The Dostoevsky Moment, Part I
Right now, I am reading The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky both for pleasure and in preparation of my senior thesis on theological anthropology. In Part 2, chapter 4 of the book, the protagonist Prince Myshkin is stunned by a copy of Holbein the Younger’s The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb as all of us are when we first see it. Dostoevsky himself was so captivated by this picture that he stared at it for quite a time and included it in his book. Anyway, the owner of the copy in the novel is a man named Rogojin who is quite a bad character up to this point, at least.
Rogojin comments to Myshkin that looking at the painting makes him lose his faith. It is reputed that it shook Dostoevsky’s faith some as well which is telling for our purposes. Myshkin then goes on to tell Rogojin four stories about isolated people. I know these stories have a profound message, but I cannot seem to figure them out. In the space of four entries, I will recount these stories so you can perhaps help me to interpret them. Here is the first:
"As to faith," he said, smiling, and evidently unwilling to leave Rogojin in this state--"as to faith, I had four curious conversations in two days, a week or so ago. One morning I met a man in the train, and made acquaintance with him at once. I had often heard of him as a very learned man, but an atheist; and I was very glad of the opportunity of conversing with so eminent and clever a person. He doesn't believe in God, and he talked a good deal about it, but all the while it appeared to me that he was speaking OUTSIDE THE SUBJECT. And it has always struck me, both in speaking to such men and in reading their books that they do not seem really to be touching on that at all, though on the surface they may appear to do so. I told him this, but I dare say I did not clearly express what I meant, for he could not understand me.”
Rogojin comments to Myshkin that looking at the painting makes him lose his faith. It is reputed that it shook Dostoevsky’s faith some as well which is telling for our purposes. Myshkin then goes on to tell Rogojin four stories about isolated people. I know these stories have a profound message, but I cannot seem to figure them out. In the space of four entries, I will recount these stories so you can perhaps help me to interpret them. Here is the first:
"As to faith," he said, smiling, and evidently unwilling to leave Rogojin in this state--"as to faith, I had four curious conversations in two days, a week or so ago. One morning I met a man in the train, and made acquaintance with him at once. I had often heard of him as a very learned man, but an atheist; and I was very glad of the opportunity of conversing with so eminent and clever a person. He doesn't believe in God, and he talked a good deal about it, but all the while it appeared to me that he was speaking OUTSIDE THE SUBJECT. And it has always struck me, both in speaking to such men and in reading their books that they do not seem really to be touching on that at all, though on the surface they may appear to do so. I told him this, but I dare say I did not clearly express what I meant, for he could not understand me.”
posted by David Browder at 4/30/2006 08:26:00 PM
3 Comments:
Off the top of my head, it seems to me that Myshkin’s first story is one which relates to the painting in a very intimate way. It is as if someone were to discuss the painting by holding forth the opinion that there is no-one in the tomb. That person could rationally talk about anything but the painting. Likewise, a clever and thoughtful atheist can only talk about the “a-" part of the word, not the Theos in which he does not believe. He could give myriads of reasons why there is no God, but could not discuss the God which he is convinced is not there.
The reason I am not very fond of apologetics is that it too often is used in an attempt to bludgeon those who do not believe into accepting on evidence that which is provable only by faith. If one has no faith, one cannot see the God/man who is decaying in the tomb and who will leave the pit to walk in glory, and it is a waste of breath to convince such a person of what he lacks the tools to see.
Perhaps this is helpful, and perhaps not. It is certainly helpful to me that you raise the question.
Walter, there is a fellow named Vincent Cheung who has one of the most arrogant approaches to apologetics that exist. He openly boasts that he can demolish any atheist's objections using van Tilian presuppositional apologetics. That may be so, but he will alienate anyone listening.
On the ther hand, you remember Rosenbladt at the Advent starting out with apologetics before he got into his stories. If single predestination is true, then where does apologetics fall in? This is an interesting question to work within the theology. Tim Keller sprinkles apologetics in all of the sermons he does.
Anyway, I find that apologetics helps me more than it might anyone else due to my tiny faith. Especially from a giant like Dostoevsky.
That's a wonderful take on the first story. I'll have to noodle on that one for a while.
Greets to the webmaster of this wonderful site. Keep working. Thank you.
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