Abstract

The opening chapter of the volume sets the context by describing René Girard’s Mimetic Theory as a ‘new optic’ on religion in general and on the question of religion and violence in particular. The specific issue which concerns this volume, and the conferences from which it arose, is whether Girard’s insights can be extended or applied to include the wisdom of non-Christian religious traditions, notably Islam. The framework for this investigation is the notion of an ‘Abrahamic revolution’. This is the claim that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share a distinctive ethical breakthrough: a rupture with ‘archaic’ sacrificial practices and a partisanship for the innocent victim. Such a breakthrough is attested in key scriptural traditions common to the three faiths, especially the Akedah, and the story of Joseph. The chapter includes an initial exegesis of Girard’s ambivalent pronouncements on Islam, to see how far these are compatible with the thesis of an Abrahamic revolution, and concludes with an overview of the contributions in the rest of the volume.