The Australian Girard Seminar

In September-October 2023, there will be a series of events with Rev. Dr. James Alison, who is a leading Girardian scholar and a pioneering theologian (https://jamesalison.com).

There are 2 Girard-focused events with James Alison hosted by the Australian Girard Seminar: 

• Saturday 23^rd September: day-long workshop in Melbourne (e.g., 9am-3pm) on “Living relationally with a sideways God: A mimetic anthropology of the Holy Spirit”; and,
• Thursday 5^th October, 7-9pm: public forum at Pitt St Uniting Church, Sydney on “crisis and polarisation.” Registrations essential.

There is also a free public lecture by James Alison in Brisbane hosted by the Australian Catholic University entitled: “Sideways God: Beyond violence to life in the Spirit” on Wednesday October 11th, 7-8:30pm. The venue is: Gaudete Centre, Banyo campus, Brisbane, ACU. This lecture will explore how moving beyond a reductionistic or violent account of the atonement opens us up to a more detailed account of life in the Spirit. The lecture will draw on the rich anthropological insights of René Girard to sketch out an understanding of the dynamics of the Holy Spirit in the life of the human person.

The workshop in Melbourne will focus on the practical implications of living out the insights of Rene Girard’s mimetic theory. James Alison will particularly explore the role of the Holy Spirit in the formation of virtue, humility, and conscience. The workshop is open to those of all levels – from mimetic theory beginners to those more familiar with Girard’s work. The workshop will begin with an introduction to Girard’s mimetic theory followed by a Q&A with James Alison.

The forum in Sydney will comprise a panel on the theme of “Crisis and polarisation: Through the thought of René Girard” on Thursday 5 October, 7pm, at Pitt St Uniting Church, 264 Pitt Street, Sydney. Panel discussion, followed by Q&A and reception. Enquiries: Sheelah Treflé Hidden treflehidden@icloud.com.

Tickets: $45, concession $30. Bookings Essential.

Panellists:

Dr. James Alison

Dr Chris Fleming, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Western Sydney University (Moderator)

Dr Elizabeth Farrelly, architecture critic, essayist, columnist and speaker

Peter Hidden, AM, KC,  Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales

Dr Samir Mahmoud, Islamic Scholar, Cambridge Muslim College UK

The forum theme: There is a general feeling that modernity is in crisis and that we move from one crisis to the next. It seems that we are constantly treating the symptoms – such as inflation, political polarisation, climate change, war, autocracy, social cohesion, mental health, social isolation, family breakdown and religious disaffiliation – but not getting to the core of our problems. It also seems, that as a result, that social cohesion is fraying and violence is becoming more public and extreme. This series seeks to address the roots of modern crisis (which is manifest in the crises described above). In dialogue with Girard’s analysis and fundamental concepts, it will identify the drivers of modernity’s crisis and propose ways to address it.