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Mimesis and Atonement: Rene Girard and the Doctrine of Salvation
How are we to best understand the statement of faith that Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again 'for us and for salvation?' This question has animated Christian thought for two it has also bitterly divided believers, not least in Reformation and post-Reformation disputes about atonement, justification, sanctification and sacrifice. Rene Girard's Violence and the Sacred (1972) made startling connections between religion, violence and culture. His work has enlivened the theological and philosophical debate once again, especially the question of whether and how we are to understand Christ's death as a 'sacrifice'. Mimesis and Atonement brings together philosophers from Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox, and Jewish backgrounds to examine the continued significance of Girard's work. They do so in the light of new developments, such as the controversial 'new scholarship' on Paul."
- GenresTheology
Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 18, 2017
This book is collection of valuable essays on the Atonement theology as influenced by the thought of René Girard from several viewpoints. One of the major implications of Girard’s theory of sacred violence is that the death of Jesus is the result of mob violence inflicted on him and that Jesus’ death is not positively willed by Jesus’ heavenly Abba, least of all as a wrathful punishment deserved by humanity but inflicted by Jesus.
The book opens with a brief foreword by Rowan Williams, formerly the archbishop of Canterbury. In less than three full pages, he elegantly states the fundamental issues of Atonement in relationship to Girard. I strongly recommend that the reader not overlook it.
James Alison, a lively and highly imaginative theological thinker gives us whimsical but deeply profound reading of Jesus’ Parable of the Wicked Tenants with a stress on Matthew’s version. This parable is usually presented grimly, something I have done as well, seeing the parable as a warning to the Jewish leaders of the crime they seem likely to commit (which they do.) Alison, however, focuses on the comedy of forgiveness embedded in the parable and the dialogue following it. That is, Alison sees the parable as Jesus forgiving his murderers in advance.
Vanessa J. Avery continues the comedy and carnival of forgiveness with her reading of the Book of Jonah. She places the book in its Jewish liturgical observance of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. The book is read and mediated on as a powerful self-examination of one’s relationship with God and neighbor. She notes several themes highlighted by Girard such as the collective violence of the sailors who throw Jonah into the sea, however reluctant they are to do that. Her comments on the animals in Nineveh joining in the repentance is quite a fine insight since these very animals are normally sacrificial victims.
Antoine Arjakovsky gives us a Russian Orthodox response primarily through discussion the idiosyncratic thought of Nicolas Berdyaev in relation with other major thinkers of the Russian Renaissance in Paris in the 1920's. I remain doubtful of Berdyaev’s theory of meontic freedom (freedom originating in a mythical nothingness that has the potential to lead to free acts both by humanity and God, but it is not an idea to dismiss out of hand either. Anyway, Arjakovsky shows how Berdyaev’s thought leads to a non-violent atonement from an Orthodox perspective.
The contributors to the “New Perspectives on Paul” and N.T. Wright in particular, are discussed by several contributors. These scholars figure heavily in Stephen Finamore’s essay that come from a Baptist perspective. Finamore concentrates on the notion of “wrath” in Paul’s writings with an emphasis on Romans 1. Many colleagues of Girard argue that the wrath applies to humans and not to God. Finamore shows much sympathy to that position but he does not take it for granted. With the help of Wright he examines carefully key passages in Paul. Then he discusses “wrath” in terms of Girard’s theories. This dialogue opens up a potentially fruitful dialogue between Girard and Wright that we can continue, to good effect, I think.
Anthony Bartlett also brings Girard in dialogue with Wright and his colleagues with a focus on law and justification in Paul. Those who know Girard well know that, although he discussed scripture and Christian themes as a practicing Catholic, Girard avoided theology as much as he could in favor of anthropological probings. As a result, there is a continuing need for theologians to work out the theological implications of Girard’s insights. Bartlett uses the New Persepctive thinkers, Douglas Campbell in particular to start filling in this need for Atonement theology.
Raymund Schwager became a friend and collaborator of Girard when Girard was just beginning to become known for his anthropological theories and he was the first theologian to use Girard’s thought in theology in a systematic way. Niklaus Wandinger, a student of Schwager and colleague of his at Innsbruck, discusses the dramatic theology in Schwager’s work Jesus in the Dram of Salvation. The dramatic approach puts the violence of the human response to Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom and the forgiving love of God in bold relief. This essay gives a fine introduction to Schwager and, hopefully an encouragement to read further in the work of this outstanding thinker.
Michael Kirwan also brings in Wright and the New Perspective scholars along and a few others with Schwager to concentrate the theme of conversion. One of the big challenges of Girard’s ideas is that they give us a chance to change our thinking, our perspectives, on many things. Yet a change of perspective also needs a change of heart to really change a person.
Duncan Morrow gives us Girardian thought on the ground. He grew up in an ecumenical community in Northern Ireland and has been involved in efforts of reconciliation with the help of Girard’s thought for many years. He discusses the role of a “sacrificial” view of the atonement in adding fuel to the violence and gives a Girardian analysis of the conflicts in his country. In the end, the value of Girard’s thinking will depend on how deeply it can help humans live together. Northern Ireland gives us hope that Girard’s thought has the potential to lead to a conversion away from violence, but Morrow cautions us that the relative peace remains fragile.
