Dostoevsky’s Convictional Theology Expressed in His Life and Literature

Dostoevsky’s Convictional Theology Expressed in His Life and Literature
Author: Dumitru Sevastian
Publisher: Langham Monographs
Total Pages: 315
Release: 2021-03-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1839734620

Fyodor Dostoevsky was not a theologian, and his books are not books of theology. However, there is a “living way” that emerges from the study of his life and work, convictions made manifest in the details of his own life and the lives of his characters. Utilizing James William McClendon’s conception of biography as theology, Dr. Dumitru Sevastian explores the lived convictions that emerge from three distinct periods in Dostoevsky’s life, the pre-Siberian, Siberian, and post-Siberian, each represented by one of his novels, The Poor Folk, The House of the Dead, and The Brothers Karamazov. What emerges is a powerful expression of faith formed in community and tempered in suffering, an example relevant to all Christians seeking to model their lives and relationships on the dying and resurrected Christ.

Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky
Author: P.H. Brazier
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2018-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0718895363

As a writer and prophet Dostoevsky was no academic theologian, yet his writings are deeply theological: his life, beliefs, even his epilepsy, all had a role in generating his theology and eschatology. Dostoevsky's novels are riven with paradoxes, are deeply dialectical, and represent a criticism of religion, offered in the service of the gospel. In this task he presented a profound understanding and portrait of humanity. Dostoevsky's novels chart the movement of the human into death: either the movement through paradox and Christlikeness into Christ's cross (a soteriology often characterized by the apophatic negation and self-denial; what we may term "the Mark of Abel") leading to salvation and resurrection; or, conversely, the movement of those who refuse Christ's invitation to be redeemed, and continue to fall into a self-willed death and a self-generated hell (the Mark of "Cain"). This eschatology becomes a theological axiom which he unceasingly warned people of in his mature works. Startlingly original, stripped of all religious pretence (some prostitutes and criminals might just have a better understanding of salvation than some of the pietistic, wealthy, and cultured classes), Dostoevsky as a prophet forewarned of the politicized humanistic delusions of the twentieth century: a prophet crying out through the wilderness.

50 Christan Books - Scripture, Theology, Philosophy and Spirituality (Including Christian Novels)

50 Christan Books - Scripture, Theology, Philosophy and Spirituality (Including Christian Novels)
Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Publisher: Good Press
Total Pages: 20250
Release: 2023-12-22
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

The anthology '50 Christian Books - Scripture, Theology, Philosophy and Spirituality (Including Christian Novels)' emerges as a seminal collection that traverses the vast expanse of Christian thought and literary expression. Capturing the complexity and diversity of Christian theology, philosophy, and spirituality, it seamlessly integrates seminal works ranging from the foundational texts of early Christian doctrine to modern philosophical treatises and spiritually enlightening novels. The collection distinguishes itself by offering a panoramic view of Christianity's rich literary tapestry, with standout pieces that span genres, centuries, and philosophical debates, thus serving as a crucial bridge between historical religious thought and contemporary spiritual exploration. The contributing authors and editors, hailing from a vibrant spectrum of historical periods and philosophical backgrounds, bring an unparalleled depth of insight to the anthology's overarching theme. From the transformative religious reforms of Martin Luther to the existential inquiries of Friedrich Nietzsche, and from the spiritual storytelling of Leo Tolstoy to the theological reflections of Saint Augustine, this collection embodies a convergence of varied voices that have shaped, challenged, and deepened the understanding of Christianity across ages. Their collective works not only reflect the historical and cultural contexts from which they emerged but also demonstrate the dynamic interplay between Christian belief and the evolving human condition. This anthology offers readers a unique opportunity to engage with a collection that spans the breadth of Christian thought and literary form. It is an essential volume for those seeking to explore the depths of Christian philosophy, theology, and spirituality through the lens of literature. Beyond its educational value, the book fosters a dialogue between different epochs and perspectives, enriching the reader's comprehension of Christianity's multifaceted legacy. It is a must-read for anyone desiring to delve into the heart of Christian literary and intellectual tradition, offering a gateway to the profound and often transformative insights that these works encapsulate.

The Religion of Dostoevsky

The Religion of Dostoevsky
Author: Alexander Boyce Gibson
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2016-08-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1532604769

Why has Dostoevsky influenced so much of the religious thinking of our times? His impact on modern theologians--Barth, for example--has been great, and thousands of his readers have been stirred by his extraordinary power to register metaphysical insights in narrative form. This fresh and subtle study of Dostoevsky's life and writing demonstrates that the great Russian's relevance for our day lies in his perception that religious faith and philosophic doubt are inseparable in his illustration that the practice of religion and intellectual scruples belong together and actually enhance each other. Gibson records what is known, from outside the novels, of his successive engagements and disengagements with the Christian faith. He then traces chronologically the path of Dostoevsky's developing thoughts and feelings as presented in the novels themselves, and his sentiments as distributed among his characters. Especially illuminating is the author's analysis of the dichotomies that make up the fascinating puzzle of Dostoevsky's complexity. Overlapping but never coinciding are the two perspectives of reflective artist and journalist-reporter. Buttressing Dostoevsky's dialectical method of thinking was the literary device of the "double," the character with contradictory ways of thought and behavior. Gibson shows how all these factors structured Dostoevsky's depiction of mental, moral, and religious ambiguities. This stimulating guide, which takes the reader from Notes from Underground through The Brothers Karamazov, explores the polarities of reason and faith as the irreconcilables that Dostoevsky constantly tries to reconcile. Everyone who has found his own vision of ethics or of religion expanded by Dostoevsky's work will find this literary study provocative and informative.

