From Eden to the tomb: Hilary Johnson on the scapegoat mechanism

‘Let me put forward a slightly different understanding of Jesus…’

by Hilary Johnson 10th April 2026

Rene Girard (1923–2015) was a multidisciplinary French academic with an interest in theology. He has been praised for his contribution to our understanding of the root cause of violence in society, namely the scapegoat mechanism and the significance of the empty tomb in the Easter narrative. He began by examining ancient cultures through their mythologies, distinguishing between a common understanding of a ‘myth’ as ‘untrue’, and its root meaning ‘mute’– containing profound hidden truths. In Greco-Roman literature, he found examples of violence based on rivalry, in the foundation of civilisation.