In his extensive work on the theories of myth, Robert Segal makes a broad distinction between nin... more In his extensive work on the theories of myth, Robert Segal makes a broad distinction between nineteenth-century theories, which saw myths as primitive attempts to explain the physical world and hence as now superseded by modern science, and twentieth-century theories of myth, which saw myths as serving other purposes than explanation of the physical world and hence as not necessarily incompatible with modern science. Segal suggests that the challenge for twenty-first century theories of myth is to find ways of seeing myths as explanatory of the physical world in a way that is also compatible with modern science. The present chapter focuses on one such approach that Segal discusses: Carl Gustav Jung's psychological theory of myth when it is allied with his concept of synchronicity. After clarifying the criteria that need to be satisfied for, in Segal's phrase, 'bringing myth back to the world', the chapter 2 critically examines Segal's own assessment of the Jungian approach in light of this challenge.
After attending the memorial service for Mircea Eliade, held at the Rockefeller Chapel in the spr... more After attending the memorial service for Mircea Eliade, held at the Rockefeller Chapel in the spring of 1986, (I'm ashamed to say) I had a feeling of tremendous liberation, not because I took any morbid delight in the death of one of the most important figures in 20th century religious ...
Contemporary phenomenology of religion is afflicted by three vicissitudes: (a) neglect or critici... more Contemporary phenomenology of religion is afflicted by three vicissitudes: (a) neglect or criticism due to the hegemony of postmodern theories and methods in the study of religions, (b) a multiplicity of phenomenological methods in the study of religions, and (c) the perceived disconnection between philosophical and religious studies approaches to phenomenology. In this article, I intend to show that none of these afflictions are either necessary or fatal to phenomenology of religion. This is accomplished in three steps. After surveying the salient features of philosophical and religious studies approaches to the phenomenology of religion, I propose a general definition of ‘phenomenology of religion’ which demonstrates a unity in the midst of a diversity of approaches. I then argue that phenomenology, thus conceived, can answer the postmodern critiques and can once again become a viable approach to description of religions as well as a first methodological step toward theories of religion.
It is common practice while reading a novel to subject the characters, plot and even the secondar... more It is common practice while reading a novel to subject the characters, plot and even the secondary world represented there to the judgment “Are they believable?” The reason we do subject novels to such evaluations is that it is a traditional expectation and delight of the reader to be drawn into created secondary worlds and to feel that the story has been, in some sense, experienced as “lived time.”
This chapter proposes a Husserlian phenomenological approach to the uncanny, to make some first s... more This chapter proposes a Husserlian phenomenological approach to the uncanny, to make some first steps toward a taxonomy of uncanny objects. Making use of the insights of Husserl, Steinbock and Tymieniecka, it proceeds according to the principle that description ought to precede theory. Thus, against a premature theoretical explanation of uncanniness, it concentrates on some objective characteristics of objects that contribute to the experience of the uncanny, arguing that the notions of home-world, alien-world, internal and external noematic horizons of objects are useful in explicating what makes an uncanny object "uncanny". Broader in scope than some other treatments, this chapter includes discussion not only of phenomena that may be classified as negatively uncanny but also phenomena that are positively and neutrally uncanny. The result is a nine-part taxonomy which is applied in the interpretation of representative (but variegated) examples of complex uncanny objects.
In this paper I argue that, though many ethical systems recognize sacrifice as moral action, the ... more In this paper I argue that, though many ethical systems recognize sacrifice as moral action, the utilitarian appropriation of Neo-Darwinian theory especially as it justifies eugenics as a “winnowing of the human stock” is in Girardian terms analogous to the sacrificial scapegoating of innocents. This argument is accomplished in four steps. (1) I show that within some ethical systems sacrifice is recognized as moral behavior driven by a specific axiology (or theory of value) (2) I discuss some of the meta-ethical problems connected with Neo-Darwinian naturalism and naturalism, in general. (3) I show how modern varieties of naturalism and Darwinian naturalism, in particular are especially inclined to lead to a moral justification of eugenic scapegoating and how Girardian theory is helpful in identifying the moral disorder connected with eugenics. (4) Finally, I conclude by arguing that Darwin’s thought is susceptible to another kind of interpretation, one that need not lead to the val...
Contemporary phenomenology of religion is afflicted by three vicissitudes: (a) neglect or critici... more Contemporary phenomenology of religion is afflicted by three vicissitudes: (a) neglect or criticism due to the hegemony of postmodern theories and methods in the study of religions, (b) a multiplicity of phenomenological methods in the study of religions, and (c) the perceived disconnection between philosophical and religious studies approaches to phenomenology. In this article, I intend to show that none of these afflictions are either necessary or fatal to phenomenology of religion. This is accomplished in three steps. After surveying the salient features of philosophical and religious studies approaches to the phenomenology of religion, I propose a general definition of ‘phenomenology of religion’ which demonstrates a unity in the midst of a diversity of approaches. I then argue that phenomenology, thus conceived, can answer the postmodern critiques and can once again become a viable approach to description of religions as well as a first methodological step toward theories of re...
In Explaining, Interpreting, and Theorizing Religion and Myth: Contributions in Honor of Robert A... more In Explaining, Interpreting, and Theorizing Religion and Myth: Contributions in Honor of Robert A. Segal, nineteen renowned scholars o fer a collection of essays addressing the persisting question of how to approach religion and myth as academic categories. Taking their cue from the work of Robert A. Segal, they discuss how to theorize about religion and myth from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. With cases from ancient Greece and Mesopotamia to East Asia and the modern world by and large, and engaging with diverse disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, anthropology, history, lm, theology, and religious studies among others, the volume establishes a synthesis that demonstrates the pervasiveness as well as the pitfalls of the categories "religion" and "myth" in the world. Readership All interested in method and theory in and academic approaches to the study of religion and myth, as well as religion, history, and the social sciences from antiquity to the present.
Girard is well known for making the claim that three-quarters of what he has said can be found in... more Girard is well known for making the claim that three-quarters of what he has said can be found in Augustine, a claim intended as a hyperbolic expression of his humility, though it has been taken too literally by some Girardians and some critics of Girardianism. Girard intended that his quip should underplay the novelty of his own undertaking and establish his continuity with Christian tradition, not establish a precise ratio or even a rule of thumb. Even so, such a claim warrants historians of ideas to explain similarities between the two thinkers as well as Augustine’s influence on Girard. Especially important is the identification of the mediators of these similarities.
This paper proposes a revision of Girard’s interpretation of Satan, along traditional theological... more This paper proposes a revision of Girard’s interpretation of Satan, along traditional theological lines. Appreciating the essential correctness of the Girardian characterization of mimēsis, it is an argument, contra Girard, that (1) Satan cannot be reduced to a mimetic process but is a hypostatic spiritual reality and, following from this, that (2) the origins of mimetic rivalry go back before the emergence of humankind and provide a model for human rivalry. Employing concepts drawn from Husserlian phenomenological psychology, Thomist theology, and psychoanalysis, it hypothesizes Satan’s psychological state, prior to his fall, as metastable anxiety and trauma and his state, afterwards, as a narcissistic, malicious, self-induced pathology in order to explain Satan’s impossible rivalry with God, a rivalry that precedes hominization and has always endangered human existence.
A work that at once celebrates and extends the enduring contributions of the late Edmund Perry to... more A work that at once celebrates and extends the enduring contributions of the late Edmund Perry to the study of religions, The Comity and Grace of Method brings together three generations of distinguished scholars to consider the history, theory, and applications of the comparative method in religious study. Both the title and the content of this volume reflect Perry's conviction that the comparative religionist is morally bound to contribute to a comity of religions-the voluntary and courteous recognition of the dignity and truth present in all religions. Following the general framework advocated by Perry for this pursuit, this collection reveals the strengths of such a framework--and of Perry's lifelong interest in theory and method-for religious understanding.
