Eastern Orthodoxy

[JM]

Hey folks.  I'm interested in Dostoevsky's position in the EO Church, was he a cradle believer or did he convert?  Was he a member in good standing or did he openly attack the dogmas of the Church?  etc.

Thanks,

j

[lerik]

Hello JM!
From what I know Dostoevsky was a very devoted Orthodox Christian.He strongly disliked Catholic Church,though

[JM]

Interesting.  It seems many Orthodox from Russia dislike Roman Catholics for many reasons, thanks.

j

[lerik]

You are welcome.Dostoevsky always thought that only the Orthodox Church preserved the real Christianity.He explains his dislike of Catholic Church in "The Idiot" in Prince Myshkin's monologue.

[JM]

An interesting quote from Dostoevsky's THE IDIOT:

"Roman Catholicism is even worse than Atheism itself, in my opinion! Yes, that's my opinion! Atheism only preaches a negation, but Catholicism goes further: it preaches a distorted Christ, a Christ calumniated and defamed by themselves, the opposite of Christ! It preaches the Antichrist, I declare it does, I assure you it does! This is the conviction I have long held, and it has distressed me, myself... Roman Catholicism cannot hold its position without universal political supremacy, and cries: 'Non possumus!' To my thinking Roman Catholicism is not even a religion, but simply the continuation of the Western Roman Empire, and everything in it is subordinated to that idea, faith to begin with. The Pope seized the earth, an earthly throne, and grasped the sword; everything has gone on in the same way since, only they have added to the sword lying, fraud, deceit, fanaticism, superstition, villainy. They have trifled with the most holy, truthful, sincere, fervent feelings of the people; they have bartered it all, all for money, for base earthly power. And isn't that the teaching of Antichrist? How could Atheism fail to come from them? Atheism has sprung from Roman Catholicism itself. It originated with them themselves. Can they have believed themselves? It has been strengthened by revulsion from them; it is begotten by their lying and their spiritual impotence! Atheism! Among us it is only the exceptional classes who don't believe, those who ... have lost their roots. But over there, in Europe, a terrible mass of the people themselves are beginning to lose their faith - at first from darkness and lying, and now from fanaticism and hatred of the church and Christianity."

[lerik]

JM, I think Dostoevsky here does not attack the faith of millions of Catholics but rather  the Church authorities who use the faith in thei own interests.

[Stranger]

I don't know that this is true of Catholicism today, either. I'm very curious what FD would have thought of John Paul II, for instance.