Ep 34: Mimetic Theory, with David Gornoski

Sociology, psychology and anthropology can bring us many important insights into our theology, and 20th century scholar René Girard is a testament to that fact. Diving deep into the root causes of sin and social conflict, Girard helps us to see that much of human strife occurs because of our misshapen ‘mimetic’ desires to imitate our neighbors (including by destroying them to take what is theirs) and/or project condemnation for our own sins onto others (scapegoating).

We are joined on this episode by Girard expert David Gornoski, a friend and contributor to LCI. David explains the foundations and applications of Girard’s insights and their relevance for both Christian theology and libertarian political philosophy. If you like this episode, terrific! If you don’t like this episode, consider that perhaps you’re scapegoating us and should reconsider.

• David’s LCI Posts
• David’s FEE Articles
• I See Satan Fall Like Lightning by Rene Girard
• A Neighbor’s Choice