Towards Reconciliation: Understanding Violence and the Sacred after Rene Girard

158 Pages·2020·16.651 MB·English

by  Paul Gifford

Informal in tone and remarkably accessible, this book makes a compelling
case that the reconciliatory potential of Christian faith can’t be realized
until and unless we have a theory of scapegoating. Masterfully presenting
René Girard’s fundamental anthropology as the definitive resource for this
effort, Gifford weaves references to film and literature as well as to biblical
passages into a narrative that traces a sure path from toxic to reconciling
relationships. The definitive guide to Girard for 21st century readers.
Martha J. Reineke, PhD
Professor of Religion, University of Northern Iowa
President, Colloquium on Violence and Religion
This book addresses the apocalyptic panic of our time, manifest
particularly in religion-inspired terrorism. Amid the blame-shifting
responses, the lure of identity politics and the failure of secularised
societies to understand either the danger or the redemptive force
of religion, Paul Gifford’s book offers clarity and hope, introducing
René Girard’s revolutionary understanding of the connection between
violence and sacred and how this is progressively undermined and
finally overthrown in the texts of Western Christianity.
Angela Tilby
Canon Emeritus, Christ Church, Oxford
I’m so glad that a wider readership can now join those listeners in
Coventry who were lucky enough to hear the original lectures. This
book offers a stunningly complete overview of René Girard’s thought
and shows how to begin applying his insights – so much wisdom and
finesse in these interpretations. And the range of examples offered is just
wonderful! I’d never heard of Croghan man, but what a perfect find.
James Alison
Catholic Priest and Theologian
Towards Reconciliation
Towards Reconciliation
Understanding Violence and the sacred
after René Girard
Paul Gifford
Hardback ISBN: 978 0 227 17708 2
Paperback ISBN: 978 0 227 17707 5
PDF ISBN: 978 0 227 90709 2
ePub ISBN: 978 0 227 90710 8
Kindle ISBN: 978 0 227 90711 5
James Clarke & Co.
C
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Towards Reconciliation
Understanding Violence and the Sacred
aft er René Girard
Paul Giff ord
C
James Clarke & Co
James Clarke & Co
P.O. Box 60
Cambridge
CB1 2NT
United Kingdom
www.jamesclarke.co
[email protected]
Hardback ISBN: 978 0 227 17708 2
Paperback ISBN: 978 0 227 17707 5
PDF ISBN: 978 0 227 90709 2
ePub ISBN: 978 0 227 90710 8
Kindle ISBN: 978 0 227 90711 5
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A record is available from the British Library
First published by James Clarke & Co, 2020
Copyright © Paul Gifford, 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this edition may be reproduced,
stored electronically or in any retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
prior written permission from the Publisher
([email protected]).
For René Girard
(1923-2015)
in affectionate memory

Contents
Introduction ix
1.What Is ‘Sacred Violence’? 1
2.Violent Origins, Origins of Violence 21
3.Girardian ‘Founding Murder’ 35
4.Violence, the Archaic Sacred and Judaeo-Christian 58
Revelation
5.Passion, Resurrection – and How We Come by 81
Reconciliation
6.Taking Thought for Reconciliation 105
Appendix: ‘From Animal to Human’, ‘On Religion’ – 123
Conversations with René Girard
Cited Texts and Further Reading 139
Illustration
Artist’s reconstruction of the world’s oldest known temple, 53
Göbekli Tepe (c. 9,600 BCE).
Courtesy of National Geographic