René Girard and Creative Mimesis - by Vern Neufeld Redekop & Thomas Ryba (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book explores the nature and implications of positive, creative, and loving mimesis and brings together the interdisciplinary fields of Girardian studies and creativity studies. Scientists, philosophers, psychologists, theologians and ancient thinkers are brought into dia...

Book Synopsis

This book explores the nature and implications of positive, creative, and loving mimesis and brings together the interdisciplinary fields of Girardian studies and creativity studies. Scientists, philosophers, psychologists, theologians and ancient thinkers are brought into dialogue with conceptions of mimetic desire, scapegoating, and hominization.

Review Quotes

Harnessing the insights of some of the leading exponents of Girard's theories and examining all major parts of the creative process, this volume adroitly explores the relation of mimesis to creativity across the board in the humanities and social sciences -- engaging fields as diverse as political science, psychology, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, literary study, religious studies, and theology. As such, it promises an innovative, re-invigorating, and productive set of approaches to questions that have withstood our attention for some two thousand years in the West, confined as they were for most of that time within the works of a few great literary artists.

This is a highly original multi-author volume about the work of René Girard in understanding openness, creativity and mutuality in relations with other people. Girard's theory of desire posits ideal personhood as one's ability to self-actualize through non-rivalry imitations of others without the need to dominate others in the process. Girard's work is best known for his analysis of inter-subjective violence, but the authors here show the power of his thought to model deeply reciprocal, positive human relations. A must read for all students of Girard -- as well as other readers interested in a joyous paradigm for healthy families and societies.

About the Author

Vern Neufeld Redekop is a full professor in the School of Conflict Studies at Saint Paul University, Ottawa. He is the co-author of Introduction to Conflict Studies: Empirical, Theoretical, and Ethical Dimensions (2012) and Beyond Control: A Mutual Respect Approach to Protest Crowd - Police Relations (2010).

Thomas Ryba is Notre Dame Theologian-in-Residence at the Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center as well as lecturer in philosophy and religious studies and adjunct professor of Jewish studies at Purdue University. He is the co-editor of For René Girard: Essays in Friendship and in Truth (2008) and was North American editor of Religion (2004-2007).