 he questions how there has come to be such a disparty between rich and and poor. More importantly, why do the middle classes side with the rich and separate themselves from the "vermin" who slave away all their waking hours doing work that is demeaning and sometimes useless?

Orwell concludes: I believe that this instinct to perpetuate useless work is, at bottom, simply fear of the mob. The mob (the thought runs) are such low animals that they would be dangerous if they had leisure; it is safer to keep them too busy to think. 

A little further on he elaborates.

They (middle class) side with the rich because they imagine that any liberty conceded to the poor is a threat to their own liberty. Foreseeing some dismal Marxian Utopia as the alternative, the educated man prefers to keep things as they are. Possibly he does not like his fellow-rich very much, but he supposes that even the vulgarest of them are less inimical to his pleasures, more his kind of people, than the poor, and that he had better stand by them. It is this fear of a supposedly dangerous mob that makes nearly all intelligent people conservative in their opinions. 

Fear of the mob is a superstitious fear. It is based on the idea that there is some mysterious, fundamental difference between rich and poor, as though they were two different races, like negroes and white men. But in reality there is no such difference. The mass of the rich and the poor are differentiated by their incomes and nothing else, and the average millionaire is only the average dishwasher dressed in a new suit. Change places, and handy dandy, which is the justice, which is the thief? 

Everyone who has mixed on equal terms with the poor knows this quite well. But the trouble is that intelligent, cultivated people, the very people who might be expected to have liberal opinions, never do mix with the poor. For what do the majority of educated people know about poverty? In my copy of Villon's poems the editor has actually thought it necessary to explain the line "Ne pain ne voyent qu'aux fenestres" by a footnote; so remote is even hunger from the educated man's experience. From this ignorance a superstitious fear of the mob results quite naturally. The educated man pictures a horde of submen, wanting only a day's liberty to loot his house, burn his books, and set him to work minding a machine or sweeping out a lavatory. "Anything," he thinks, "any injustice, sooner than let that mob loose."

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What. are your thoughts about Orwell's observations? How are things different? And how are they the same? One thing that appears to have changed over the past century: we seem to have a lot more bread and circuses.

I'm interested in your thoughts. Comments welcome.

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Related Links
Orwell-related blog posts

George Orwell's "How the Poor Die": Exploring Themes of Inequality, Neglect and Other Grim Realities

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2024/09/george-orwells-how-poor-die-exploring.html

George Orwell on Wells, Hitler and "Patriotism vs. the World State"

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2021/07/george-orwell-on-wells-hitler-and.html

Orwell on Media Mischief

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2021/11/orwell-on-media-mischief.html

Orwell's Homage to Catalonia Is Instructive on Many Levels, Plus a Good Read

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2021/08/orwells-homage-to-catalonia-is.html

Public Introspection: George Orwell's Why I Write

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2016/08/public-introspection-george-orwells-why.html

Shooting an Elephant
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2011/05/shooting-elephant.html

Throwback Thursday: Keep It Real

 BOOKS AND WRITING-RELATED 

LINK TO "KEEP IT REAL"

https://open.substack.com/pub/ennyman3/p/keep-it-real?r=1spv6&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

It's one of those days

A Night to Remember: Cookin' at the O' with Danish Jazz Sensation Sinne Eeg

Tucked away on the North edge of Carlton, the Oldenburg House offers a truly intimate and unforgettable jazz experience. On select evenings, the historic home transforms into a jazz lover's haven with its signature event series, "Cookin' at the O'". 

These past two weekends the Oldenburg House welcomed Sinne Eeg, a Danish jazz vocalist whose voice carries a warmth and sophistication that can only be described as mesmerizing. Eeg’s performance perfectly captured the essence of the evening, drawing in the audience with her velvety tones and effortless range. Whether she was delivering a soulful ballad or an up-tempo swing, her passion for jazz radiated through every note.

The evening wasn’t just about the music, though. Chef Paul Sapyta* crafted a meal that was as much an experience as the jazz itself. Each course seemed to flow in harmony with the music, offering a feast for the senses. The combination of expertly prepared dishes and Eeg’s stunning vocals made for a perfect night—one where you could sit back, relax, and let the world outside fade away.

Of course nothing brings out the best in a singer like a world class backup band. This past Saturday Billy Peterson was back on bass, young Juilliard virtuoso Will Kjeer on piano and veteran Glenn Swanson on drums.

The historic Oldenburg House is Emily Fuerste and Glenn Swanson's gift to the community, playing host to an assortment of music and arts events. It's also a Bed and Breakfast. Their motto, "Find Your Nature," says much about this hidden pocket of paradise that abutts Jay Cooke State Park in the back and is walking distance to Thompson Dam.

