Violence and the Sacred
An Introduction to the Work of
René Girard
Robert W Stead
Background
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Born in Avignon on December 25, 1923
1943 to 1947 - studied medieval history at the Ecole
des Chartes, Paris
1947 - Indiana University teaching French literature
1953 to 1957 - Duke University and Bryn Mawr
College
1961 - full professor Johns Hopkins University
Background
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1961 - Mensonge Romantique et Verite Romanesque
(Deceit, Desire and the Novel, 1966)
1972 - La Violence et Le Sacre (Violence and the
Sacred, 1977)
1978 - Des choses cachees depuis la fondation du
monde (Things Hidden since the Foundation of the
World, 1987)
1978 - To Double Business Bound: Essays on
Literature, Mimesis, and Anthropology
Background
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1981 - Andrew B. Hammond Professor of French
Language, Literature, and Civilization at Stanford
University
1982 - Le Bouc émissaire (The Scapegoat)
1985 - La route antique des hommes pervers (Job,
the Victim of His People 1987)
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1991 - A Theatre of Envy: William Shakespeare
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1995 - Retires from Stanford University
Background
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1990 - Colloquium on Violence and Religion
(COV&R) founded
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Purpose: explore, criticize, and develop the
mimetic model of the relationship between
violence and religion in the genesis and
maintenance of culture
Yearly conference devoted to topics related
to mimetic theory, scapegoating, violence,
and religion.
René Girard - Honorary Chair of COV&R.
Question
What makes great literature great?
The Journey Begins...
With Don Quixote
Mimesis
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The Imitation of Desire
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External Mediation – Great Distance between
Model and Disciple
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Internal Mediation – Little Distance between the
Two
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Rivalry – Inversely Proportional to Distance
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Greater the Distance the Lesser the Rivalry
Desire is
Triangular
Beyond the Novel
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Girard studies texts of persecution
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Exploration of religious myths
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A look at the Oedipus myth
4 Stereotypes in Myths
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Loss of difference (plague)
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Crimes that eliminate difference (parricide, incest)
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Mark of the victim (physical/social defect [limp,
foreigner, different class])
Violence (destroy or banish the victim)
In a sentence...
Communal chaos
is created by “crimes”
caused by a “criminal”
who must be crushed.
GMSM
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Generative – produces differences that delineate
culture
Mimetic – driven by desire
Scapegoating – prevents runaway mimetic rivalry by
means of a surrogate victim
Mechanism – operates mechanically rather than
deliberately
(thanks to Robert G. Hamerton-Kelly [The Gospel and
the Sacred (1994)]
GMSM
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Mimetic Desire (Acquisitive Mimesis)
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Mediation (external, internal)
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Rivalry
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The Model/Obstacle (scandal, envy, hatred)
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Transcendence (deviated [idolatry])
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Substitution
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Acquiistive Motivation
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Mimetic Desires Roots in Phylogeny
GMSM
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The Surrogate Victim – Scapegoat (Conflictual
Mimesis)
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The Crisis of Differentiation
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The Emergence of the Surrogate Victim
(Scapegoat)
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The Generation of Differences
GMSM
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The Double Transference
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The Nature of the Double Transference
(rivalry/peace)
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The Victim as Transcendent Signifer
GMSM
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The Products of the Double Transference
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The Sacred
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Prohibition
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Ritual
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Myths
The Bible
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Exposes the violence of GMSM
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The voice of the victim
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The only voice of Truth is the
voice of the innocent victim
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Cain and Abel
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Story of Joseph
Mimetic Predicament-Mimetic Liberation
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Paul's Conversion
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Christ- Servant/Leader/Model
Must There Be Scapegoats?
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The work of Raymond Schwager
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The move away from sacrifice ( ex: Ps 51)
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The human dimension of the wrath of God
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Scapegoat Mechanism – Unity (simplicity)
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Holy Spirit – Community (multiplicity)
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In final analysis:
“The Word makes possible the inner personal
relationship that we call faith, trust, love”
Girard's Influence
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Biblical Hermaneutics
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Raymond Schwager
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Robert Hamerton-Kelly
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Gil Bailie
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Psychology – Jean-Michel Oughourlian
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Eric Gans – Generative Anthropology
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COV & R
Can We Escape Mimesis?
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What Kind of Mimesis?
Creative Mimesis – Desire for the Good
(non-rivalrous)
Christ – The Cornerstone
A Personal Note
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Girard's Approach to Substitution and the Medieval
(Anselmic) Approach
The use of scientific method to approach texts and to
relate texts to one another
The implications of mimetic theory for interpersonal
relations
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Look within and between