One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - Solzhenitsyn's Faith

In Christianity, the external reality, the universe, is created by the God from out of nothing, which works orderly according to the natural laws in a harmony (Sire, 2006, p. 32). Christian perspective of God’s character is closely reflected in God’s creations, gives an establishment for science, morality and reason (Sire, 2006, p. 32).

Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment is a psychologically charged novel in which the primary element that plagues the protagonist, Rodion Raskolnikov, is not a person but rather an idea; his own idea. Raskolnikov has an unhealthy obsession with rendering himself into what he perceives as the ideal, supreme human being, an übermensch. Raskolnikov forms for himself a theory in which he will live purely according to his own will and transcend the social norms and moralities that dominate society. Raskolnikov suggests that acts commonly regarded as immoral are to be reserved for a certain rank of “extraordinary” men. Raskolnikov’s faith

The central theme of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky deals with conformity’s role in society. Dostoyevsky uses conformity to make Raskolnikov mentally ill and eventually turn himself in to face the punishment for his crimes. Religion influences every character in the book, but none more ardently than Raskolnikov. Understanding religion’s role as a force for conformity in Crime and Punishment provides a powerful insight into character motives and, furthermore, philosophical influences.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. …the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” In the Christian faith the world was created by God in the sequence of seven days. Throughout those days he made light and darkness, water and sky; he made the animals of the water and the animals

One of the fundamental rights in the U.S. constitution is guaranteed to all citizens in the first amendment. We have the right to practice any religion of our choosing, including the practice of no religion at all. The framers of the constitution even put the freedom of religion before our rights to free speech and free press (Haiman). This constitutional right allows America’s blend of naturalists, pantheists, theists, and spiritualists to practice their beliefs without interference from the government. This collection of religions adds to our diverse culture and creates an atmosphere of individuality without persecution. The Christian worldview possesses very unique qualities that separate it from the others. Christians believe that only one God exists (Timothy 2:5) and that he created mankind in his own image (Genesis 1:27). God then sent his son Jesus to die for the original sin of man and to allows us to ask forgiveness for our sins. Christian values are built off the teachings of the holy bible and are absolute with the teachings of God. In order to analyze the Christian worldview and actively practice it without persecution one must investigate the belief in God and his son Jesus, understand human nature, and accept restoration and redemption.

In part two, Wright explores God’s future plan. He suggests there are two secular ways to look at the future of the world. These myths have crept into modern day Christian beliefs. The first way is the myth of progress. This is was Wright calls “evolutionary optimism” (p. 81). This states that humans and the cosmos are in a continual state of improvement, moving toward perfection. The problem with this myth, as Wright points out, is that is cannot deal with evil. The second myth is the idea people are souls in transit. It was early philosophers like Plato and the Gnostics who claimed that people are all immortal souls just passing through this world on the way to their spiritual destiny (p. 70-71). This myth obviously dismisses creation and the responsibility to care for creation.

In “The Grand Inquisitor” written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Dostoevsky focuses on free will of humans being given up in exchange for a more secure “free will”. Ivan reads aloud a poem he wrote in which Christ is reborn and goes to Spain, and there he is healing the sick. After healing the sick and a dead child, the Cardinal Grand

This means, God created the heavens and the earth, light, expanse or firmament (Heaven), land, water, sun, moon, stars, living creatures, and even order within them and how they would and could reproduce as stated in Genesis 1:1-25. The following paper will look further into what it means to have a Christian worldview, to include, the characteristics of God and his creation, humanity, Jesus, and humanity’s restoration to God. God is not just a cosmic force, he is a personal Spirit. Jesus said, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24).

“In the struggle with falsehood art always did win and it always does win!” Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a Soviet dissident, espoused this philosophy to the Swedish Academy. He spoke of the power of art in combating the tyranny and lies of a corrupt government, and as a medium for evaluating society. He was at various times, a soldier in the Soviet army, a political prisoner of the Soviet state, a celebrity for his literary works, and an exile from all of Russia. His fiery philippic against Stalin landed him in prison for eight years; his account of prison life made him immensely popular during the de-Stalinization years of the early 1960’s, and he was deported for his most famous work, The Gulag Archipelago. He has become a symbol of the

When one is encountered with death, life’s meaning is revealed. We infrequently agonize over whether we live a healthy lifestyle until it is too late, as demonstrated in "The Death of Ivan Ilych” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. Both stories allow the readers to learn the consequences of living a completely selfish, non-Christian life. Through death, characters Ivan and the grandmother are encountered with conversion experiences, in which they reevaluate their own lives. O’Conner and Tolstoy exhibited the character’s reevaluation experience through similar themes in each story.

