Evolution and Conversion explores the main tenets of René Girard`s thought in a series of dialogues. Here, Girard reflects on the evolution of his thought and offers striking new insights on topics such as violence, religion, desire and literature. His long argument is a historical one in which the origin of culture and religion is reunited in the contemporary world by means of a reinterpretation of Christianity and an understanding of the intrinsically violent nature of human beings. He also offers provocative re-readings of Biblical and literary texts and responds to statements by Daniel Dennett and Richard Dawkins. Including an introduction by the authors, this is a revealing text by one of the most original thinkers of our time.
Table of contents
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction: `One long argument from the beginning to the end`
Pierpaolo Antonello and Joao Cezar Castro Rocha

1 The Life of the Mind
2 `A Theory by Which to Work`: The Mimetic Mechanism
3 The Symbolic Species
4 Dialogues and Criticism: From Frazer to Levi-Strauss
5 Method, Evidence and Truth
6 The Scandal of Christianity
7 Modernity, Postmodernity and Beyond

Chronology of Girard`s Life
List of Girard`s Publications
Index

René Girard was the Andrew B. Hammond Professor Emeritus of French Language, Literature, and Civilization at Stanford University, USA.