Must There be Scapegoats?

Must There be Scapegoats? PDF Author: Raymund Schwager
Publisher: Gracewing Publishing
ISBN: 9780852445099
Category : Atonement
Languages : en
Pages : 266

Book Description
"Schwager reverses three millennia of conventional understanding of the Bible as he argues that the God of the Old Testament is not a God of violence; that Jesus sacrifice is not an act of appeasement of the Father; and that the suffering and death of an infinite victim is not compensation for an infinite offence against God."-- Back cover.

Scapegoats of September 11th

Scapegoats of September 11th PDF Author: Michael Welch
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
ISBN: 0813541395
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 235

Book Description
From its largest cities to deep within its heartland, from its heavily trafficked airways to its meandering country byways, America has become a nation racked by anxiety about terrorism and national security. In response to the fears prompted by the tragedy of September 11th, the country has changed in countless ways. Airline security has tightened, mail service is closely examined, and restrictions on civil liberties are more readily imposed by the government and accepted by a wary public. The altered American landscape, however, includes more than security measures and ID cards. The country's desperate quest for security is visible in many less obvious, yet more insidious ways. In Scapegoats of September 11th, criminologist Michael Welch argues that the "war on terror" is a political charade that delivers illusory comfort, stokes fear, and produces scapegoats used as emotional relief. Regrettably, much of the outrage that resulted from 9/11 has been targeted at those not involved in the attacks on the Pentagon or the Twin Towers. As this book explains, those people have become the scapegoats of September 11th. Welch takes on the uneasy task of sorting out the various manifestations of displaced aggression, most notably the hate crimes and state crimes that have become embarrassing hallmarks both at home and abroad. Drawing on topics such as ethnic profiling, the Abu Ghraib scandal, Guantanamo Bay, and the controversial Patriot Act, Welch looks at the significance of knowledge, language, and emotion in a post-9/11 world. In the face of popular and political cheerleading in the war on terror, this book presents a careful and sober assessment, reminding us that sound counterterrorism policies must rise above, rather than participate in, the propagation of bigotry and victimization.

Scapegoat

Scapegoat PDF Author: Charlie Campbell
Publisher: ABRAMS
ISBN: 1468300156
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 109

Book Description
A “brief and vital account” of humanity’s long history of playing the blame game, from Adam and Eve to modern politics—“a relevant and timely subject” (The Daily Telegraph). We may have come a long way from the days when a goat was symbolically saddled with all the iniquities of the children of Israel and driven into the wilderness, but has our desperate need to absolve ourselves by pinning the blame on someone else really changed all that much? Charlie Campbell highlights the plight of all those others who have found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, illustrating how God needs the Devil as Sherlock Holmes needs Professor Moriarty or James Bond needs “Goldfinger.” Scapegoat is a tale of human foolishness that exposes the anger and irrationality of blame-mongering while reminding readers of their own capacity for it. From medieval witch burning to reality TV, this is a brilliantly relevant and timely social history that looks at the obsession, mania, persecution, and injustice of scapegoating. “A wry, entertaining study of the history of blame . . . Trenchantly sardonic.” —Kirkus Reviews

Scapegoats at Work

Scapegoats at Work PDF Author: John M. Dyckman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313072086
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 196

Book Description
Scapegoating is the identification—then blaming and punishing—of individuals for problems that rightly belong to the larger organization. Dyckman and Cutler offer a survival guide for people affected by workplace scapegoating. They show us the social and psychological roots of scapegoating and explain how the individual and system act together to enable this human drama. This book shows how both individuals and the workplace system contribute to scapegoating. This book follows the career of the scapegoat and presents ways that the pattern can be interrupted. Strategies to help remove the bull's-eye include understanding how to recognize scapegoating and break behavioral patterns that make one an attractive target. Also provided is information for workers and managers who wish to develop cooperative means of dealing with individual differences, creating a work environment that is more humane and efficient. People who feel victimized by work-related scapegoating will find this book of great interest, as will professionals working in human resources or employee assistance programs. It will help managers who have problem employees and want to improve workflow, reduce turnover, and reduce workers' comp claims. This clear and concise compendium of examples, tips, and strategies will also appeal to mediators, shop stewards, union officials, psychotherapists, and occupational medicine specialists.

René Girard, Unlikely Apologist

René Girard, Unlikely Apologist PDF Author: Grant Kaplan
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Pess
ISBN: 0268100888
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 222

Book Description
Since the late 1970s, theologians have been attempting to integrate mimetic theory into different fields of theology, yet a distrust of mimetic theory persists in some theological camps. In René Girard, Unlikely Apologist: Mimetic Theory and Fundamental Theology, Grant Kaplan brings mimetic theory into conversation with theology both to elucidate the relevance of mimetic theory for the discipline of fundamental theology and to understand the work of René Girard within a theological framework. Rather than focus on Christology or atonement theory as the locus of interaction between Girard and theology, Kaplan centers his discussion on the apologetic quality of mimetic theory and the impact of mimetic theory on fundamental theology, the subdiscipline that grew to replace apologetics. His book explores the relation between Girard and fundamental theology in several keys. In one, it understands mimetic theory as a heuristic device that allows theological narratives and positions to become more intelligible and, by so doing, makes theology more persuasive. In another key, Kaplan shows how mimetic theory, when placed in dialogue with particular theologians, can advance theological discussion in areas where mimetic theory has seldom been invoked. On this level the book performs a dialogue with theology that both revisits earlier theological efforts and also demonstrates how mimetic theory brings valuable dimensions to questions of fundamental theology.

