Author Palaver, a board member of a nonprofit organization dedicated to Girard's mimetic theory, is uniquely placed to examine the main components of Girard's mimetic cycle: mimetic rivalry, Girard's articulation of mimetic desire, the collective violence of the scapegoat mechanisms, the origin of culture, and the religious veiling of the scapegoat mechanism. Mimetic theory is demonstrated to be a theory of religion that explicates the origins of archaic myth and discovers in Christianity a form of religion that differs fundamentally from paganism. The book begins with an overview of the life and work of Girard and also discusses criticisms against Girard's mimetic theory. There is a b&w photo portrait on the cover. Palaver is chair of the Institute for Systematic Theology at the University of Innsbruck. The book was first published in German in 2003. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)