If you haven’t had the chance to attend Cookin' at the O', it’s the kind of event that leaves a lasting impression. The Oldenburg House isn’t just a venue; it’s a place where music, food, and atmosphere come together to create something magical. And if you’re lucky enough to catch an artist like Sinne Eeg, well, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

"Nothing ever seems to glow

Like the beauty of sadness"
--Sinne Eeg

According to Wikipedia, Eeg has won the Danish Music Awards prize in the category Best Danish Vocal Jazz Album of the Year four times: in 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2015, for her albums Waiting for Dawn, Don't Be So Blue, Face the Music, and Eeg - Fonnesbæk. She also received the Ben Webster Prize in 2014. The Webster Foundation describes her as "a true jazz singer, who both shows sensitivity, improvisational skills, maturity, broad range and timing in her singing."

Here's another laudatory salute: The Danish songstress is versatile, equally comfortable fronting big orchestras in concert halls as well as smaller ensembles in intimate jazz clubs. Everywhere she sings – Tokyo, Copenhagen, Los Angeles or Madrid – audiences are mesmerized by her incandescent phrasing and scatting, all with natural, perfect pitch.  After putting in her time for years on the road, performing at small clubs and cafes, Sinne won her first Danish Music Award for her album “Waiting For Dawn” in 2007.

A brief summary of Saturday's set list. What a night. 

Opening Set

The Beauty of Sadness

    (lyrics by Sinne Eeg)

Bridges    (Brazilian song)

Button Up for Me    (Gershwin Bros.)

The Barista

Walt Fidetti tune by Bill Evans, intimate upscale.

Cry Me A River (A bitter love song)

I Am An Evil Girl

After Dinner Second Set

James Bond music

    From Russia wit Love

    You Only Live Twice

Waiting for Danny

Better Than Anything. (blues waltz)

Samba

    A song about community for all, whoever you on.

    Turn your radio on.

Song created by Will, "All Is Sunset"

    Erik Satie vibe

I'm Talking To Myself    (Danish song)

Related Links

Oldenburg House Emerging as a Northland Hot Spot

Cookin' at the O: Carlton Room Establishes Itself as a Northland Hotspot with Another Full House

Cookin' @ the O -- My Visit with Pippi Ardennia

*Paul Sapyta is chef for the Cloquet forestry center and runs a catering business and food truck, Room at the Table, from there. 

"MacArthur Park"--Its Meaning and Popularity

After the Breakup

Is "MacArthur Park" making a comeback? When I heard it again last week, it must have been the third time in little over a month. I never knew, till recently, that it was written by the gifted Jimmy Webb (Wichita Lineman, Galveston, and oh so many more).

The song was famous for its unconventional, over-the-top dramatic delivery and puzzling imagery. "Someone left the cake out in the rain, I don't think that I can take it..." Some say its emotional intensity is the big draw, others suggest its avant-garde arrangement contributed to it outside-of-time longevity. Perhaps a little context helps, too. Released in 1968,  actor Richard Harris delivers the vocals.

Here is a little background on the song.

The Story Behind the Song’s Lyrics

At its core, "MacArthur Park" is a reflection on love, loss, and the passing of time. The song's protagonist reminisces about a past romantic relationship, using the setting of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles as a metaphorical backdrop for these emotions. The park itself was a significant place for Webb, who spent time there with his former girlfriend, Susan Ronstadt, and much of the song’s lyrics were inspired by their breakup.

The lyrics of "MacArthur Park" are notably surreal and symbolic, evoking vivid images that some listeners find confusing. The “cake” is often interpreted as a metaphor for the relationship, representing something that was carefully constructed but ultimately fell apart due to circumstances beyond control. These dreamlike metaphors have invited diverse interpretations, from existential musings on time and decay to more straightforward allusions to the loss of love.

"MacArthur Park" Stood Out

Musically, "MacArthur Park" was unlike anything on the radio at the time. Clocking in at over seven minutes, the song breaks the standard pop song format, with multiple sections that ebb and flow like a symphonic suite. Its orchestration includes strings, brass, and choir-like vocals, giving it an epic, cinematic quality. Jimmy Webb, who was already known for writing hits for artists like Glen Campbell, pushed the boundaries of what could be done in pop music, blending elements of classical music with contemporary pop. This experimentation gave "MacArthur Park" an edge that set it apart from anythng else we were hearing on the radio at the time.