50 Christian Books: Scripture, History, Theology, Spirituality and Fiction

50 Christian Books: Scripture, History, Theology, Spirituality and Fiction
Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Publisher: DigiCat
Total Pages: 20247
Release: 2023-11-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

DigiCat presents to you this unique Christianity collection with carefully picked out religious works from the earliest times to modern days, showing the development of Christian religion and spirituality. Scripture: Bible First Clement Second Clement Didache Epistle of Barnabas Shepherd of Hermas The Infancy Gospel of Thomas Apocalypse of Peter History: History of the Christian Church (Philip Schaff) Creeds of Christendom (Philip Schaff) Philosophy of Religion: The Confessions of St. Augustine On the Incarnation (Athanasius) On the Soul and the Resurrection (Gregory of Nyssa) On the Holy Spirit (Basil) Pastoral Care (Gregory I) An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (John of Damascus) Summa Theologica (Saint Thomas Aquinas) The Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis) A Treatise on Christian Liberty (Martin Luther) The Interior Castle (St. Teresa of Ávila) The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence) The Age of Reason (Thomas Paine) The Natural History of Religion (David Hume) The Religious Affections (Jonathan Edwards) The Essence of Christianity (Ludwig Feuerbach) Beyond Good and Evil (Nietzsche) All of Grace (Charles Spurgeon) Humility (Andrew Murray) Orthodoxy (Chesterton) The Everlasting Man (Chesterton) The Sovereignty of God (Arthur Pink) The Kingdom of God Is Within You (Tolstoy) Religious Fiction: Divine Comedy (Dante) Paradise Lost (John Milton) The Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan) Zadig (Voltaire) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Lew Wallace) Quo Vadis (Henryk Sienkiewicz) In His Steps (Charles M. Sheldon) The Story of the Other Wise Man (Henry Van Dyke) The Ball and the Cross (Chesterton) The Enchanted Barn (Grace Livingston Hill) The Grand Inquisitor (Dostoevsky Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (Goethe) Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzsche) Spirituality: The Conduct of Life (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Lessons in Truth (H. Emilie Cady) As a Man Thinketh (James Allen) Thoughts are Things (Prentice Mulford) The Game of Life and How to Play It (Florence Scovel Shinn)

Messianic Political Theology and Diaspora Ethics

Messianic Political Theology and Diaspora Ethics
Author: P. Travis Kroeker
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2017-11-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1620329875

Political theology as a normative discourse has been controversial not only for secular political philosophers who are especially suspicious of messianic claims but also for Jewish and Christian thinkers who differ widely on its meaning. These essays mount an argument for a “Messianic Political Theology” rooted in an interpretation of biblical (especially Pauline), Augustinian, and Radical Reformation readings of messianism as a thoroughly political and theological vision that gives rise to what the author calls “Diaspora Ethics.” In conversation also with Platonic, Jewish, and Continental thinkers, Kroeker argues for an exilic practice of political ethics in which the secular is built up theologically “from below” in the form of public service that flows from messianic political worship. Such a “weak messianic power” practiced by the messianic body inhabits an apocalyptic political economy in which the mystery of love and the mystery of evil are agonistically unveiled together in the power of the cross—not as an instrument of domination but in the form of the servant. This is not simply a matter of “pacifism” but of a messianic posture rooted in the renunciation of possessive desire that pertains to all aspects of everyday human life in the household (oikos), the academy, and the polis.

Theology after Lacan

Theology after Lacan
Author: Clayton Crockett
Publisher: James Clarke & Company
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2015-02-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0227902807

This groundbreaking volume highlights the continuing relevance of Jacques Lacan (1901-1981), a French psychiatrist and psychoanalyst whose linguistic reworking of Freudian analysis radicalised both psychoanalysis and its approach to theology. The book's fi rst section, Part I: Lacan, Religion, and Others, explores the application of Lacan's thought to the development and phenomena of religion. Part II: Theology and the Other Lacan moves through the physical world and into the metaphysical, probing theological issues and ideas of today's world with curiosity and in the light of Lacan. In both parts I and II, a central place is given to Lacan's exposition of the real, thereby refl ecting the impact of his later work. Topics traverse culture,art, philosophy and politics, as well as providing critical exegesis of Lacan's most gnomic utterances on theology, including The Triumph of Religion. Contributors include some of the most renowned readers and influential academics in their respective fields: Tina Beattie, Lorenzo Chiesa, Clayton Crockett, Creston Davis, Adrian Johnston, Katerina Kolozova, Thomas Lynch, Marcus Pound, Carl Raschke, Kenneth Reinhard, Mario D'Amato, Noelle Vahanian and Slavoj Zizek.