The Bible, especially in the Christian tradition, unmasks the identification between the gods and the scapegoating mechanism. In Christianity, God is not aligned with the scapegoaters but identifies with the scapegoated victim.
René Girard, a prominent Catholic philosopher, made significant contributions to our understanding of human desire and the scapegoating mechanism. His revolutionary ideas shed light on the unique nature of Christianity. Girard’s research, influenced by literary giants such as Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, and Proust, revealed that human desire is often triangular and mimetic. In other words, we tend to imitate the desires of others rather than desiring things for their intrinsic worth.
This mimetic desire leads to conflict, as multiple individuals or groups seek the same object or goal. To resolve this conflict, Girard discovered the scapegoating mechanism, a largely unconscious process where a third party is blamed for the struggles caused by mimetic desire. This scapegoating not only temporarily unifies the community against a common enemy but also provides a sense of peace and solidarity.
Girard pointed out that this mechanism is prevalent in various aspects of human interaction, from everyday conversations to historical events. Adolf Hitler’s exploitation of scapegoating during a time of German hardship exemplifies how it can be used on a grand and nefarious scale. By blaming the Jews for Germany’s struggles, Hitler created a sense of fellow feeling and unity among his fellow Germans.
Moreover, Girard noted that many cultural myths and religious traditions throughout history have sacralized the scapegoating mechanism. These myths often portray violence as sacred and endorsed by the gods. Girard’s reading of the Bible, however, revealed something different and remarkable. The Bible, especially in the Christian tradition, unmasks the identification between the gods and the scapegoating mechanism. In Christianity, God is not aligned with the scapegoaters but identifies with the scapegoated victim.
This revelation is most powerfully demonstrated in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Rather than sanctioning violence, God’s identification with the crucified Jesus unveils the dynamics of sacred violence. In the passion narratives, figures like Caiaphas, a religious leader, exemplify the scapegoating mechanism by justifying the death of one person for the benefit of the whole nation. However, their actions are revealed to be at odds with the true God. This unmasking becomes a revelation, an apocalypse that exposes the truth.
What sets Christianity apart, according to Girard, is that it deconstructs the monomyth, the universal pattern found in many myths and religions. It is not merely another iteration of the same myth, but a unique unveiling of the dynamics that other myths attempt to conceal. Girard emphasizes the indispensability and uniqueness of Christianity in a time when skepticism about its distinctiveness was prevalent.
While some in academia have attempted to reduce Christianity to just another myth, Girard’s work reclaims its status as a revelation. His insights restore the understanding of Christianity as a faith that unmasks the scapegoating mechanism and reveals God’s identification with the marginalized and oppressed. For his profound contributions to understanding desire, violence, and Christianity’s revelatory nature, Girard may be seen as a significant figure, akin to a church father, in the centuries to come.
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