Bloomsbury Violence, Desire, and the Sacred, Volume 1: Girard's Mimetic Theory Across the Disciplines

Violence, Desire and the Sacred presents the most up-to-date inter-disciplinary work being developed with the ground-breaking insights of René Girard's mimetic theory. The collection showcases the work of outstanding scholars in mimetic theory and how they are applying and developing Girard's insights in a variety of fields. Girard's mimetic insight has provided a fruitful way for different disciplines, such as literature, anthropology, theology, religion studies, cultural studies, and philosophy, to engage on common anthropological ground, with a shared understanding of the human person. The aim of this edited collection is to present this interdisciplinary work and to illustrate how Girard's insights provide fertile ground for bringing together disparate disciplines in a shared purpose. As academic work on Girard's insights is growing, this collection would meet the need to show the critical, interdisciplinary applications of these insights. Review 'This superbly-edited collection addresses the key issues in mimetic theory for this century, all of which require the interdisciplinary approach followed here. Readers who have been following the resurgent interest in Rene Girard's work will recognize the names of James Alison, Wolfgang Palaver, Jeremiah Alberg and Chris Fleming. To the centers already known at Stanford, Paris and Innsbruck, which generate scholarship and attract fellow researchers as students and colleagues, we must now add The Australian Girard Seminar.' --William A. Johnsen, Editor, Contagion. Journal of Violence, Mimesis, and Culture'A fascinating contribution to the growing intellectual excitement about a major insight into the causes and possible cures for the violence that threatens us from within and without. Rene Girard's mimetic theory brings together not just philosophers, theologians, and literary people, but also theoreticians and practitioners from practically all the social and natural sciences to talk about and work toward lessening the internal and external violence that threatens our human existence. Remarkable that such a rich conversation could come from just one country!' --Robert J. Daly, S.J., Professor Emeritus of Theology, Boston College'This very impressive volume shows how mimetic theory has broken free of its transatlantic origins, inspiring first-rate scholarship from around the world, most notably Australia. The interdisplinary richness of the theory remains intact: established scholars and new voices provide the customary insightful readings of theological and literary texts, alongside new trajectories, in history and in neuroscience. Violence, Desire and the Sacred is an indispensible survey of the state of play with regard to the latest wave of Girardian studies.' --Dr Michael Kirwan SJ, Head of Theology, Heythrop College, University of London About the Author Scott Cowdell is Associate Professor and Research Fellow in Public and Contextual Theology at Charles Sturt University, Australia, Canon Theologian of the Canberra-Goulburn Anglican Diocese, and Founding President of the Australian Girard Seminar. Chris Fleming is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Anthropology, School of Humanities and Languages, the University of Western Sydney, Australia. His is the author of Violence and Mimesis (Polity Press/Blackwell, 2004) and is current Vice-President of the Australian Girard Seminar. Joel Hodge is Lecturer in Systematic Theology, School of Theology, Australian Catholic University, Australia. He is the author of Resisting Violence and Victimisation: Christian Faith and Solidarity in East Timor (Ashgate) and is current Treasurer and Secretary of the Australian Girard Seminar. Wolfgang Palaver is Professor and Chair of the Institute for Systematic Theology at the University of Innsbruck, Austrian, and President of the Colloquium on Violence & Religion (COV&R)