Discovering Girard [Paperback]

Michael Kirwan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2005

“Really wonderful; an elegantly written initiation into the mimetic theory. I am lucky to have interpreters who understand what I want to say and who can write so well.” —René Girard The work of René Girard is hugely influential in literature and cultural studies. But it is in understanding the relationship between religion and violence that his theory has created its greatest impact. Girard’s understanding of mimetic rivalry and conflict and of scapegoating is seen by many to be the key to a completely new understanding of Christianity. Girard’s name evokes curiosity and—often—strong feelings among devotees and skeptics. Discovering Girard is the first book to present Girard’s work to a wider audience. It explains and appraises Girard’s mimetic theory, shows its impact on theology and other disciplines, and manages to convey the excitement that a discovery of Girard’s ideas often generates in readers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Michael Kirwan has pulled off a masterpiece of accessibility; he has unfurled a huge map for the ordinary traveller which neither simplifies nor distorts.

About the Author

Michael Kirwan is a Jesuit priest who lectures at Heythrop College in the University of London.

Michael Kirwan is a Jesuit priest who lectures at Heythrop College in the University of London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 137 pages
• Publisher: Cowley Publications (August 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561012297
• ISBN-13: 978-1561012299
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Protestantism > Anglican

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 26, 2008

By 

linda mcmillan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering Girard (Paperback)

I really appreciated the readability of this book. In a field crowded with overly-technical jargon Michael Kirwan lays out the theology of Rene Girard in a way that anyone can grasp and appreciate. An excellent introduction.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent portal to the Girard and his work, March 3, 2009

By 

J. Sexton - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Discovering Girard (Paperback)

If you are looking for a straightforward, clear, easy-to-understand explanation of Girard's theories and major postulates, get this book. This slim volume covers an incredible amount in its 125 pages, and michael Kirwan's prose proves easy reading. Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of Girard's thought, June 21, 2009

By 

Aquinas "summa" (celestial heights, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering Girard (Paperback)

Fr Kirwan's book is a good introduction to Rene Girard. Reading Girard's theory on mimetic contagion and scapegoating and its application to the Old and New Testament is a revelation. Girard sees the revelation of God in the Old and New Testament as not just another myth but rather the process by which God unfolds what has been going on in Human Culture since time began. For Girard, all human cultures are founded on a scapegoat who has been ritually murdered. Myth tells the foundational murder from the perspective of the vitimisers. Girard discovered that, by contrast, the Judeo-Christian scriptures do the opposite: they side with the victim.

However, having read Kirwan, it is always best to go back to Girard and let him speak for himself.