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The Colloquium on Violence and Religion (COV&R) is an international organization dedicated to “exploring, critiquing, and developing” the mimetic theory proposed by the French historian, literary critic, and anthropological philosopher René Girard.^[1] Membership includes scholars of theology, religious studies, literary studies, philosophy, psychology, and other academic fields as well as clergy and other practitioners.

Girard's work focused on the sources of human violence in mimetic (unconsciously imitative) desire and the centrality of religion in the formation of culture through the management of violence (the single-victim mechanism or scapegoat effect), but the scope of the Colloquium on Violence & Religion's interest has expanded beyond violence to mimetic desire's positive potential and beyond religion to other disciplines.

The Colloquium on Violence & Religion is affiliated with regional organizations around the world devoted to Girard's work, mimetic theory, and peacemaking.^[2]

The Colloquium on Violence and Religion is the oldest international organization dedicated to exploring mimetic theory.

COV&R was born at a meeting organized by James Williams, Charles Mabee, and Robert Hamerton-Kelly at Stanford University in March 1990 with the intent to start, as Williams tells the story in Girardians: The Colloquium on Violence and Religion, 1990-2010, “a new group dedicated to hermeneutics and culture criticism revolving around the mimetic scapegoat theory.”

While its founders shared an academic background in the study of religion, COV&R’s scope has always been as wide and interdisciplinary as that of mimetic theory itself. The group’s initial name was the Colloquium on Violence and Religion and Society, but this was soon shortened to the Colloquium on Violence and Religion, or COV&R. A first draft of the new group’s objective stated that it should explore, extend, and criticize “the theoretical model of René Girard concerning religion and culture.” In May, 1991, however, this was changed to avoid being, as Williams puts it, “too facilely identified as a kind of academic cult organization rendering devotion to one person.” The revised statement remains COV&R’s objective today: “To explore, criticize, and develop the mimetic model of the relationship between violence and religion in the genesis and maintenance of culture.”

The make-up of COV&R’s board of directors has from the start represented its objective to welcome “scholars from various fields and diverse theoretical orientations” and followed a pattern of including members from throughout Europe and North America as well as, later, Japan, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Raymund Schwager, a theologian from the University of Innsbruck who was the first to apply mimetic theory to systematic interpretation of the Bible and became a close friend and dialogue partner of Girard, accepted the invitation to become COV&R’s first president. Williams, of Syracuse University, served as its first executive secretary; Gil Bailie, of the Florilegia Institute (now the Cornerstone Forum), was its first treasurer; and Wolfgang Palaver, also from the University of Innsbruck, was the first editor of the COV&R Bulletin. Girard himself accepted the title of honorary chair of the board of directors, though he never took on an executive or leadership role. This reflected that, from its beginnings, COV&R was guided by its membership and its shared objective to explore, extend, and criticize mimetic theory, not focus on one person.

At its founding, the group agreed to convene again in November, 1990, during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature, the primary academic guild for many of its original members, and on its own again the next year. This rhythm has continued, with COV&R organizing its own sessions at the annual meeting of the AAR in November and hosting its own annual conference in the summer.

After three annual conferences at Stanford, COV&R shifted to meeting at locations around the world and now rotates between Europe, North America, and other continents. COV&R members are also involved in organizing more local gatherings, particularly through long-standing groups in The Netherlands, Austria, France, Spain, and Australia.

The annual conference themes reflect the diverse nature of mimetic theory and of the membership, for example, Ethnocentrism and the Study of Violence, Literature and the Sacred, and Mimetic Theory and the History of Philosophy. Besides academic lectures and panels, annual meetings have featured practical workshops in order to fulfill COV&R’s objective to “be concerned with questions of both research and application.” COV&R members have also founded and led other organizations and publications dedicated to practical applications and public scholarship, as listed on our page of partners.

The COV&R Bulletin, published two to four times a year since its founding, features event announcements and reports, book reviews, news of interest to members, commentary on current events, and bibliographies of scholarship on mimetic theory. The bibliographies are now also incorporated into the Index Theologicus database.

In 1994, COV&R founded an annual scholarly journal, Contagion: Journal of Violence, Mimesis, and Culture, under the leadership of Judith Arias. The editor’s introduction to the first issue, noting the geographical diversity of the membership and their “range of academic and non-academic interests,” stated that “Contagion will reflect that diversity of interests as it explores the possibility of a non-rivalistic desire for meaningful knowledge about human relations.” Contagion is currently published by Michigan State University Press along with two book series, Studies in Violence, Mimesis, and Culture and Breakthroughs in Mimetic Theory, all under the editorial direction of William Johnsen. COV&R members receive access to Contagion and discounts on many of these books.

Since 2005, COV&R has given the Raymund Schwager Memorial Award to honor its first president by recognizing the three best papers presented by graduate students at its annual meeting.

COV&R does not endorse a political party or agenda, nor serve as an NGO or political action group, nor espouse a religious affiliation. Indeed, its membership is remarkable for its intellectual and religious diversity, just as mimetic theory is remarkable for including approaches to knowledge through both science and faith. In 2022, COV&R adopted a statement on diversity in order to make explicit its embrace of inclusivity as an expression of mimetic theory itself.

In 2015, Girard passed away, leaving an enormous legacy. Though his presence was greatly missed, COV&R’s culture and aims had already been well-established to enable it to function as an independent scholarly body. Girard had never imposed his ideas and personality. Rather he had been a member of a scholarly community whose members had vigorously debated ideas in a spirit of friendship—reflecting the inspiration of mimetic theory. Members and guests to COV&R’s conferences and activities have commonly commented on this positive quality and atmosphere, which have ensured COV&R’s longevity and its character as more than just an association but, rather, a community of scholars and friends.

Michigan State University Press publishes the annual journal of Colloquium on Violence & Religion, Contagion: Journal of Violence, Mimesis, and Culture (ISSN 1930-1200) and two related series of books: Breakthroughs in Mimetic Theory and Studies in Violence, Mimesis, and Culture.

Colloquium on Violence & Religion also publishes a quarterly online newsletter, The Bulletin of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion.

A complete bibliography is included in the fully searchable Index Theologicus database.

Colloquium on Violence & Religion holds an annual summer meeting, usually in July. The location has recently rotated in a three-year cycle between sites in North America, Europe, and the rest of the world. It also meets in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in November.

• 1991–1995: Raymund Schwager
• 1995–1999: Cesário Bandera
• 1999–2003: Diana Culbertson
• 2003–2007: Sandor Goodhart
• 2007–2011: Wolfgang Palaver (de)
• 2011–2015: Ann W. Astell
• 2015–2019: Jeremiah Alberg
• 2019–2023: Martha Reineke
• 2023–present: Nikolaus Wandinger

• Official website
• Index Theologicus bibliography of mimetic theory