The following chapter, Cosmos: The Quest for Order, looks at the development of cosmology as it related to Christianity during the religion's early years. The Christian ideas on cosmology were heavily influenced by Stoicism and Platonism, two of the leading philosophic traditions of the time period (34.) Both schools of thought followed the belief that the universe exhibited clear signs of order in its design which were clearly the work of a creator.

Throughout Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Divinity School Address, he has composed an essay that speaks of his unique perception of the natural world, but promptly diverts to discussing his take on the religious status of the world. Many of his essays, including this one, have continually addressed controversial topics and discussions amongst society throughout time. Divinity School Address is an essay that many Christians have discussed, using its comparing Emerson's contradictory and harsh accusations and statements to their own Christian worldview. My goal of this essay is to discuss the reasons why I disagree with the claims that Emerson makes about his worldview and his view of religion as they starkly contradict with a Christian's worldview, as

Throughout Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Eastern versus Western ideas are constantly being introduced and in turn debated, sometimes violently. This being the case, it would be uncharacteristic of Dostoevsky to include such an extensive account, The Grand Inquisitor, against Christ and there not to be an East versus West theme. Eastern versus Western may be understood as Orthodox versus Roman Catholic although it is not to be restricted only within the scope of religious debates. The differences between the two are prevalent in other areas of life including: the self and social life. These topics will be discussed directly, and the foundation of each manifest themselves in multiple ways; although sublet their importance must be noted. The focus of this essay is to explore why Ivan’s inquisitor was wrong. As in many religious debates, especially concerning the Bible, differences often come subtly and may end in agreeing to disagree; although there must be a correct way of thinking. These subtle differences are—somewhat regularly—opposing beliefs concerning one word or only a few words. Yet, these differing beliefs in words and what they mean to each believer may seem insignificant to the untrained eye. But they come to define religions and societies, set ground for debates and wars, and, in the case of the Karamazov’s, split blood. Although Ivan’s Grand Inquisitor formulates a compelling argument against the actions of Christ—condemning Him for allowing

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in his commencement address to Harvard University entitled “A World Split Apart,” warns of the decline of Western society. Solzhenitsyn begins by indicating that he intends to impart truth upon his audience, though it may be bitter, insisting “that it comes not from an adversary but from a friend” (1). This implies he is about to discuss a controversial topic in such a way that is not likely to be received kindly. His ultimate purpose is to encourage a return to religion and spirituality, connoting this to be the only means of redemption for the West. Solzhenitsyn utilizes an insightful yet urgent tone in order to convey to his audience the direness of the situation.

The helplessness man endures during times of unjustified suffering is an something that we all dread, but one that, inevitably, every single person experiences to many volatile lengths and magnitudes. In the Book of Job, an innocent and righteous man endures torment passed onto him by God by clinging to his faith and his belief in himself. By contrast, the grand inquisitor in Dostoevsky 's The Brothers Karamazov offers a solution that seeks to overcome the doubt and hardship that afflict mankind by choosing instead to suppress what the inquisitor believes is its cruel source: free will. Both texts oppose each other in their attempt to deal with the problem of evil, but both provoke questions and provide insight into the problem of theodicy. While existentialism isn 't in the immediate scope of theodicy, it is essential to it in that evil is a natural element in the world, and to question why evil happens, and why God would so allow it, is to revert to questioning why God would allow for anything to even exist. The situations in both texts prove that evil is a pervasive but necessary force, just as chaos is, and to assume evil as an anomaly in God’s grand design or as the opposition to his status as the embodiment of absolute good is merely man’s own prosecution of elements that cannot easily be answered by our self-established morals and constructs, and if we believe that evil is not inherent in God’s nature and his intended nature of the world, then neither should be good