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The Palgrave Handbook of Mimetic Theory and Religion

Palgrave Macmillan
  • The first introductory volume to gather articles from the world’s foremost scholars of mimetic theory and religion, and first major collective work of this scope on mimetic theory

  • Makes a decisive contribution to the reassessment of our understanding of religion in the 21st century

  • Shows the importance and relevance of mimetic theory to contemporary scholarly debates in theology, religious studies, anthropology, and philosophy, among other fields

  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (70 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxvii
  2. General Introduction

    • James Alison, Wolfgang Palaver
    Pages 1-7
  3. Violent Origins

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 9-9
    2. Introduction

      • James Alison, Paul Dumouchel
      Pages 11-12
    3. Kristeva and the Question of Origins

      • Martha J. Reineke
      Pages 39-44
    4. Vengeance and the Gift

      • Mark R. Anspach
      Pages 53-59
    5. Mesoamerican Civilizations and Sacrifice

      • Miguel Rolland
      Pages 61-67
    6. Çatalhöyük, Archaeology, Violence

      • Christopher J. KnĂĽsel, Bonnie Glencross
      Pages 69-75

About this book

The Palgrave Handbook of Mimetic Theory and Religion draws on the expertise of leading scholars and thinkers to explore the violent origins of culture, the meaning of ritual, and the conjunction of theology and anthropology, as well as secularization, science, and terrorism.  Authors assess the contributions of RenĂ© Girard’s mimetic theory to our understanding of sacrifice, ancient tragedy, and post-modernity, and apply its insights to religious cinema and the global economy. This handbook serves as introduction and guide to a theory of religion and human behavior that has established itself as fertile terrain for scholarly research and intellectual reflection.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Independent Scholar, Madrid, Spain

    James Alison

  • University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Wolfgang Palaver

About the editors

James Alison, priest, theologian, and author, is a Fellow of Imitatio. He has been working with Girard’s thought since 1985 and has contributed to the field with a number of books, most recently the adult catechetical course “Jesus the Forgiving Victim.” 

 

Wolfgang Palaver is Professor of Catholic Social Thought at the University of Innsbruck. From 2007 to 2011 he was president of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion. Recent publications: René Girard's Mimetic Theory (2013); The European Wars of Religion (2016).

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access