Scholars of violence and religion to gather at Notre Dame | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Scholars of violence and religion to gather at Notre Dame Scholars of violence and religion to gather at Notre Dame Published: June 23, 2010 Author: College of Arts and Letters Scholars from around the globe will gather at the University of Notre Dame June 30 to July 4 (Wednesday to Sunday) for the meeting of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion (COV&R). The theme of the conference is “Transforming Violence: Cult, Culture, and Acculturation.” More than 150 scholars from 14 countries are expected to attend. Founded in 1990, COV&R is an international organization of scholars that meets annually to explore, criticize and extend the mimetic theory of French historian and philosopher René Girard. “The daily news media is filled with reports of violence,” observes Ann Astell, professor of theology at Notre Dame. “Mimetic theory helps us to understand why, helps us to see and to address the root causes. Michel Serres has rightly called Girard’s theory ‘the most fruitful hypothesis of the age.’” The recipient of six honorary doctorates and the MLA Lifetime Award (2008), Girard was inducted into the Académie Française in 2005. Born in France in 1923, he earned his doctorate at Indiana University. He has spent most of his academic career in the United States. His most recent publications concern religious terrorism. Conference participants will study the violent phenomena associated with cultural contacts between and among groups of different ethnic origins and religious beliefs and identify means for peace-making. “Notre Dame is an excellent site for this interdisciplinary exploration, given its rich immigrant heritage and the ethnic diversity of northern Indiana,” remarks Margaret Pfeil, assistant professor of theology and co-organizer of the conference. The COV&R 2010 meeting is co-sponsored by Notre Dame’s Center for Religion and Society, Center for Social Concerns, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Department of Theology, Imitatio, Institute for Church Life, Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Mendoza College of Business, Nanovic Institute for European Studies, Notre Dame Law School, Office of the Vice President for Research, Program of Catholic Social Tradition, Program of Liberal Studies, Raven Foundation, Journal of Religion and Literature, School of Architecture, and Snite Museum of Art. More information, including a list of speakers, is available online at http://transformingviolence.nd.edu. Contact: Ann W. Astell, (574) 631-3047 Posted In: International Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related September 30, 2022 Nanovic Institute to welcome former President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović September 29, 2022 Notre Dame, Ukrainian Catholic University launch three new research grants September 27, 2022 Notre Dame, Trinity College Dublin engineers join to advance novel treatment for cystic fibrosis September 14, 2022 Apostolic nuncio to Great Britain to deliver the 2022 Keeley Vatican Lecture September 12, 2022 Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street … in different countries? For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn