Dostoevsky and the Christian Tradition

Dostoevsky is one of Russia’s greatest novelists and a major influence in modern debates about religion, both in Russia and the West. This collection brings together Western and Russian perspectives on the issues raised by the religious element in his work. The aim of this collection is not to abstract Dostoevsky’s religious ‘teaching’ from his literary works, but to explore the interaction between his Christian faith and his writing. The essays cover such topics as temptation, grace and law, Dostoevsky’s use of the gospels and hagiography, Trinitarianism, and the Russian tradition of the veneration of icons, as well as reading aloud, and dialogism. In addition to an exploration of the impact of the Christian tradition on Dostoevsky’s major novels, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov, there are also discussions of lesser known works such as The Landlady and A Little Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree.