René Girard, Unlikely Apologist: Mimetic Theory and Fundamental Theology by Grant Kaplan (review)

While René Girard (1923-2015) was known primarily as a literary critic and philosopher, he was not considered a theologian, even though his work is profoundly influenced by Christianity. However, in Unlikely Apologist, Grant Kaplan makes a convincing case for Girard being viewed as a Christian apologist, given Girard's pioneering writings on mimetic desire, violence, scapegoating, and his exegesis of the Gospels. Through Kaplan's straightforward prose, he compellingly demonstrates how Girard explains belief anthropologically rather than ideologically, and in doing so engages in an effective dialogue with believers and nonbelievers alike. Unlikely Apologist reveals how Girard views culture as a result of religion, instead of religion being a result of culture. For Girard, culture is explained by religion. As a result, Kaplan's work provides academics with a useful resource for understanding Christianity through a Girardian lens.

Appropriately, the author spends a considerable amount of time explaining Girardian mimetic theory, which contends that desire is not original but imitative, and therefore is triangular (subject-model-object), often leading to violent rivalry. Thus, Kaplan gives those who are unfamiliar with Girard's work a comprehensive overview of mimetic desire, which is the cornerstone of understanding Girardian philosophy. In addition, Kaplan ably explains scapegoating by using entertaining examples of recent events in American culture, effectively showing how we still turn our enmity outwards and find a scapegoat, notwithstanding our supposed sophisticated worldviews. The author persuasively explains the innovative insight of Girardian theory through practical examples, rather than abstract jargon. This strategy proves useful, as Kaplan's humorous personality shines through pleasantly in his work, resulting in something that is far from a prosaic theology book intended only for a coterie of Catholic theologians. After all, one of the roles of fundamental theology is to explain belief and engage nonbelievers. By using seemingly pedestrian things like the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry to illustrate the utility of Girardian theory, Kaplan makes the reader want to continue reading. Unlikely Apologist is useful because it shows how Girard's work is germane to the times in which we live.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Unlikely Apologist is the confrontation with modern atheism, championed by the late Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and others who regard religion as nothing more than a racket. Kaplan explains the Bible through a Girardian prism, emphasizing how the hermeneutical revelation of Christ being an innocent scapegoat makes Christianity not just another religion, but remarkably unique. Ever the professor of theology, Kaplan demonstrates through Girard how the Gospels reveal the scapegoat mechanism by virtue of Christ's innocence on the Cross. Unlike previous ones, this time the scapegoat is innocent. Thus, the author challenges the New Atheists by underscoring how Christianity is not similar to other religions, but is significantly dissimilar. Kaplan effectively demonstrates the danger of regarding all religions as the same. Indeed, according to Kaplan and others of his ilk, Girard's contention that Christ ends violence by not resisting it has been overlooked by the New Atheists. They miss Girard's point that Christ wants to end sacrifice by his death, rather than perpetuate it. Consequently, Kaplan's aplomb in directly taking on atheism is impressive, regardless of one's belief system. The author's spirited, pugilistic prose in Chapter 7, governed by Girardian philosophy and more importantly, his sincere Christianity, is most engaging, even to the skeptic. Kaplan's argument that society would be even more violent without Christianity is a compelling one, though it is sure to offend some.

Notwithstanding the superb explanation of Girardian theory, the book does have some flaws. When the author discusses how mimetic theory applies to fundamental ecclesiology in Chapter 5, the result is too much Catholic inside baseball and too little René Girard. While interesting, this section is arcane and somewhat inconsistent with the other clear chapters, where Girard's writings are specifically used to support the author's arguments. However, overall, Unlikely Apologist is clever, charming...