T he purpose of this essay is to provide an introductory comparison of the writings of Søren Kierkegaard and René Girard. To my knowledge, a substantial secondary article or book has not been written on this subject. 1 Girard's writings themselves contain only a handful of references to Kierkegaard. 2 This deficiency is unfortunate, since, as I hope to show in the following pages, these two authors do share common insights into the psychology of violence. Girard's writings usually take the form of a scientific analysis of historical data. He is attempting to frame a theory of culture which takes into account all of the data which he has encountered. It would seem that Kierkegaard's mode of thought is very different, since he is primarily concerned with the meaning of personal existence before God. But

TX 75083-3836 U.S.A., fax 1.972.952.9435. AbstractCorrosion mitigation is critical for successful managed pressure drilling (MPD), underbalanced drilling (UBD), and air drilling operations. During these operations, large volumes of gas are injected to lower the hydrostatic pressure in the annulus. Most often the injected gas contains some oxygen and the gas is circulated in combination with some quantity of drilling fluid or liquid. Due to the oxygen content and aqueous environment, corrosion potential during MPD/UBD/air drilling operations is high.Without a proper corrosion mitigation program during these operations, corrosion can lead to the catastrophic failure of drillstring components with corrosion rates 15 times or higher than the industry-acceptable rate of <2 lb/ft 2 /yr. These high corrosion rates can lead to numerous operational problems resulting in higher well costs and/or formation damage.This paper discusses how to properly design, implement, and monitor a successful corrosion program to mitigate corrosion during MPD/UBD/air drilling operations. Furthermore, it highlights a process that utilizes membrane technology as a mechanical means of reducing oxygen concentration in the gaseous media in combination with chemical corrosion inhibitors to alter the drilling fluid environment. By using this process, the corrosion rates can be controlled to satisfactory levels during these operations.Other areas of discussion include membrane technology, drilling fluid chemistry in terms of corrosion control, and the types of corrosion that occur during a MPD/UBD/air drilling operation. Laboratory data will be presented demonstrating the development and limits of the various corrosion control chemistries. And finally, the operational considerations of an effective corrosion control program with case histories will be presented.

Kierkegaard emphasizes that God is love; God desires the maximum of human flourishing. Therefore, if human beings perceive God as a threat to their immature egos, they are mistaken at the core of their being. Human rejection of the divine call is seen most dramatically in the crucifixion of Christ. The root of ill will toward others is ill will toward the self that one is in the process of becoming.

In the twentieth century, many thinkers have put forward theories that purport to explain the motivations underlying the violent behavior of human beings. This book presents Kierkegaard's thought as offering a way of interpreting violent behavior that is superior to the alternatives. The basic elements of Kierkegaard's psychology are drawn out of his published and unpublished works, concentrating on The Concept of Anxiety, Works of Love, and The Sickness unto Death. Violence, most fundamentally, arises out of human resistance to the possibility of psychological change and growth into maturity. Violence toward others seeks to fend off that potential for otherness within oneself that is entailed by the incompleteness of creation. Kierkegaard's theory of violence is compared and contrasted with Rene Girard's theory, and both thinkers are brought into conversation with Karl Barth and Eric Voegelin. Anabaptism's approach to interpreting the history of Christian violence is taken into consideration. Hitler and Stalin, as key contemporary examples of demonic violence, are analyzed in connection with Kierkegaard's aesthetic and ethical spheres of existence. The book closes with reflections on the Christian doctrine of atonement in light of the preceding discussion of the roots of human evil.

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