IN THIS LESSON

In this first part of a series, we are talking about memetic desire, the conflict it creates, and the ways we use scapegoats to alleviate the tension.

René Girard's theories on the mimetic relationship between violence and religion and the genesis and maintenance of culture have had a profound impact on many disciplines. The Colloquium on Violence and Religion gathers scholars across a wide range of fields including theology and biblical studies to study Girard’s work. In the past, scholars have used Girard's ideas to interpret and reinterpret Old and New Testaments texts.