MIMETIC THEORY (RENÉ GIRARD) – FIVE-PART VIDEO SERIES (11 VIDEOS)

The following five-part video series provides a preliminary understanding of human culture from the perspective of mimetic theory, which was first developed by René Girard (1923-2015).

I made the first parts to give an overview of some basic cultural facts. The later parts of the video series deal with mimetic theory’s explanation of those facts, ending with the role of the Judeo-Christian heritage in making that type of explanation possible. The last part of the series (PART V) clarifies how the Judeo-Christian traditions result in either a radical atheism or a radically new understanding of God.

CLICK HERE TO READ SOME INTRODUCTORY REMARKS FOR EACH VIDEO AND TO SEE AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR CONTENT (PDF)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MUSIC USED IN THE SERIES (PDF)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IMAGES AND PAINTINGS USED IN THE SERIES (PDF)

PART I – THE SPELL OF THE SACRED

Dutch version:

PART II – THE DANCE OF THE SACRED (3 VIDEOS)

CHAPTER I-II-III

Dutch version:

CHAPTER IV

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CHAPTER V

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PART III – THE MYTHICAL REFLECTION OF THE AMBIGUOUS SACRED (3 VIDEOS)

CHAPTER I-II

Dutch version:

CHAPTER III-IV

Dutch version:

CHAPTER V-VI

Dutch version:

PART IV – THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF CULTURAL FACTS EXPLAINED (2 VIDEOS)

CHAPTER I-II

Dutch version:

CHAPTER III-IV

Dutch version:

PART V – THE GOSPEL REVELATION OF THE MYTHICAL LIE (2 VIDEOS)

CHAPTER I

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CHAPTER II

Dutch version:

NEDERLANDSTALIGE VERWERKINGSTAKEN BIJ DE VIDEOSERIE (PDF)

SCHEMA SACRALISERINGSPROCES + VOORBEELDEN (PDF)

WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK NAAR RELIGIEUZE SYSTEMEN (PDF)

JEZUS IS GEEN KLASSIEK MYTHOLOGISCHE HELD, DAAROM ‘CHRISTUS’ (PDF)

Tertio, 6 april 2022 – Een subversieve koning van vrijheid en liefde (pdf)

I compiled the following, older documentary film On the Origin of Cultures, in three parts, introducing some major topics of mimetic theory and René Girard’s thinking. Transcription of the videos (in English & Dutch) is available below, beneath PART III.

PART I of the film explores the fundamental role of mimesis (imitation) in human development on several levels (biological, psychological, sociological, cultural). René Girard’s originality lies in his  introduction of a connection between this old philosophical concept and human desire. He speaks of a certain mimetic desire and ascribes to it a vital role in our social interaction. It explains our often competitive and envious tendencies. More specifically, Girard considers mimetic desire as the source for a type of conflict that is foundational to the way human culture originates and develops. In his view the primal cultural institutions are religious. Following a sociologist like Émile Durkheim, Girard first considers religion as a means to organize our social fabric, and to manage violence within communities.

The more specific question the first part of this documentary tries to answer is the following: where do sacrifices, as rituals belonging to the first signs of human culture, originally come from? How can they be explained? Click to watch:

PART II starts off with a summary and then further insists on the fundamental role of the so-called scapegoat mechanism at the origin of religious and cultural phenomena.

PART III explores the world of mythology and human storytelling in the light of Girard’s theory on certain types of culture founding conflicts and scapegoat mechanisms. Girard comes to surprising conclusions regarding storytelling in Judeo-Christian Scripture. 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION (PDF)

KLIK HIER VOOR EEN VERTALING (PDF)

KLIK HIER VOOR EEN OVERZICHT (PDF)

CURSUSMATERIAAL AFGELEID VAN VROUWEN, JEZUS EN ROCK-‘N-ROLL

COURSE MATERIAL BASED ON VROUWEN, JEZUS EN ROCK ‘N’ ROLL