Final answer:
According to Rene Girard, the killing of Jesus is significant because it exposed the scapegoating mechanism, where Jesus' death served to highlight the unjust practice of blaming and punishing an innocent victim to resolve societal conflicts.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Rene Girard, the killing of Jesus is significant because it exposed the scapegoating mechanism. Girard's theory of mimetic desire suggests that human societies are based on the imitation of desire, leading to conflict and violence. To resolve such conflicts, societies often turn to the scapegoat mechanism, where an individual or group is unfairly blamed and punished to restore peace and harmony.In the case of Jesus, his execution by crucifixion represents this mechanism. Jesus' teachings and life challenged the existing social orders and the authority of the Romans and the local Jewish leaders. Moreover, the non-violent and forgiving nature of his approach revealed the innocence of the victim in the scapegoat process. Early Christians, drawing on the interpretation promoted by St. Paul, viewed Jesus's death on the cross as part of a divine plan, transcending the political and pointing towards a spiritual salvation that cancels out human sin.The significance of Jesus's death thus extends beyond a mere historical event; it serves as an illustration of a pervasive human behavior and offers a transformative understanding of suffering, blame, and redemption. Through this perspective, Jesus's crucifixion is seen as a divine act that not only fulfils a spiritual mission but also unveils the injustice inherent in societal practices of scapegoating.