Violence & the Sacred

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.