In his extensive work on the theories of myth, Robert Segal makes a broad distinction between nin... more In his extensive work on the theories of myth, Robert Segal makes a broad distinction between nineteenth-century theories, which saw myths as primitive attempts to explain the physical world and hence as now superseded by modern science, and twentieth-century theories of myth, which saw myths as serving other purposes than explanation of the physical world and hence as not necessarily incompatible with modern science. Segal suggests that the challenge for twenty-first century theories of myth is to find ways of seeing myths as explanatory of the physical world in a way that is also compatible with modern science. The present chapter focuses on one such approach that Segal discusses: Carl Gustav Jung's psychological theory of myth when it is allied with his concept of synchronicity. After clarifying the criteria that need to be satisfied for, in Segal's phrase, 'bringing myth back to the world', the chapter 2 critically examines Segal's own assessment of the Jungian approach in light of this challenge.
After attending the memorial service for Mircea Eliade, held at the Rockefeller Chapel in the spr... more After attending the memorial service for Mircea Eliade, held at the Rockefeller Chapel in the spring of 1986, (I'm ashamed to say) I had a feeling of tremendous liberation, not because I took any morbid delight in the death of one of the most important figures in 20th century religious ...
Contemporary phenomenology of religion is afflicted by three vicissitudes: (a) neglect or critici... more Contemporary phenomenology of religion is afflicted by three vicissitudes: (a) neglect or criticism due to the hegemony of postmodern theories and methods in the study of religions, (b) a multiplicity of phenomenological methods in the study of religions, and (c) the perceived disconnection between philosophical and religious studies approaches to phenomenology. In this article, I intend to show that none of these afflictions are either necessary or fatal to phenomenology of religion. This is accomplished in three steps. After surveying the salient features of philosophical and religious studies approaches to the phenomenology of religion, I propose a general definition of ‘phenomenology of religion’ which demonstrates a unity in the midst of a diversity of approaches. I then argue that phenomenology, thus conceived, can answer the postmodern critiques and can once again become a viable approach to description of religions as well as a first methodological step toward theories of religion.
It is common practice while reading a novel to subject the characters, plot and even the secondar... more It is common practice while reading a novel to subject the characters, plot and even the secondary world represented there to the judgment “Are they believable?” The reason we do subject novels to such evaluations is that it is a traditional expectation and delight of the reader to be drawn into created secondary worlds and to feel that the story has been, in some sense, experienced as “lived time.”
This chapter proposes a Husserlian phenomenological approach to the uncanny, to make some first s... more This chapter proposes a Husserlian phenomenological approach to the uncanny, to make some first steps toward a taxonomy of uncanny objects. Making use of the insights of Husserl, Steinbock and Tymieniecka, it proceeds according to the principle that description ought to precede theory. Thus, against a premature theoretical explanation of uncanniness, it concentrates on some objective characteristics of objects that contribute to the experience of the uncanny, arguing that the notions of home-world, alien-world, internal and external noematic horizons of objects are useful in explicating what makes an uncanny object "uncanny". Broader in scope than some other treatments, this chapter includes discussion not only of phenomena that may be classified as negatively uncanny but also phenomena that are positively and neutrally uncanny. The result is a nine-part taxonomy which is applied in the interpretation of representative (but variegated) examples of complex uncanny objects.
In this paper I argue that, though many ethical systems recognize sacrifice as moral action, the ... more In this paper I argue that, though many ethical systems recognize sacrifice as moral action, the utilitarian appropriation of Neo-Darwinian theory especially as it justifies eugenics as a “winnowing of the human stock” is in Girardian terms analogous to the sacrificial scapegoating of innocents. This argument is accomplished in four steps. (1) I show that within some ethical systems sacrifice is recognized as moral behavior driven by a specific axiology (or theory of value) (2) I discuss some of the meta-ethical problems connected with Neo-Darwinian naturalism and naturalism, in general. (3) I show how modern varieties of naturalism and Darwinian naturalism, in particular are especially inclined to lead to a moral justification of eugenic scapegoating and how Girardian theory is helpful in identifying the moral disorder connected with eugenics. (4) Finally, I conclude by arguing that Darwin’s thought is susceptible to another kind of interpretation, one that need not lead to the val...
