Apocalypse, Violence and the Technocratic Right: René Girard as Resource or Critic?
Upcoming Webinar— Apocalypse, Violence and the Technocratic Right: René Girard as Resource or Critic?
16:00–17:30, Stockholm time (Zoom), on 5 May 2026
The philosopher, theologian, literary critic and theorist of religion René Girard has been cited as an important influence by powerful figures on the North American technocratic right wing, including current vice president of the United States J.D. Vance and entrepreneur Peter Thiel, the latter of whom has recently given lecture series on the significance of apocalypse to his unfolding political-economic projects. In this webinar, we ask whether this influence renders Girard's thinking incompatible with political projects that oppose those of Vance, Thiel and allied figures, or whether there may be resources within Girard's work for critiquing recent right-wing interpretations of him.
PLEASE NOTE: Our protocols for webinar attendance have changed. You must register in advance to attend this webinar. Please fill out this very short form, and a link to the Zoom webinar will be emailed to you at the email address you supply about 24 hours before the webinar begins: https://forms.gle/iH9jGyJNUQQhAzmS7
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Luca Di Blasi is Professor of Philosophy at the Theological Faculty of the University of Bern in Switzerland. Di Blasi’s theoretical main interest revolves around the relation between philosophy and religion: theoretical approaches to religion and the religious dimension of philosophy. He has recently been investigating the apocalyptic turn in René Girard's and Peter Thiel's thinking.
Gregor Noll is Professor of International Law at the University of Gothenburg and a member of the End of the World research group. His research is driven by ongoing conversations with other disciplines, including philosophy, history, and theology. He has employed eschatological perspectives in his work on jurisdiction and on the laws of war.
Aaron James Goldman is a research fellow in Philosophy of Religion at Lund University and a member of the End of the World team. His work interrogates right-wing apocalyptic political movements – and the rhetoric of their leaders – from a perspective empowered by the history of philosophy and classic theories of religion.
Natalie Bloch will chair the webinar. She is a research fellow in Hebrew Bible Exegesis at Lund University's Centre for Theology and Religious Studies.
Image credit: René Girard. Signature. Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Signature_Ren%C3%A9_Girard.svg