James Alison

This is an excellent, accessible, frequently entertaining book that pulls together and re-presents much of what Alison has been working through over the past ten years. Readers familiar with his earlier work will appreciate the further development, integration, or smoother presentation of familiar themes; newcomers will have the pleasure of encountering the material in a systematically developed manner.

There are also accompanying DVDs available; the books indicate which chapters go with show more which lectures. James is a very engaging speaker and I can confidently recommend these lectures even without having seen them. show less

Given the immense popularity and widespread influence of René Girard's mimetic theory of violence, this book-which is an accessible application of the theory to consideration of the eschatological imagination-is sure to find a significant audience. The book begins with a straightforward recapitulation of Girard's theory, then continues by considering the significance of the resurrection as "end" in the middle of time. The result is a critical perspective on human action, a turn away from show more reactive accounts intended to exonerate the actor for past acts of collective violence toward a "proactive" account which acknowledges participation in present acts of collective violence and grounds hope in God's act, not ours. show less

Astonishly invogarating and thought-provoking re-patterning of basic Christian beliefs through the lens of Girard's mimetic theory. Necessary reading if you're into Christian theology.

I quite like his theology but his writing style is impossible - so wordy and complicated.