Violence & the Sacred

This recording was made in 2006 during one of the informal Friday afternoon seminars which professor René Girard and those interested in his work had been convening since the late 1980’s.

The seminars were generally held every two weeks when professor Girard was on campus. Intended to facilitate exploration and critique of Girard’s mimetic theory with graduate students and visiting scholars, the seminar eventually grew to include others interested in his work as well. Usually one of the participants would present a paper they were working on and a freewheeling discussion would ensue. On this occasion professor Girard gives a concise yet forceful overview of his theory and some of its implications.