CARIDAD BÍBLICA Y MODERNIDAD EN LEO STRAUSS. UNA POSIBLE LECTURA GIRARDIANA

Strauss believes that reason and revelation are irreconcilable and that the Western world is a result of the Bible triumphing over the classical tradition. This paper suggests this implies criticizing the Bible and its influence. On the one hand, Strauss thinks of the Bible as a set of prohibitions and he establishes a relationship between them and the modern liberation of passions. On the other hand, he emphasizes the classics' «moderation», comparing it to the «extreme» biblical charity. Girard shares Strauss' belief that the Bible plays a major role in building the modern world. However, while Strauss supports a return to classical wisdom to the detriment of the biblical influence, Girard believes a genuine rediscovery of the biblical roots is needed in order to distinguish the contributions of the Bible from its distortions.