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193—On René Girard—Trevor Cribben Merrill

By Thomas V. Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 28, 2025 | In The Catholic Culture Podcast

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Mimetic desire, scapegoating: if you’ve been hearing these terms thrown around lately, it’s because the French Catholic philosopher René Girard (1923-2015) is having a renaissance, with powerful people like J.D. Vance and Peter Thiel citing his influence on their thought. Trevor Cribben Merrill, producer of the new documentary Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard (directed by Sam Sorich), joins the podcast to discuss Girard’s principal ideas, and reflect on aspects of his thought which seem difficult to reconcile with Catholic doctrine.

Watch Things Hidden for free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-vB1HaBsog

Theme music: “Franciscan Eyes”, written and performed by Thomas Mirus. Download the Catholic Culture Podcast soundtrack.

Thomas V. Mirus is President of Trinity Communications and Editor-in-Chief for CatholicCulture.org, hosts both the Catholic Culture Podcast and Lives of the Popes, and co-hosts Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast. See full bio.

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