Modern discourse on sacrifice and its theological background
The chapter shows how contemporary secular debates about sacrifice still draw on Christian theological ideas. It identifies two main strands in contemporary perceptions of sacrifice: on the one hand, sacrifice is understood in terms of victimization (Girard), on the other, modern individualism is se...
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| Format: | Book section |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press
2014
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| Summary: | The chapter shows how contemporary secular debates about sacrifice still draw on Christian theological ideas. It identifies two main strands in contemporary perceptions of sacrifice: on the one hand, sacrifice is understood in terms of victimization (Girard), on the other, modern individualism is seen as standing in the way of sacrificial actions for the good of the community (Durkheim). Both ideas can be explained on the basis of characteristic transformations the notion of sacrifice underwent in the context of Christianity, which originates after the end of ritual sacrifice but which, with the notion of Christ's atoning death, nonetheless gives the most central place imaginable to the idea of sacrifice. Christ's death comes to signify both the symbol of the selfless gift of one's life for one's friends and the suffering of the innocent victim. Both ideas today survive in secularized form and continue to exert potent influence in our culture. |
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