James Alison Theology

2025

  • Opening Up Spaces for Catholicity in the Wake of the Synods

    The lightly edited transcript of a talk given by James Alison at the 5th biennial meeting of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC) held in Madrid on 22-25 August 2025. Thank you very much indeed. And it’s indeed lovely to be here and to see so many old friends from all around the world…

  • A short video on Grace

    James Alison discusses whether grace is received organically or whether grace is imputed: a short — 2:42 –— video from the Love Unrelenting YouTube channel.

  • Jesus the Forgiving Victim (three biblical hermeneutic talks)

    Three talks James Alison gave to the Preaching Peace Initiative’s gathering in Rome in summer 2025. In these talks, James applies the hermeneutic of “Jesus, the Forgiving Victim” and reflects on the gift of the Spirit, who is not the “consolation prize”, but is the living hermeneutical presence that interprets the work of Jesus, who…

  • Stanisław Obirek: James Alison – triumf sumienia nad systemem kościelnym

    A Polish translation of ‘This is Pope Francis calling…’ about Pope Francis’ call to James Alison in 2017. Same text in Spanish

  • Girard Turned Everything Upside Down

    In this very short video, James describes René Girard’s impact on him.

  • René Girard et la vertu théologale de l’Espérance

    Introduction L’un des commentaires fréquemment entendus au sujet du dernier livre de René Achever Clausewitz est qu’il se montre très apocalyptique dans l’évaluation de notre avenir et des tendances de fond qui sont à l’œuvre ; et qu’il y a bien peu de place pour l’espérance dans sa vision des choses. Ce que je vais essayer de faire…

  • Contextualising Rene Girard

    In this episode of John G I Clarke’s Aletheia Dialogues with Witness Bearers, James explains Girard’s thinking on Mimetic Rivalry and Scapegoating given the context of sustained retaliation against whistleblowers and other speakers of truth to power.