History Quote by Scott Cowdell
““I am not saying all of this in the spirit of “provocation,” I hope, but merely to try out these reflections on you, because I am not yet sure of what I am saying, and I want to look again at the problem of sacrifice, in the light of criticism, of course. I remember very well what you wrote to me about the fact that Christ always serves [se faisait] as a scapegoat in Christian history, and I agree with you. But having said that, is it not correct to say, in the final analysis—in a way that anybody today can understand [que personne ne l’est plus dans le niveau de compréhension aujourd’hui possible]—that he is not that? In fact, I think that the word we use has not much importance, or rather it is inevitably poor [mauvais], because the whole language is permeated with “sacrificialism” in the worst sense of the term—language emerges entirely from this””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Sacrifice, 2020
The speaker questions the usefulness of language when discussing sacrifice, suggesting that terms are inadequate and that criticism should re‑examine the concept.
In simple terms: Words fail to capture the true nature of sacrifice.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about sacrifice.
Themes
philosophy
religion
language
criticism
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- theological study
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
semantic limits
theology
interpretation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape our moral judgments?
- Can sacrifice be understood without religious framing?
A Different Perspective
Language may oversimplify complex moral concepts.
![“Even if Christ is our scapegoat, he is not that of the Father, and [so] the sacrificial understanding is always relative, while the absolute is that which is beyond all sacrifice. Tell me what you think. Is it that the definition of perfect love between the Father and the Son, or the identity of…” quote by Scott Cowdell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bb6/scott-cowdell-38548_learning_even-if-christ-is-our-scapegoat-he-is-no_2543991.jpg)
![“A text structured by the scapegoat effect cannot make a theme of this; [and in turn] a text that makes a theme of the scapegoat cannot be structured by this effect. In the gospels, Christ is so obviously the scapegoat of everyone [in the text] that he can no longer be the scapegoat of the text…” quote by Scott Cowdell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2ee/scott-cowdell-38548_scapegoat_a-text-structured-by-the-scapegoat-effec_2664727.jpg)
