The Fredösphere

As a counterweight to Joseph Campbell's railing against religious literalists, I give you Rene Girard, as interviewed by Peter Robinson at Uncommon Knowledge.

Regretfully, the interview is not long enough (in spite of its having five segments) to allow M. Girard to get past mere assertions, so what he says will likely change no minds. Nevertheless, the interview serves as a pointer to his books, which I hope will be argument-rich. Beyond that, it serves as an interesting artifact: here's proof of the existence in the wild of an intellectual—a French intellectual, with a real, live heavy French accent— who is neither a Communist nor a nihilist (or both). By all indications, he's to the right even of Bernard-Henri Lévy!

Girard doesn't buy the Campbellian myth that the founding stories of Christianity are mere myth (although they are that, in the anthropological sense). Girard asserts that Christianity has additional components that makes it unique among religions. And if unique, than worthy of further understanding of the what, how and why of its uniqueness. (Hint: maybe unique, because uniquely true.)

Again, I must stress Girard never gets past his assertions, so those inclined to be annoyed by such should prepare themselves before following the link. (Perhaps the only truly safe route would be to shield one's eyes with a Joseph Campbell mask.) Nevertheless, it's worth it for the thrill of hearing some old French guy's quavery voice speak the unspeakable.

By the way, I've been a regular viewer of Uncommon Knowledge for a while now. Peter Robinson is such a gentle soul, it's hard to believe he's not a sap. Yet he regularly brings in heavyweight guests. I can especially recommend interviews with Shelby Steele and Richard Epstein who give provocative and persuasive analyses of President Obama's temperment.

Labels: Culture, Mythos, Religion