The length and complexity of the song were initially viewed as risks by industry professionals. However, Webb’s ambition paid off, as the song's structure helped capture the emotional turbulence of its lyrics. Richard Harris's performance also contributed to its uniqueness. Harris, primarily known as an actor, approached the song with a theatrical sensibility, delivering Webb’s strange and poetic lyrics with a dramatic flair. When you watch the video below it's almost like a one-act one man play, immersive and almost operatic in its delivery. 

Cultural Context: Why "MacArthur Park" Became Popular

The song’s release in 1968 came during a time of significant cultural upheaval. The late 1960s were marked by experimentation in art, music, and lifestyle. Psychedelia, long-form music compositions, and abstract lyricism were becoming more common, with artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The Doors pushing the boundaries of what rock and pop could achieve. In this environment, listeners were more open to songs that broke traditional molds, and "MacArthur Park" found an audience willing to embrace its eccentricities.

Furthermore, its themes of heartbreak and nostalgia resonated with listeners. At a time when the world was experiencing political and social changes, personal reflections on loss and life's impermanence struck a chord. Though many critics at the time found the lyrics overly dramatic or even nonsensical, the public response was overwhelmingly positive, and the song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

The song’s legacy was further cemented by subsequent cover versions, most notably Donna Summer’s 1978 disco rendition, which brought "MacArthur Park" to a new generation of listeners and became a dance-floor hit.  Ah, but what Jimmy Webb hath wrought is best expressed in this Richard Harris performance.

While some of Webb's songs are happy, such as "Up, Up and Away", he (Webb) has said that "The territory I tend to inhabit is that sort of 'crushed lonely hearts' thing. The first part of a relationship is usually that white-hot centre when all the happy songs come. When that's gone it can be devastating, and that's when the sorrowful songs come." 
--Ellen, Mark (September 16, 2016). "Jimmy Webb: I deal in crushed lonely hearts"
Thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved August 7, 2019.

Related Link

Jimmy Webb and the Wichita Lineman

Very Punny

Steampunk Mattress (AI creation with dream.ai)

Puns are fun. 

What's funny is how serious science can sometimes be when it tries to examine why something is fun. Freud analyzed humor, trying to define what causes people to laugh. You don't, however, need to study psychology to appreciate a good knee-slapper.

Nevertheless, there really are some reasons people enjoy puns. Here are a few of them.

Some are slow burners that you don't immediately "get" so there is a reward at the end. Puns play with the brain's ability to process language. They often rely on double meanings, homophones, or clever wordplay. When someone "gets" a pun, it activates a sense of satisfaction and reward because the brain has successfully decoded the ambiguity. This mild intellectual challenge can be fun and engaging.

Surprise and Creativity: Puns sometmes surprise us by turning an expected meaning upsde down. The humorous twist in meaning appeals to our love for novelty and creativity.

Social Bonding: Humor in general, and puns specifically, can help bring people together. It's fun when you share a batch of witty jokes and everyone is cracking up together. 

Playfulness with Language: Puns reflect a playful engagement with language, showcasing its flexibility and richness. Writers love wordplay. I once wrote a 500 word story called "How Eye One the Wore" which was one-third homophones. People who enjoy playing with words often find puns--and other kinds of word games like crosswords--delightful because they highlight how much fun language can be.

All of these factors combine to make puns an enduring and widely appreciated form of humor. 

In short, after this lengthy introduction, here are some puns I found phun, with a link to the website I borrowed them from. This is a small smattering from a much lengthier list. Enjoy!

I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down.

I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.

Broken pencils are pointless.

I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was really just a play on words.

All the toilets in the NYPD headquarters have been stolen. The police apparently have nothing to go on.

Why did the can crusher quit her job? It was soda-pressing.

What do you call a broken can opener? A can’t opener.

A photon checks into a hotel. The front desk asks if it has any luggage. It replies, “No, I’m traveling light.”

I can’t stand Russian dolls. They’re so full of themselves.

I got a job at a bakery, because I knead dough.

If you see an Apple Store get robbed, does that make you an iWitness?

Why couldn’t the pony sing in the choir? He was a little horse.

Did you hear about the woman who loved making archery supplies? Every day she went to work, she quivered with joy!

The past, the present and the future all walk into a bar. It was tense.

A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and says: “A beer please, and one for the road.”

My friend fell into an upholstery machine. He’s fully recovered now.

I just found a penny in my dryer’s lint trap, and I can’t figure out where it came from. But that’s ok, I love it when the world just makes cents.

I bought some shoes from a drug dealer the other day. I don’t know what he laced them with, but I’ve been tripping all day.

I don’t trust stairs. They’re always up to something.

If you like these, here's a link to more. And if you can't get enough, ask Google.