René Girard and the Nonviolent God

"Great theological writing comes with age. Great books arise when the author has lived with, analyzed deeply, and sees a way forward that others cannot see. Scott Cowdell has written a great book; it is a powerful analysis of the mimetic theory of René Girard placing Girard's insights into conversation with the best of contemporary thought, and offering an apologia for Girard that could create new trajectories of theological thought. Cowdell at his best: a masterpiece of a book." —The Very Rev. Dr. Ian S. Markham, dean and president of Virginia Theological Seminary

"This book offers a fresh and adventurous theological take on the work of René Girard and the bourgeoning area of mimetic theory inspired by his work. For all the creative work that has been done on Girard's work in the area of theology, there is still a need to bring this work into a more systematic and constructive form. By working through the early, middle, and later eras of Girard's work, and by incorporating a broad range of secondary sources that have occasioned new questions and insights, this book provides a valuable resource to theologians who may or may not be deeply knowledgeable of Girard's work."—Brian Robinette, Boston College

“This is an excellent work. Though Cowdell has already written extensively on René Girard and mimetic theory, he breaks new ground here. He is developing his own distinctive take on mimetic theory—in this case an Anglican Catholic take that strikes me as not only valuable but attractive. The scholarship is masterful. Cowdell has already shown himself the master of digesting large quantities of theology and presenting them in a highly readable way. It is one of the joys of reading him." —Jeremiah Alberg, editor of Apocalypse Deferred: Girard and Japan

“Scott Cowdell submits again a very readable engagement with René Girard’s mimetic theory. This time he unfolds its significance for theology by taking up with critics such as Hans Urs von Balthasar, John Milbank, and Sarah Coakley and by developing his own dramatic theology alongside James Alison and Raymund Schwager. His five-act Girardian Theo-drama that encompasses the evolutionary nature and pan-historical scope of mimetic theory demonstrates convincingly how much Girard’s emphasis on God’s nonviolence can contribute to our theological debates of today.” —Wolfgang Palaver, University of Innsbruck

“A scholar of public and contextual theology, Cowdell is one of the most prominent interpreters of René Girard’s mimetic theory.” —Choice