Michael Morelli, PhD

Assistant Professor of Theology, Culture and Ethics, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programming; Special Assistant to the President

Research Interests

My primary research interests are studies of how orthodox doctrine and theological thought from the early church onward can inform, challenge, and reinvigorate peoples’ understanding of what it means to be a Christian and the church in the world today. My current research focuses on the writings of twentieth century thinkers Jacques Ellul and Paul Virilio on the subjects of theology, ethics, and technology, and I plan to pursue further research and publishing on these two thinkers and the related fields of technology, media, communication, fine arts, theology, ethics, and aesthetics. As I look to publish my PhD research in book form, I also am excited about other research opportunities and projects which relate to theological and ethical questions that I believe are essential for Christians and churches today. These questions relate to theological and ethical studies of disability and mental health in and outside of the local church, political thought and action, care for and cultivation of the environment, and many other timely fields of inquiry for theology and ethics.

Publications

Books

Jacques Ellul. Desert, Wilderness, Wasteland, and Word: A New Essay by Jacques Ellul and Five Critical Engagements. Ed. Michael Morelli. Trans. Kelly Haskett. Pickwick Publications, 2023.

Theology, Ethics, and Technology in the Work of Jacques Ellul and Paul Virilio: A Nascent Theological Tradition. Maryland: Lexington Books. 2021.

Book Chapters

“Transference of the Transcendent in the Post-Christendom West: A Critical and Constructive Engagement with Jacques Ellul’s New Demons.” Secularism and the Pursuit of Transcendence. Hamilton: McMaster Divinity College Press, TBD. (Forthcoming)

“Générations Ellul. Soixante héritiers de la pensée de Jacques Ellul.” Tome Deux .

What’s in a Name? Jacques Ellul’s Reading of Naming in Genesis 1–3.” Jacques Ellul and The Bible: Towards a Hermeneutic of Freedom. Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2020.

“Charlottesville vs. The Real Revolution.” Political Illusion and Reality: Engaging The Prophetic Insights of  Jacques Ellul. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2018.

Articles

“Birds of the Air and Winged Creatures: An Ironic Critique of Surveillance in Ecclesiastes and an Ellulian Ethic of Language, Love, Fear, and Freedom.” Philosophical Journal of Conflict and Violence. Anticipated publication: May 2023. (Forthcoming)

“­­The Undivided Body: An Ecclesial Response to Surveillance Technologies and Practices,” Northwest Institute for Ministry Education Research. www.nimer.ca (retrieved Date Accessed). Peer reviewed.

“The Athenian Altar and The Amazonian Chatbot: A Pauline Reading of Artificial Intelligence and Apocalyptic Ends.” Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science 53, March 2019.

“Aura 2.0: The Technoscientific Return of Art’s Religious Value.” Implicit Religion 20.3, 2017, 245-257.

“The Judgments We Make: Justice in a Digitised World.” Granite Interdisciplinary Journal 1.1, 2017, 7-10.

Reviews

“Book Review: Jacques Ellul, To Will and To Do Volumes 1 and 2.Studies in Christian Ethics 36.1.

“Book Review: Jacob Rollison, Revolution of Necessity: Language, Technique, and Freedom in the Writings of Jacques Ellul and Slavoj Žižek.Studies in Christian Ethics 31.1, February 2018, 123-125.

Peer Reviews

Vo, Nam. Digital Media and Youth Discipleship: Pitfalls and Promise. Indiana: Langham Press. Forthcoming.

Unpublished Manuscripts

“Either Technological Pessimism or Proleptic Christian Resistance: A Constructive Reading of Jacques Ellul’s Dialectical Writings on Technology With Paul Virilio as an Evocative Interlocutor.” PhD Thesis (Theological Ethics), University of Aberdeen, 2019. Supervisor Professor Brian Bock.