Arpad Szakolczai concludes the volume with a discussion of Girard’s theory the human origins. He takes issue with Girard’s notion thesis that human culture originated in violence by positing a previously peaceful, if very primitive technologically society from which humanity fell. His first argument is that the existence of very beautiful artifacts from the dawn of humanity that have been unearthed attest to a peaceful society. I do not find this argument anywhere near conclusive. Our art museums are filled with beautiful contemporary works of art and we all know what gets written up in the news media. Szakalczai then discusses an early version of the myth of Prajapati to indicate a peaceful stage but I personally don’t see the sacrifice of Prajapati as necessarily attesting to a peace that was lost. Girard sees this more as a founding myth of culture. I do agree with the notion of a Fall at the dawn of humanity for theological reasons but I am skeptical the likelihood of humanity preventing meltdowns as they became humans. There is much speculation behind both positions and we need to keep revisiting the question.
The book opens with a brief foreword by Rowan Williams, formerly the archbishop of Canterbury. In less than three full pages, he elegantly states the fundamental issues of Atonement in relationship to Girard. I strongly recommend that the reader not overlook it.
James Alison, a lively and highly imaginative theological thinker gives us whimsical but deeply profound reading of Jesus’ Parable of the Wicked Tenants with a stress on Matthew’s version. This parable is usually presented grimly, something I have done as well, seeing the parable as a warning to the Jewish leaders of the crime they seem likely to commit (which they do.) Alison, however, focuses on the comedy of forgiveness embedded in the parable and the dialogue following it. That is, Alison sees the parable as Jesus forgiving his murderers in advance.
Vanessa J. Avery continues the comedy and carnival of forgiveness with her reading of the Book of Jonah. She places the book in its Jewish liturgical observance of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. The book is read and mediated on as a powerful self-examination of one’s relationship with God and neighbor. She notes several themes highlighted by Girard such as the collective violence of the sailors who throw Jonah into the sea, however reluctant they are to do that. Her comments on the animals in Nineveh joining in the repentance is quite a fine insight since these very animals are normally sacrificial victims.
Antoine Arjakovsky gives us a Russian Orthodox response primarily through discussion the idiosyncratic thought of Nicolas Berdyaev in relation with other major thinkers of the Russian Renaissance in Paris in the 1920's. I remain doubtful of Berdyaev’s theory of meontic freedom (freedom originating in a mythical nothingness that has the potential to lead to free acts both by humanity and God, but it is not an idea to dismiss out of hand either. Anyway, Arjakovsky shows how Berdyaev’s thought leads to a non-violent atonement from an Orthodox perspective.
The contributors to the “New Perspectives on Paul” and N.T. Wright in particular, are discussed by several contributors. These scholars figure heavily in Stephen Finamore’s essay that come from a Baptist perspective. Finamore concentrates on the notion of “wrath” in Paul’s writings with an emphasis on Romans 1. Many colleagues of Girard argue that the wrath applies to humans and not to God. Finamore shows much sympathy to that position but he does not take it for granted. With the help of Wright he examines carefully key passages in Paul. Then he discusses “wrath” in terms of Girard’s theories. This dialogue opens up a potentially fruitful dialogue between Girard and Wright that we can continue, to good effect, I think.
Anthony Bartlett also brings Girard in dialogue with Wright and his colleagues with a focus on law and justification in Paul. Those who know Girard well know that, although he discussed scripture and Christian themes as a practicing Catholic, Girard avoided theology as much as he could in favor of anthropological probings. As a result, there is a continuing need for theologians to work out the theological implications of Girard’s insights. Bartlett uses the New Persepctive thinkers, Douglas Campbell in particular to start filling in this need for Atonement theology.
Raymund Schwager became a friend and collaborator of Girard when Girard was just beginning to become known for his anthropological theories and he was the first theologian to use Girard’s thought in theology in a systematic way. Niklaus Wandinger, a student of Schwager and colleague of his at Innsbruck, discusses the dramatic theology in Schwager’s work Jesus in the Dram of Salvation. The dramatic approach puts the violence of the human response to Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom and the forgiving love of God in bold relief. This essay gives a fine introduction to Schwager and, hopefully an encouragement to read further in the work of this outstanding thinker.
Michael Kirwan also brings in Wright and the New Perspective scholars along and a few others with Schwager to concentrate the theme of conversion. One of the big challenges of Girard’s ideas is that they give us a chance to change our thinking, our perspectives, on many things. Yet a change of perspective also needs a change of heart to really change a person.
Duncan Morrow gives us Girardian thought on the ground. He grew up in an ecumenical community in Northern Ireland and has been involved in efforts of reconciliation with the help of Girard’s thought for many years. He discusses the role of a “sacrificial” view of the atonement in adding fuel to the violence and gives a Girardian analysis of the conflicts in his country. In the end, the value of Girard’s thinking will depend on how deeply it can help humans live together. Northern Ireland gives us hope that Girard’s thought has the potential to lead to a conversion away from violence, but Morrow cautions us that the relative peace remains fragile.
Arpad Szakolczai concludes the volume with a discussion of Girard’s theory the human origins. He takes issue with Girard’s notion thesis that human culture originated in violence by positing a previously peaceful, if very primitive technologically society from which humanity fell. His first argument is that the existence of very beautiful artifacts from the dawn of humanity that have been unearthed attest to a peaceful society. I do not find this argument anywhere near conclusive. Our art museums are filled with beautiful contemporary works of art and we all know what gets written up in the news media. Szakalczai then discusses an early version of the myth of Prajapati to indicate a peaceful stage but I personally don’t see the sacrifice of Prajapati as necessarily attesting to a peace that was lost. Girard sees this more as a founding myth of culture. I do agree with the notion of a Fall at the dawn of humanity for theological reasons but I am skeptical the likelihood of humanity preventing meltdowns as they became humans. There is much speculation behind both positions and we need to keep revisiting the question.
January 13, 2023
Technical but read if you’re interested in atonement
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews