Redemption
A Mimetic Soteriology
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A bold, trailblazing investigation into soteriology, approached by way of Girardian mimetic theory and Eastern Orthodox theological reflection
Redemption: A Mimetic Soteriology brings French literary critic René Girard’s mimetic theory of human behavior together with a breadth of Christian approaches to redemption through the Cross. Girard’s mimetic understanding of sacrifice is drawn upon to illuminate biblical narratives about redemption as well as the theologies of Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard, and Gregory of Nyssa. Nicholas Roumas shows by these readings that redemption can be understood as a reconfiguration of symbolic values with profound consequences for human relations and social organization. Redemption thus serves theologians as a basis for a new practical dogmatics.
This exploration is a breath of fresh air in Orthodox theology, utilizing patristic and scriptural sources outside the framework of the predominant “neo-Patristic synthesis” and introducing an entirely new modern paradigm onto the Orthodox scene. For theologians of other traditions, Redemption contributes to the library of Girardian theologies its first Eastern Orthodox installment. For Girardians, it provides critique and refinement of many of Girard’s most nuanced views and gives due attention to overlooked and controversial aspects of his thought. For the lay reader, the book provides an accessible entry into the spirituality of the Cross through a lens that is both modern and traditional.
Redemption provides a revitalizing infusion into contemporary Orthodox theological discourse. Its ideas will impact theology in the Orthodox Church and beyond for decades to come and are the basis for a paradigm shift in our understanding of redemption and its practical consequences. The lay reader and professional theologian alike will find novelty and utility in its ideas.
Roumas reframes the doctrine of redemption in this first major Girardian theological work with Eastern Orthodox roots. Redemption is seen as referencing while deconstructing humanity’s structural dependence on sacrifice, and is united with conversion. Thus Roumas overcomes von Balthasar’s tarring of Girard with a gnostic brush, showing (via an Eastern Orthodox account of saving knowledge) how restoring right understanding is integral to salvation. A significant contribution to theology in a Girardian key.---Scott Cowdell, Research Professor in Theology at Charles Sturt University, and author of René Girard and the Nonviolent God
Redemption breaks new ground in the theological understanding of salvation. It provides the first serious integration of René Girard’s mimetic theory with the rich traditions of Eastern Orthodox theology. At the same time, it brings fresh perspective to models of atonement, with its reading of Gregory of Nyssa and the inverted sacrifice of the cross.---S. Mark Heim, Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School
This book provides a mimetic soteriology by using René Girard’s theory of sacrifice for an Orthodox theology of redemption. In unfolding this its author does not follow Girard’s early anti-sacrificial attitude but goes even beyond Girard’s later understanding of Christian sacrifice by insisting on the necessity of a transformation of the sacrificial roots of human culture. This emphasis on the unavoidability of sacrifice results, however, not in a Christian reactionism but in a critique of growing tendencies toward fundamentalism and nationalism.---Wolfgang Palaver, Professor (retired) at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Innsbruck
This book makes exciting reading for all interested in soteriology, mimetic theory, and Orthodox theology. The author succeeds in applying R. Girard's developed theory of sacrifice throughout the Bible and discovers a structure of transforming archaic sacrifice by subverting it in places where so far no one has discovered it. It is fascinating to see an Orthodox theologian engage Girard's thought. I can't wait to see him engage other Christian theologians who have already applied this thought to soteriology.---Nikolaus Wandinger, University of Innsbruck, president of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion
Preface | ix
Abbreviations | xiii
Introduction: The Desire for God Is Turned Aside | 1
1 Transcendence and Conversion | 9
2 The Genesis of Structure and the End of the Age | 19
3 The Redemptive Division and Exchange | 44
4 The Dialectic of Redemption in Biblical History | 53
5 Classic Paradigms of Redemption | 79
6 The Sacrifice of Christ and the Imitation of God | 112
Epilogue | 125
Acknowledgments | 127
Notes | 129
Bibliography | 147
Index | 171