Discourses of Violence and the sacred (Girard)

[Francoise Rosset]

Quoting "Paul B. Gallagher" <paulbg at PBG-TRANSLATIONS.COM>:
> 
> Voluntary sacrifices for a cause can be a wonderful gift, but compulsory 
> sacrifices are criminal acts of theft or murder. Anyone with even a 
> cursory knowledge of Russian history should understand that. And anyone 
> familiar with the recent history of the Roman Catholic Church will know 
> that there is nothing sacred in the violence perpetrated against these 
> innocent children.
> 

But the Roman Catholic Church provides us with a fine 
example nevertheless of the articulation between the 
violent and the sacred, in fact confirms Girard's ideas.

The core belief of all Christianity is the great 
redemptive myth of the god-human sacrificed to expiate
the sins of the entire community, and not wholly self-
sacrificed, by the way; treachery and violence are an 
integral part of that myth. This ritual is deliberately 
re-enacted at every single catholic mass that includes 
communion, with an explicit rhetoric of death (blood 
and body for starters), and it results in the eating 
of the sacrifice (eating the gods...) to foster unity 
or "communion." 

That myth of redemptive violence certainly does not 
explain the violence of the crusades or the Inquisition 
or child molesting. But neither does the behavior of the 
priests, the inquisitors and the crusaders change the 
myth and discourse that underpins Christianity.

There are other examples -- the entire pageant of 
bloodletting among the Aztecs was designed to feed the 
sun and ensure the continuation of the earth and hence 
the human race. (Sure, politics and land-grabbing played 
a role as well). It offended our delicate western moral 
sense, plus we have all since learned it isn't necessary 
to tear out beating hearts for the sun to return. 

Nijinski-Stravinski-Roerich-Diaghilev's "Rite of Spring" 
is informed by the suggestion that Pagan Russia performed 
ritual sacrifices during which one person was designated 
for death to guarantee the rebirth and return of the sun 
in spring and the subsequent fertility of the earth. 
A classic rendition of a violent sacrifice to purify and 
redeem the community. Without it, you CANNOT understand that 
ballet, it'll just be weirdly exotic and badly staged.

I don't think Rene Girard's work is misguided. In fact it
helps shed light on techniques of modern violence where
such myths are appropriated. If Hitler or another dictator 
perverted ancient mythic ideas of ritual purification, 
that can provide one key to Hitler's and Xs horrific 
effectiveness. There is evidence, -- which both Rima
Salys and Daniel Rancour-Laferierre have mentioned -- that 
Soviet violence references such ritualized sacred practices.

-FR
 

 
-- 
Francoise Rosset
Russian and Russian Studies
Acting Coordinator, Women's Studies
Wheaton College
Norton, MA 02766

Office: (508) 286-3696
FAX:    (508) 286-3640
e-mail: FRosset at wheatonma.edu

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