Violence & the Sacred An Informal Talk by René Girard - 1994
Aug 1, 2021
René Girard, a French-American literary critic known for his pioneering work on mimetic theory, discusses profound topics relating to violence, scapegoating, and Christianity. He connects the universality of violence seen in the Gospels with archaic religions' use of scapegoats, illustrating how Jesus’ innocence stands apart from typical mythic sacrifices. Girard also critiques common misconceptions of Christianity, advocating for a deep, midrashic reading of scripture to expose the mechanisms of collective violence and promote nonviolence in ethics.
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Christianity Reveals Scapegoating
- René Girard argues Christianity appears similar to myth but actually reveals the scapegoat mechanism at the heart of mythic religions.
- He says the Passion exposes collective violence by showing the victim's innocence, inverting pagan divinization of scapegoats.
Gods As Divinized Scapegoats
- Girard claims archaic gods are divinized scapegoats created by communal violence and projection.
- He contrasts this with Jesus, who is presented as an innocent victim revealing that system rather than validating it.
Joseph Story As Scapegoat Denunciation
- Girard compares Joseph and Oedipus to show myth either hides or exposes scapegoating, using Joseph as a denunciation of the lie.
- He reads Judah's willingness to die for Benjamin as a prefiguration of Christ's refusal of scapegoating.
