Dostoevsky’s Dialog and Polemics with Formal and Naïve Theological Beliefs

Abstract

The article considers the issue of criteria Dostoevsky relied on in his approach to systems and views related to theological anthropologies that are either directly formulated or indirectly manifested in various texts from translations of the New Testament to folkloric legends. There are several areas of influence: the Bible in various translations, formal theology, formal philosophy, naïve folk theology, and those views of other writers that can be characterized as theological. In his works, Dostoevsky is engaged in a constant dialog and/or polemics with diverse theological systems and those philosophical systems that are related to theology. Such systems include the Orthodox theology of deification, formal Catholic theology, naïve folk theology reflected in folklore, Auguste Comte’s religion of humanity, and also religious and philosophical anthropology of other writers and poets. In the matter of accepting/rejecting entire systems or individual ideas, in the question of choosing between different formal and naïve theological views, Dostoevsky is primarily guided by his own theology of love. The article will offer a concise consideration of several examples of Dostoevsky’s direct and concealed engagement with various theological systems, and examples of using one system to conduct polemics with another one and to affirm Dostoevsky’s own theology of love for God and humans and for humans and God.

Keywords

• thomas aquinas
• auguste comte
• russian folk spiritual verses
• gogol
• “the terrible vengeance”
• isaac the syrian
• religious and philosophical anthropology