“Technology, Violence, and Ethics: Catastrophic Liturgy and Paul Virilio’s Eschatological Vision.” MTh Thesis (Theological Ethics), University of Aberdeen, 2017

Blogs

“From the Mouths of Babes: God Cares and God is With Us.” Church and COVID-19 Blog. Northwest Institute for Ministry Education Research. May 2020.

Presentations

2023 Presenter at Deeper Communion Conference at McMaster Divinity College (online). “Stillness and knowing, fear and trembling, groans too deep for words, and tongues of fire: re-imagining discipleship with help from people called ‘disabled.’”

2023 Presenter at Secularism and the Pursuit of Transcendence Conference at McMaster Divinity College. “Transference of the Transcendent in the Post-Christendom West: A Critical and Constructive Engagement with Jacques Ellul’s New Demons.”

2022 Moderator for “When Does Translating Change the Meaning of Scripture? How the Translator of Greek Exodus (and Jesus?) Aligns Biblical Law to Fit His Culture,” at Northwest Seminary and College, In the Book – LXX Seminar.

2022 Moderator, “Adopted by God: Restoring the Life-transforming Joy of a Neglected Pauline Doctrine.” John H. Pickford Chair of Theology Symposium, ACTS Seminaries, Langley, BC, October 12, 2022.

2022 Presenter, “Technological Pessimism or Prophetic Christian Resistance: Theology, Ethics and Technology in the Work of Jacques Ellul and Paul Virilio.” John H. Pickford Chair of Theology Symposium, Northwest Baptist Seminary, Langley, BC, March 16, 2022.

2022 Presenter, January 2022 International Jacques Ellul Society Conference in Strasbourg, France.

2021 Moderator, “The Many and the One: Modern Secularity and Classical Christian Theology.”  John H. Pickford Chair of Theology Symposium, ACTS Seminaries, Langley, BC.

2021 Responder, “The Active Church in the Covid-19 Age.” John H. Pickford Chair of Theology Symposium. ACTS Seminaries, Langley, BC.

BC2020 Presenter, International Jacques Ellul Society Conference, Strasbourg, France

2019 Responder, Modern Technology and the Human Future, Trinity Western University

2019 Presenter, Society for the Study of Theology Conference, University of Warwick

2018 Presenter, International Jacques Society Conference, Regent University

2018 Presenter, CenSAMM Artificial Intelligence Conference, Bedford Panacea Trust

2018 Presenter, Society for the Study of Theology Conference, University of Nottingham

2017 Presenter, Religion and Surveillance Network Conference, London Friend’s House

2017 Presenter, Society for The Study of Christians Ethics Conference, University of Cambridge

2017 Presenter, Society for the Study of Theology Conference, University of Nottingham

2016 Presenter, Religion and Surveillance Network Conference, Birmingham, England

2016 Presenter and Panelist, British Academy for the Study of Religions, University of Wolverhampton

2016 Presenter, International Jacques Ellul Society Conference, University of Berkley, California

2016 Presenter, The Granite Symposium Technology Conference, University of Aberdeen

Think Tanks

2023 Nursing Education and Practice Formation and Ethical Comportment Virtue Ethics and Post-Structuralism Think Tanks Participant, facilitated by The School of Nursing at Trinity Wester University.

2022 Nursing and Covenantal Care Think Tank Participant, facilitated by The School of Nursing at Trinity Western University.

Workshops

2023 Community Group Curriculum: Morality, Gender & Sexuality, Suffering & Unanswered Prayer, The Bible’s Reliability for Ridge Church, Maple Ridge (Forthcoming)

2023, Suffering at Cedars Christian School Chapel

2023, Spiritual Health at Village Church Young Adults, Langley

2023 Disability, Trauma, Unity, and Healing in En Canto and the church at SouthRidge Church, Langley

2022 Loving God With Your Mind: Why Theology Matters at Ridge Church, Maple Ridge

2022 True Community in a Digital Age at Central Heights Church, Abbotsford

2022 True Community in a Digital Age at Peace Evangelical Church, Richmond

2021 True Community in a Digital Age at Central Heights Church, Abbotsford