The work of René Girard is hugely influential in literature and cultural studies. But it is in understanding the relationship between religion and violence that his theory has created the greatest impact. Girard's understanding of mimetic rivalry and conflict and of scapegoating are seen by many to be the key to a completely new understanding of Christianity.

Girard's name evokes curiosity and – often – strong feelings amongst devotees and sceptics. Discovering Girard is the first book to present Girard's work to a wider audience in a way that not only explains and appraises his work and shows its impact on theology and other disciplines but conveys the sense of excitement that a discovery of Girard's ideas often generates in readers.