I believe that in intense conflict, far from becoming sharper, differences melt away.
Rene GirardRead
The protective system of scapegoats is finally destroyed by the Crucifixion narratives as they reveal Jesus' innocence and, little by little, that of all analogous victims.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote discusses how the Crucifixion challenges the concept of scapegoating by highlighting Jesus's innocence and, consequently, the innocence of others wrongfully accused.
Rene Girard's quote emphasizes the transformative impact of the Crucifixion narratives, portraying Jesus as an innocent victim and thereby dismantling the mechanism of scapegoating. This understanding encourages a broader recognition of the innocence of all victims who suffer wrongful blame, urging society to reconsider its tendency to assign guilt to scapegoats.
Themes
ScapegoatInnocenceVictimCrucifixionBlameNarratives
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on forgiveness and innocence, this quote can highlight the importance of understanding wrongful accusations.
More from Rene Girard
All quotes βWe don't even know what our desire is. We ask other people to tell us our desires. We would like our desires to come from our deepest selves, our personal depths - but if it did, it would not be desire. Desire is always for something we feel we lack.
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Instead of blaming victimization on the victims, the Gospels blame it on the victimizers. What the myths systematically hide, the Bible reveals.
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What I call a mimetic crisis is a situation of conflict so intense that on both sides people act the same way and talk the same way even though, or because, they are more and more hostile to each other.
Rene GirardRead
Salvation lies in imitating Christ, in other words, in imitating the 'withdrawal relationship' that links him with his Father... To listen to the Father's silence is to abandon oneself to his withdrawal, to conform to it.
Rene GirardRead
It doesn't take much insight to realize that wars have been getting worse every time - worse from the point of view of the civilian, more and more destructive, more and more total.
Rene GirardRead
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