In “St. Peter and the Angel,” Levertov notes that divine revelation is only the first step.
Tag Archives: Brothers Karamazov
Facing the Terrors of Freedom & Joy
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "St. Peter and the Angel", Denise Levertov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Grand Inquisitor Comments closed
The Founders vs. Dostoyevsky’s Inquisitor
Christian nationalists have the same objections to democracy that Dostoyevsky’s Grand Inquisitor has to Christ’s vision.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged American Revolution, Christian nationalism, Declaration of Independence, Donald Trump, founding fathers, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Robert Kagan Comments closed
Ukraine: What Would Leo and Fyodor Do?
Dostoevsky and Tolstoy’s novels work as indictments of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Anna Karenina, Child Abuse, Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Hadji Murat, Leo Tolstoy, Resurrection, Russian Invasion of Ukraine, sadism, Vladimir Putin, War and Peace Comments closed
The Stone Is Rolled–I’m Whole, I’m Held
Note: If you wish to receive, via e-mail, (1) my weekly newsletter or (2) daily copies of these posts, notify me at [email protected] and indicate which you would like. I promise not to share your e-mail address with anyone. To unsubscribe, send me a follow-up email. Spiritual Sunday The story of doubting Thomas is fertile ground for […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Doubting Thomas sort-of-sonnet", Doubt, doubting Thomas, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Grand Inquisitor Comments closed
Just How Dangerous Is Fiction?
Peter Brooks’s new book, “Seduced by Story,” raises the issue of fiction’s role in horrors.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged atrocities, Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Peter Brooks, Russo-Ukrainian War, Vladimir Putin Comments closed
Literature’s Unique Spiritual Insights
An extended reflection upon the relationship between religion and literature.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Collar", "Egrets", "Flower", Flannery O'Connor, Fyodor Dostoevsky, George Herbert, Good Man Is Hard to Find, John Milton, King Lear, literature and religion, Mary Oliver, Paradise Lost, Religion, William Shakespeare Comments closed
Is Loving Our Neighbor Asking Too Much?
Spiritual Sunday This past week, I attended a special Bible study session on the Good Samaritan parable where Sewanee’s Rev. Amy Lamborn emphasized just how radical God’s second great commandment is. Jesus tells the story in such a way, she pointed out, that call out his audiences prejudices. At a time when we are turning […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, Fyodor Dostoevsky, immigrant child separations, Parable of the Good Samaritan, Trumpism Comments closed
Does Sade Explain Trumpism?
Thursday A recent reflection about Trump and Trumpism by Editorial Board’s John Stoehr has me thinking of the Marquis de Sade and Fyodor Dostoevsky. To understand the president and his devoted followers, Stoehr says, try sadism. Stoehr is initially puzzled that people like Trump don’t want power in order to enact policy. He comes to […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Justine, Marquis de Sade, sadism Comments closed
Come, Holy Spirit
Pentecost Sunday Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz uses the occasion of Pentecost to explore the nature of faith in his poem “Veni Creator.” Although the apostles may have been filled with the Holy Spirit, what about those of us who don’t experience tongues of flame? Here’s Luke’s description of moment (Acts 2:1-4): When the […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Gerontion", "Venite Creator", Czeslaw Milosz, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Grand Inquisitor, love, Pentecost, T. S. Eliot Comments closed
