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Editor's Preface
Violence
Renounced
Since the mid-1980s several among the
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary faculty had from
time to time discussed René Girard’s theses on
violence, rooted in mimetic desire. They sought to
ascertain the significance of Girard’s insights for
biblical studies and theological perceptions, especially
understandings of atonement.
This growing interest led to a special
conference on René Girard and Biblical Peace Theology,
held at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in June
1994. The conference was folded into a summer seminar
class on Biblical Theology of Violence and Peace, taught
by Willard Swartley. The forty-five participants
consisted of half seminary students and half university
and seminary scholars interested in Girard’s thought
and biblical studies. All participants shared a vision
for empowering the peacemaking mission of God’s
people.
The conference participants and
contributors to this volume represent Jewish, Roman
Catholic, Protestant, and Anabaptist-Mennonite
theological traditions. The main presentations at the
conference form the chapters of this book. Several
chapters were invited later or developed from the
respondents’ presentations at the conference. These
included those of Charles Mabee, Robin Collins, Jim
Fodor, and Rebecca Adams.
Marlin Miller, at the time president of
AMBS, wished to participate in the conference but was in
Japan, using René Girard’s and Raymund
Schwager’s works as the basis for lectures
critically rethinking basic Christian doctrines. The
first chapter of this volume was reconstructed by Willard
M. Swartley and Professor Miller’s daughter, Rachel
Miller Jacobs, from Professor Miller’s taped
lectures.
Special thanks go to the respondents to
the main presentations, since those responses have
influenced and strengthened the final form of these
essays. These respondents included Mary Schertz,
Associate Professor of New Testament (AMBS); Daniel
Schipani, Professor of Religious Education and
Personality (AMBS); Perry Yoder, Professor of Old
Testament (AMBS); Robin Collins, Professor of Philosophy
(Messiah College); Loren Johns, Professor of Religion and
Bible (Bluffton College); Verne Redekop, Director of
Canadian Institute of Conflict Resolution (St. Paul
University); James Brenneman, Old Testament scholar and
pastor (Pasadena Mennonite Church); Harold Dyck,
Professor of Old Testament, Tabor College (Kan.); Millard
Lind, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament (AMBS); Ben
Ollenburger, Professor of Old Testament (AMBS); Diana
Culbertson, Professor of English and Comparative
Literature and Director of Religious Studies (Kent State
University); Jim Fodor, post-doctoral fellow (Duke
University). Three of the participants found it necessary
to submit papers in absentia, read by other participants:
Gordon Matties (paper presented by James Brenneman);
response by Verne Redekop (presented by Willard
Swartley); and response by Diana Culbertson (presented by
Rebecca Adams).
René Girard himself had planned to
participate in the conference but was unable to do so
because of other obligations. However, he has now been
able to contribute to this book. We are most grateful to
have Girard’s response to this collection of essays
inspired by his work, and certainly his comments greatly
strengthen this volume.
The Institute of Mennonite Studies
sponsored the original conference. Thus, special thanks
go also to Professor Ross T. Bender, then Director of
IMS, and the efficient IMS administrative secretaries,
Ruth Liechty, and most recently, Barb Nelson Gingerich.
Thanks for preparing the index go to Sally Weaver Glick.
Finally, special thanks go to Michael
A. King, Pandora Press U.S. publisher, both for his
strong interest in publishing this book and for his
editorial expertise. We are grateful also for the
commitment of copublisher and codistributor Herald Press
to help market the book.
My hope and prayer, as editor of this
volume, is that these explorations will lead to a more
profound appreciation of Isaiah’s suffering servant
and the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well
as to empower us as peacemakers in this world.
Willard
M. Swartley
Elkhart, Indiana
Violence Renounced
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