The Sacred Violence Paradox:

Redemptive Violence and Scapegoating in Human Culture

In moments of societal crisis and upheaval, humans have consistently turned to a peculiar mechanism for restoring order—sacrificial [sacred] violence directed toward designated targets. This pattern of "Redemptive Violence" and Scapegoating appears with remarkable consistency across cultures and throughout history. The relationship between these concepts reveals profound insights about human psychology, social dynamics, and our collective struggle with violence.

René Girard (1982) proposed that the Scapegoating mechanism lies at the very foundation of human culture. The "founding murder"—the original scapegoating that established social order—created the conditions for the development of religion, law, and culture. From this perspective, human civilization itself originates in collective violence against designated victims.

The twin mechanisms of sacrificial violence

Redemptive Violence and Scapegoating function as interlocking mechanisms within human societies. The myth of Redemptive Violence—the belief that violence can purify, restore order, and bring peace—provides the ideological framework that justifies Scapegoating, while the Scapegoat mechanism offers a practical implementation of Redemptive Violence by channeling collective violence toward designated victims. The relationship between these concepts is cyclical and reinforcing. The myth of Redemptive Violence provides cultural legitimacy for Scapegoating, while successful Scapegoating appears to confirm the effectiveness of Violence in restoring order.

Walter Wink (1999) defined the "myth of redemptive violence" as "the belief that violence saves, that war brings peace, that might makes right." This narrative pattern portrays chaos as threatening social order until righteous violence restores harmony. Wink argued that this myth functions as "the dominant religion in our society today," appearing in everything from ancient creation myths to children's cartoons.

This myth of Redemptive Violence intertwines with Girard's theory of the Scapegoat mechanism. Girard's anthropological analysis begins with "mimetic desire"—humans desire objects because others desire them, leading inevitably to rivalry and conflict. When these tensions threaten community stability, the group unconsciously selects a scapegoat. By collectively directing violence against this single victim, the community experiences cathartic release and temporary peace. The victim, initially perceived as the cause of disorder, is transformed after death into a sacred figure who mysteriously restored harmony.

Religious and mythological foundations

The patterns of Redemptive Violence and Scapegoating appear across religious traditions, with creation myths often depicting cosmic violence as necessary for establishing order. The Babylonian Enuma Elish portrays the god Marduk defeating Tiamat and creating the world from her body—establishing a precedent where violence creates order.

Sacrifice appears prominently in many religious traditions, though often showing an evolution from human to animal sacrifice. The biblical binding of Isaac (Genesis 22) represents a pivotal narrative, with God ultimately preventing human sacrifice. The Scapegoat ritual in Leviticus 16 provides perhaps the most direct template, where a goat symbolically loaded with community sins is driven into the wilderness.

Ancient sacrificial systems functioned as social technology for managing communal violence and crises. Archaeological evidence from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Canaan shows widespread sacrifice serving multiple purposes: providing food for deities, establishing cosmic order, creating communion between humans and gods, expiating sins, and marking communal boundaries. 

Christianity centers on a sacrificial death interpreted as redemptive for humanity. However, Christian interpretations vary widely, from substitutionary atonement (where Jesus takes punishment deserved by sinful humanity) to Girard's view that Christ's crucifixion exposes and delegitimizes the Scapegoat mechanism by revealing the victim's innocence. 

Religious traditions also contain counter-narratives challenging Redemptive Violence. The Jewish prophetic tradition criticized empty ritual sacrifice, while Buddhist and Jain traditions emphasized ahimsa (non-violence). Contemporary religious peace movements draw on these traditions to develop alternatives to violence and Scapegoating. 

The psychology of blame and purification

Psychologically, Scapegoating operates through several defense mechanisms at both individual and group levels. Projection allows individuals to attribute unacceptable impulses to others, while displacement redirects hostility toward safer targets. These mechanisms serve important psychological functions, including anxiety reduction, maintenance of positive self-image, and simplification of complex problems.

Social identity theory explains how group membership shapes self-concept and motivates intergroup bias. Henri Tajfel's (1979) research demonstrated that merely categorizing people into arbitrary groups triggers bias, even without objective conflicts. Under threat or resource scarcity, these tendencies intensify. 

Redemptive Violence also serves psychological functions through:

1. Moral disengagement: The framing of violence as redemptive facilitates moral disengagement through mechanisms like moral justification and euphemistic labeling
2. Meaning-making: Positioning violence within a redemptive narrative helps people make sense of suffering and justify retributive actions
3. Identity reinforcement: Participating in "justified" violence strengthens group identity and provides a sense of purpose and moral clarity

Trauma and violence are interconnected in a bidirectional relationship. Unresolved trauma increases the risk of both perpetrating and experiencing violence, creating cycles that can span generations. Trauma can be transmitted across generations through attachment disruption, neurobiological pathways, and social learning.

Systemic and civilizational dimensions

At systemic levels, Walter Wink's concept of the "Domination System" describes the interlocking network of political, economic, and social systems that maintain oppressive relations. This system consists of "unjust economic relations, oppressive political relations, biased race relations, patriarchal gender relations, hierarchical power relations, and the use of violence to maintain them all." 

Contemporary expressions of ancient patterns

Despite modern pretensions to rationality, Redemptive Violence and Scapegoating remain pervasive in the Master's House:

Media and Entertainment

The narrative structure of Redemptive Violence dominates popular entertainment. Research published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that heroes in superhero films commit more violent acts than villains (23 acts per hour vs. 18), normalizing violence when performed by "good guys." 

Video games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto center violence as the primary mechanism for resolving conflict. The interactive nature of gaming potentially heightens internalization of Redemptive Violence narratives as players actively participate in violence. 

Political Rhetoric and Scapegoating

Political leaders frequently employ Scapegoating to manage public anxiety and deflect responsibility. Research shows that antidemocratic leaders worldwide strategically use scapegoating of marginalized groups to  bolster public support, isolate opponents.

Social Media and Digital Acceleration

Digital technologies have created new vectors for both scapegoating and redemptive violence. Social media platforms facilitate rapid identification and targeting of scapegoats, accelerating the process. Online spaces can make it easier to dehumanize targeted individuals or groups, removing inhibitions against harsh treatment.

Conclusion

The intimate relationship between Redemptive Violence and Scapegoating reveals a paradoxical aspect of human societies. These mechanisms have served to manage social tensions and restore temporary order, yet they perpetuate cycles of violence and obscure deeper systemic issues. Understanding these patterns provides a foundation for transcending them. By recognizing how Redemptive Violence narratives shape our thinking and how Scapegoating deflects responsibility, we can develop alternatives that address genuine social needs without resorting to sacrificial violence.