Scapegoats

Scapegoats PDF Author: Edward Latimer Beach
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Book Description
But he does present ample proof that by early morning in Washington on December 7, authorities in the Army, Navy, and State Departments, as well as the White House, knew positively through special intelligence, that Japan "was up to some devilment" on that very day. Moreover, Beach says, they had seen it coming all week and were derelict in their duty to inform field commanders that things were rapidly coming to a head.

Where God and I Meet

Where God and I Meet PDF Author: Martin Pröbstle
Publisher: Review and Herald Pub Assoc
ISBN: 0812756444
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 200

Book Description
A scarlet thread runs throughout the Bible. It is the concept of redemptive blood. Jesus’ beautiful and terrible death on the cross is central to the story of that scarlet thread, but there is more to the story. To understand the scarlet thread fully, we must look at the sanctuary: the holy ground that offers a glimpse of God’s character and His plan of redemption. Mysterious and often misunderstood, the sanctuary is at the very heart of biblical theology. Where God and I Meet will help you achieve greater understanding of the heavenly sanctuary, the Israelite sanctuary, the pre-Advent judgment, and Christ’s sacrifice and high-priestly ministry. You’ll come to grasp how the sanctuary interconnects with salvation, prophecy, and mission. But most important, you will see how the precious scarlet thread weaves a message of hope and redemption throughout every page of the Bible.

Divine Scapegoats

Divine Scapegoats PDF Author: Andrei A. Orlov
Publisher: SUNY Press
ISBN: 1438455836
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Book Description
Explores the paradoxical symmetry between the divine and demonic in early Jewish mystical texts. Divine Scapegoats is a wide-ranging exploration of the parallels between the heavenly and the demonic in early Jewish apocalyptical accounts. In these materials, antagonists often mirror features of angelic figures, and even those of the Deity himself, an inverse correspondence that implies a belief that the demonic realm is maintained by imitating divine reality. Andrei A. Orlov examines the sacerdotal, messianic, and creational aspects of this mimetic imagery, focusing primarily on two texts from the Slavonic pseudepigrapha: 2 Enoch and the Apocalypse of Abraham. These two works are part of a very special cluster of Jewish apocalyptic texts that exhibit features not only of the apocalyptic worldview but also of the symbolic universe of early Jewish mysticism. The Yom Kippur ritual in the Apocalypse of Abraham, the divine light and darkness of 2 Enoch, and the similarity of mimetic motifs to later developments in the Zohar are of particular importance in Orlov’s consideration.

The Ghost of Perfection

The Ghost of Perfection PDF Author: Joseph Haward
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532614896
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 136

Book Description
Who am I? Who are we? Simple yet profound questions. What does it mean to be human? Why does society sometimes make us feel inadequate and diminished as humans? Where does the church and religion slot into this sense of dehumanization? What are we doing to ourselves and to others to impede our journey as humans living to the fullest? Why does it feel as if violence and fear is the dominant narrative in this modern world? Who is Jesus? Again, a simple yet profound question. A question that can open the door to knowing what it truly means to be human, living a life of love and not fear and violence. With the help of ancient and modern thinkers, pioneer, church planter, and chaplain Joe Haward explores these questions in this provocative book and seeks to help us reconnect with our beautiful humanity.

The Scandal of Evangelicals and Homosexuality

The Scandal of Evangelicals and Homosexuality PDF Author: Mark Vasey-Saunders
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317016688
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
English evangelicals give the appearance of being a community at war, with each other and with the world around them. The issue of homosexuality is one of the key battlegrounds. How has this issue become so significant to evangelicals? Why is it provoking such violent responses? How is it changing evangelicals, and what might this mean for the future? This book examines the history of evangelical responses to the issue of homosexuality, setting them in a wider historical and cultural context and drawing on the work of Rene Girard to argue that the issue of homosexuality has come to symbolise deeply-held convictions within evangelicalism. The conflict over the issue that is now becoming apparent within evangelicalism reveals deep divisions within the evangelical community that will have great significance for the future. The Scandal of Evangelicals and Homosexuality offers an alternative perspective, seeking not to present an answer to the ethical question, but rather to examine the way the debate has become scandalised and consider the cost. It offers a window into contemporary English evangelicalism and provides an important contribution to international and ecumenical debate.