You need some sort of amplifier whether it be a home receiver or a car amplifier.
BUT BE CAREFUL. Many subwoofers' ohm rating is far lower than that of home receivers.
For example, (I still can't believe I did this), I had a JL 12" w7 hooked up to my $3,000 Onkyo DS-939 and ended up blowing a capacitor in the PSU because I cranked it up and the receiver couldn't handle it. Fortunately I was able to fix it easily!
Most home receivers have a minimum load rating of 8 ohms. Anything below this is risking damage. That's why a car amp might be better, or simply wiring the subs to 8 ohms or more if at all possible.