Contemporary phenomenology of religion is afflicted by three vicissitudes: (a) neglect or critici... more Contemporary phenomenology of religion is afflicted by three vicissitudes: (a) neglect or criticism due to the hegemony of postmodern theories and methods in the study of religions, (b) a multiplicity of phenomenological methods in the study of religions, and (c) the perceived disconnection between philosophical and religious studies approaches to phenomenology. In this article, I intend to show that none of these afflictions are either necessary or fatal to phenomenology of religion. This is accomplished in three steps. After surveying the salient features of philosophical and religious studies approaches to the phenomenology of religion, I propose a general definition of ‘phenomenology of religion’ which demonstrates a unity in the midst of a diversity of approaches. I then argue that phenomenology, thus conceived, can answer the postmodern critiques and can once again become a viable approach to description of religions as well as a first methodological step toward theories of re...
In Explaining, Interpreting, and Theorizing Religion and Myth: Contributions in Honor of Robert A... more In Explaining, Interpreting, and Theorizing Religion and Myth: Contributions in Honor of Robert A. Segal, nineteen renowned scholars o fer a collection of essays addressing the persisting question of how to approach religion and myth as academic categories. Taking their cue from the work of Robert A. Segal, they discuss how to theorize about religion and myth from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. With cases from ancient Greece and Mesopotamia to East Asia and the modern world by and large, and engaging with diverse disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, anthropology, history, lm, theology, and religious studies among others, the volume establishes a synthesis that demonstrates the pervasiveness as well as the pitfalls of the categories "religion" and "myth" in the world. Readership All interested in method and theory in and academic approaches to the study of religion and myth, as well as religion, history, and the social sciences from antiquity to the present.
Girard is well known for making the claim that three-quarters of what he has said can be found in... more Girard is well known for making the claim that three-quarters of what he has said can be found in Augustine, a claim intended as a hyperbolic expression of his humility, though it has been taken too literally by some Girardians and some critics of Girardianism. Girard intended that his quip should underplay the novelty of his own undertaking and establish his continuity with Christian tradition, not establish a precise ratio or even a rule of thumb. Even so, such a claim warrants historians of ideas to explain similarities between the two thinkers as well as Augustine’s influence on Girard. Especially important is the identification of the mediators of these similarities.
This paper proposes a revision of Girard’s interpretation of Satan, along traditional theological... more This paper proposes a revision of Girard’s interpretation of Satan, along traditional theological lines. Appreciating the essential correctness of the Girardian characterization of mimēsis, it is an argument, contra Girard, that (1) Satan cannot be reduced to a mimetic process but is a hypostatic spiritual reality and, following from this, that (2) the origins of mimetic rivalry go back before the emergence of humankind and provide a model for human rivalry. Employing concepts drawn from Husserlian phenomenological psychology, Thomist theology, and psychoanalysis, it hypothesizes Satan’s psychological state, prior to his fall, as metastable anxiety and trauma and his state, afterwards, as a narcissistic, malicious, self-induced pathology in order to explain Satan’s impossible rivalry with God, a rivalry that precedes hominization and has always endangered human existence.
A work that at once celebrates and extends the enduring contributions of the late Edmund Perry to... more A work that at once celebrates and extends the enduring contributions of the late Edmund Perry to the study of religions, The Comity and Grace of Method brings together three generations of distinguished scholars to consider the history, theory, and applications of the comparative method in religious study. Both the title and the content of this volume reflect Perry's conviction that the comparative religionist is morally bound to contribute to a comity of religions-the voluntary and courteous recognition of the dignity and truth present in all religions. Following the general framework advocated by Perry for this pursuit, this collection reveals the strengths of such a framework--and of Perry's lifelong interest in theory and method-for religious understanding.
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Papers by Thomas Ryba