2013, No. 2 (5), Genealogies of Culture

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Józef Niewiadomski
“Allmächtiges Wort vom Himmel”. Religion und Gewalt im Kontext der Theorie von René Girard

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Keywords: René Girard, Raymund Schwager, Innsbruck dramatic theology, mimetic theory, religious violence, the notion of God, myth (conception), revelation, ritual, the virgin birth of deity, mimetic desire

Abstract:
The religious studies discussion increasingly frequently contains mentions of parallels between the concept of Christ’s virgin birth and the immaculate conceptions of other founders of religions. René Girard called attention to the fact that this parallel points to the most significant difference, which can be seen in the context of the question about a religion’s attitude towards violence. The scenario of conceptions known from the myths of other religions always involves a god raping a virgin. In the biblical story of Jesus’ conception, we find no trace of violence. This is not of secondary importance, since the conception of a deity indicates a qualitative aspect of the religion in question. The word of God, which becomes flesh, is not a word of violence. This approach enforces not only a correction of the notion of omnipotence, but also indicates the necessity to revise contemporary opinions about the relation between religion and violence. The systematic conclusion that it is not violence but transformation of violence that is at the heart of biblical religions has enormous practical, ethical, and political consequences. The paper reconstructs not only Girard’s approach to the issue of the criticism of myth through biblical revelation and his innovative conception of anthropology based on the concept of desire, but also the position of the so-called Innsbruck dramatic theology, inspired by Girard’s thought.

About Author:
NIEWIADOMSKI JÓZEF – priest, theologian, Professor of Dogmatic Theology in the Theology Faculty of the University of Innsbruck.