Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Religious Interpretations of Dostoevsky
- Chapter 2 The Realism of Dostoevsky's Fictional Christianity
- Chapter 3 Christian Themes in Crime and Punishment
- Chapter 4 Religious Discussions in The Idiot and The Adolescent
- Chapter 5 Christian Voices in The Devils
- Chapter 6 The Spirituality of the Monk Zosima in The Brothers Karamazov
- Chapter 7 The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor: Literary Irony and Theological Seriousness
- Chapter 8 Dostoevsky's ‘Grand Inquisitor’ and Vladimir Solovyov's ‘Antichrist’
- Chapter 9 Physical and Divine Beauty: The Aesthetical-Ethical Dilemma in Dostoevsky's Novels
- Chapter 10 Conclusion
- Notes
- References
- Index of Names
Chapter 7 - The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor: Literary Irony and Theological Seriousness
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Religious Interpretations of Dostoevsky
- Chapter 2 The Realism of Dostoevsky's Fictional Christianity
- Chapter 3 Christian Themes in Crime and Punishment
- Chapter 4 Religious Discussions in The Idiot and The Adolescent
- Chapter 5 Christian Voices in The Devils
- Chapter 6 The Spirituality of the Monk Zosima in The Brothers Karamazov
- Chapter 7 The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor: Literary Irony and Theological Seriousness
- Chapter 8 Dostoevsky's ‘Grand Inquisitor’ and Vladimir Solovyov's ‘Antichrist’
- Chapter 9 Physical and Divine Beauty: The Aesthetical-Ethical Dilemma in Dostoevsky's Novels
- Chapter 10 Conclusion
- Notes
- References
- Index of Names
Summary
Introduction
The chapter ‘The Grand Inquisitor’ in Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov is one of the most intriguing religious-philosophical pieces in world literature. It is an original interpretation of the figure of Christ and of the nature of Christian belief. The story has been commented on by many interpreters, but was more often used as an argument for or against a certain ecclesiastical theological standpoint, rather than appreciated as an autonomous piece of literature. In order to make a sound theological evaluation, however, one must first approach the story within its own literary framework. What literary means does Dostoevsky use to convey his view of Christ and Christianity? Before analysing the theological content of the story, I would like to treat three aspects of literary style in ‘The Grand Inquisitor’: irony in the presentation of the story, the anti-iconographical picture of Christ and the indirect method of presenting His message.
First, a word on the general structure of the story ‘The Grand Inquisitor’ itself. It is a story within the larger story of the novel and is not part of the plot. With regards to content, it is linked to the discussion between the brothers, Ivan and Aleksey, on the suffering in the world, described in the previous chapter.
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- Publisher: Anthem PressPrint publication year: 2011