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Why All Good Social Justice Warriors Support Presumption of Innocence

This classic essay was originally published at Intellectual Takeout on October 11, 2018. I have a friend in Papua New Guinea named Monica Paulus who was accused of casting sorcery spells because a person died in her village. Her neighbors almost murdered her until she fled the region. Now she works to save other women falsely accused […]

The ‘Man in Black’ vs. the State’s Sacred Violence

This classic essay originally appeared on WND.com in December 2016. As poets are wont to do, Johnny Cash led a prophet’s life for his time. His performance art and accompanying dusty, rumbling lyrics dared to look into the soul of America’s violence-haunted heart with equal parts affection and anger. When I speak of the state’s “sacred violence” […]

Salvation Through Creativity

Man, the microcosm is responsible for the whole structure of nature and whatever takes place in man affects the whole of nature. Man gives life and spirit to nature, through his creative freedom, and he kills or fetters it through his own servitude and his fall into material necessity. –Nikolai Berdyaev1 In the summer of […]

THINGS HIDDEN 37: Mimesis and Victim Solidarity with Dr. Grant Kaplan

In this THINGS HIDDEN conversation, David Gornoski is joined by Grant Kaplan, professor of theological studies at Saint Louis University and author of René Girard, Unlikely Apologist. Professor Kaplan talks about his experience of meeting Rene Girard; why traditional apologetics don’t work as well as before; the difference between mimetic theory and critical theory; being in […]

Reject the Black Pill and Embrace Hope

The human person is not expendable, David Gornoski says as he begins the show with a thorough case against collectivism and for non-violent solutions. How can we look past political deterioration and seek out authentic scientific and cultural solutions? How can we reject taking the black pill and find hope? Who do we imitate to […]

Nationalism, Globalism or Personhood?

David Gornoski begins the episode by highlighting how we must move beyond the media’s fixation on persona and focus on principles. We can’t always be anti-something if we’re not for something. What would the food, medicine, entertainment, and other industries look like if all of them were decentralized? Is nationalism the answer to globalism? Why […]

Weaponized Clowns in the TV Media

Should we seize the government in order to get our liberties back? We shouldn’t be dismissive about the allure of sacrificial violence, David Gornoski says in answering this question. David also comments on the TV media’s Big Pharma propaganda; EU’s implementation of the Great Reset with digital ID wallets; and more. Plus, David is joined […]

Why The Culture Has An Appetite for Sacrificial Violence w/ Peter Quinones

David Gornoski recently appeared on Peter Quinones’ podcast, Free Man Beyond the Wall. David and Peter talked about Rene Girard’s Mimetic Theory, the sacrificial origins of the State, and our culture’s appetite for sacrificial violence. Listen to the podcast or watch the entire interview above.

THINGS HIDDEN 34: Mimetic Failure of Mythic Heroes and the Triumph of Christ with Erik Buys

THINGS HIDDEN! David Gornoski is joined by Erik Buys, author at Mimetic Margins, teacher, and elected member of the board of the Colloquium on Violence and Religion (COV&R). What is the difference between Christ’s sacrifice and the three types of heroic sacrifice in mythology? What is extremism and how does it lure people? Why is […]

The Priesthood of Trump’s Statist Enemies

“One of the problems when you become successful is that jealousy and envy inevitably follow. There are people—I categorize them as life’s losers—who get their sense of accomplishment and achievement from trying to stop others. As far as I’m concerned, if they had any real ability they wouldn’t be fighting me, they’d be doing something […]