On Girard: Mimesis and Cosmic War

Much of what Freud and Girard have said about the function of symbolic violence in religion has been persuasive. Even if one questions, as I do, Girard's idea that mimetic desire is the sole driving force behind symbols of religious violence, one can still agree that mimesis is a significant fa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bulletin for the study of religion
Main Author: Juergensmeyer, Mark 1940- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Equinox [2016]
In: Bulletin for the study of religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Girard, René 1923-2015 / Sacrifice / Mimesis / Violence
RelBib Classification:AE Psychology of religion
AG Religious life; material religion
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:Much of what Freud and Girard have said about the function of symbolic violence in religion has been persuasive. Even if one questions, as I do, Girard's idea that mimetic desire is the sole driving force behind symbols of religious violence, one can still agree that mimesis is a significant factor. One can also agree with the theme that Girard borrows from Freud, that the ritualized acting out of violent acts plays a role in displacing feelings of aggression, thereby allowing the world to be a more peaceful place in which to live. But the critical issue remains as to whether sacrifice should be regarded as the context for viewing all other forms of religious violence, as Girard and Freud have contended.
ISSN:2041-1871
Contains:Enthalten in: Bulletin for the study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1558/bsor.v45i3-4.31351