Mimetic Theory And Islam

This volume explores the 'Mimetic Theory' of the cultural theorist René Girard and its applicability to Islamic thought and tradition. Authors critically examine Girard's assertion about the connection between group formation, religion, and 'scapegoating' violence. These insights, Girard maintained, have their source in biblical revelation. Are there parallels in other faith traditions, especially Islam? To this end, Muslim scholars and scholars of Mimetic Theory have examined the hypothesis of an 'Abrahamic Revolution.' This is the claim that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each share in a spiritual and ethical historical 'breakthrough:' a move away from scapegoating violence, and towards a sense of justice for the innocent victim.

This groundbreaking book offers the first systematic study of the Qur’ān and Islamic history in the light of René Girard’s mimetic theory. Girard did not deal deeply with Islam, offering only scattered hints in some interviews after the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Addressing this gap in Girardian studies, Adnane Mokrani aims to develop an Islamic theology that goes beyond just war theory to adopt a radical nonviolent approach. He analyzes the Qur’ānic text and classical and modern exegetical literature, focusing on the Qur’ānic narratives, then extends his research to the history of Islam, removing the sacred character attributed to some events and human choices in order to disarm theology and dismantle the ideologies of power. This same critique is also applied to the unprecedented levels of violence in modern and contemporary history. A radical and politically committed theology of peace is needed to recover the spiritual dimension of religion that frees people from the temptations of the individual and collective ego. It is a mystical and narrative theology in dialogue with other world theologies on the future of humanity—an urgent appeal needed now more than ever.

This volume explores the 'Mimetic Theory' of the cultural theorist René Girard and its applicability to Islamic thought and tradition. Authors critically examine Girard's assertion about the connection between group formation, religion, and 'scapegoating' violence. These insights, Girard maintained, have their source in biblical revelation. Are there parallels in other faith traditions, especially Islam? To this end, Muslim scholars and scholars of Mimetic Theory have examined the hypothesis of an 'Abrahamic Revolution.' This is the claim that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each share in a spiritual and ethical historical 'breakthrough:' a move away from scapegoating violence, and towards a sense of justice for the innocent victim.

Those who anticipated the demise of religion and the advent of a peaceful, secularized global village have seen the last two decades confound their predictions. René Girard’s mimetic theory is a key to understanding the new challenges posed by our world of resurgent violence and pluralistic cultures and traditions. Girard sought to explain how the Judeo-Christian narrative exposes a founding murder at the origin of human civilization and demystifies the bloody sacrifices of archaic religions. Meanwhile, his book Sacrifice, a reading of conflict and sacrificial resolution in the Vedic Brahmanas, suggests that mimetic theory’s insights also resonate with several non-Western religious and spiritual traditions. This volume collects engagements with Girard by scholars of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism and situates them within contemporary theology, philosophy, and religious studies.

"This book offers a study of the Qur'ān and Islamic history in the light of René Girard's mimetic theory, going beyond just war theory to adopt a nonviolent approach"--

"This book offers a study of the Qur'ān and Islamic history in the light of René Girard's mimetic theory, going beyond just war theory to adopt a nonviolent approach"--

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 René 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.

Religion, although in its simplest form a belief or belief in an external force outside of man, is believed to have existed since the existence of man himself. There is a connection in the existence of religion on the one hand with the existence of human culture and civilization on the other. That is, since the beginning of religion or belief included in human life and—the rules—human life already existed in religion. It is very difficult to talk about the relationship between religion and violence. It is difficult in the sense of finding common ground agreed upon by some parties who disagree on this. Phenomenological studies that have been very hard show the relationship between the two is not spared from the reduction process that is criticized by many parties. Instead of seeing that violence is linked to many socio-economic-cultural contexts, phenomenological studies immediately ultimately see religion—its meaning, articulation and implementation—as the main factors that trigger violence. The Scapegoat Theory is one of them. René Girard goes so far as to say that not only does violence seem real and violent because of religion, but even rituals in religion do not escape violence, in this case it is a rite of sacrifice. Therefore, it is not surprising that then what happens to modern society due to the looseness of religious values that are in fact made to reduce and channel this violent desire. His excesses then because violence is not channeled through the realm of neutralization, he then appears in the social realm in the form of acts of violence that are no longer sacred, even considered evil. This book will explore Girard's interpretation of the sacrificial rite, as well as outline how Islam views Qurbani worship. With this we hope that there will be a balance of information about the worship of Sacrifice itself.