“The Grand Inquisitor”, by Feodo Dostoevsky, is a parable wherein the main character (the Grand Inquisitor, or GI) makes repeated attempts to dissuade the populous from following the teachings of Christ. The story is appropriately set in Seville, Spain during the time of the Inquisition where heretics against the will of the Spanish monarchy were routinely burned at the stake. During this time, the sixteenth century, there was also talk about the fact that Christ had not returned and many people questioned if His miracles were real. Hence, the setting was ideal for the GI to exert influence on popular opinion.
One example of the deception of the GI was his distortion of the biblical story of the Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4: 1-11).
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The GI believed that that the people “can never be free, for they are weak, vicious, miserable nonentities born wicked and rebellious” (6). The Inquisitor believed that humans were not able to lead other people to their happiness and only heroes and saints had that ability. Therefore, it is the Church’s responsibility to set men free. This idea of the church being in control of the people's destiny is seen by the GI stating ” Everything was given over by Thee to the Pope, and everything now rests with him alone; Thou hast no business to return and thus hinder us in our work” (4). The GI believes that it is no longer God’s place to guide people because when Jesus left the earth he placed that power in the Church's …show more content…
God put his trust in his people because he created man in his image; he sacrificed his life so his people did not have to suffer. God sought nothing in return, and he promised to protect his people from evil, but cannot force them to follow him. God knew there would be evil in the world and people would be tempted, but God continued to give people his trust because he created them and guides them whether they believe in the teachings of Christ or not. Ultimately, God is in control of everything. Therefore, God’s trust in people is backed by his knowledge that he will be there to catch them when they fall. God placed trust in his people to choose the righteous path because he knew even when the people chose unwisely; Christ himself would be there to pick up the pieces and guide them the righteous
Religion can be a powerful form of indoctrination. Religion in the case of Orgon and Voltaire’s situations were used to bypass all critical thought and vetting of their respective influencers. Malice and ignorance often lead to the same conclusions, but intention is key. By aligning with their subjects’ belief systems and establishing themselves, Tartuffe and Pangloss respectively, as powers of authority could sway their subordinates. Though Tartuffe and Pangloss both have authority and hidden motives; the overall means and intentions vary in their approaches.
The Inquisition run by Tomas de Torquemada persecuted other religions and was a base of counter-reformation
The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision by Henry Kamen, was released in 1997 and is the third edition of the acclaimed book centered around the infamous tribunal. The years following the first publication saw increases in the quality of scholarship and an influx of research. New historical interpretations subsequently began to demonstrate an enhanced insight, as works like Benzion Netanyahu’s The Origins of the Inquisition presented original perspectives. Kamen was consequentially compelled to reevaluate the evidence surrounding the Inquisition, ultimately causing him to divert from his previous conclusions and adopt a revisionist perspective exploring historical causation. The Spanish Inquisition has been repeatedly studied for many years, and the Tribunal instituted by the Catholic monarchy typically elicits negative characterizations as absolutist, oppressive, violent, invasive and intolerant. Kamen, however, aims to discover the true nature and significance of the Spanish Inquisition and shield the readers from any unknowledgeable stereotypes or misinformed notions. He investigates the ideological and social environment of the tribunal, as he attempts to determine whether the Spanish Inquisition was a product of its attendant society by additionally assessing its impact, functionality, organization and global reception. Events of the eighteenth and nineteenth century are disparately mentioned, as they proceed the more significant developments and undertakings that occurred towards earlier stages of the Inquisition. Kamen intermittently justifies and condones Inquisitional activity in an attempt to systematically eradicate popular misconceptions; he marginalizes the cruelty and power often accredited to the institution...
The Grand Inquisitor reflects Fyodor Dostoevsky interest in religious and political issues. Dostoevsky uses the voices of his characters to express his views on the legitimacy of the Roman Catholic Church and role of religion in society. The story centers around the conflict between the Grand Inquisitor and Jesus. Jesus returns to Earth during the Spanish Inquisition, when in which Jews and Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity and were murdered if not devoted in their belief. The Grand Inquisitor examines the relationship between man and Christ through a unique narrative style that adds various depths of meaning to the story.
Mary E. Wilkins Freeman was from Randolph, Massachusetts, born on October 31, 1852. As an American writer, she was best known for her stories and writings depicting characters who endured frustrated lives in New England. In 1867, Mary Wilkins relocated with her family to Brattleboro,Vermont. After studying for a year at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which now is Mount Holyoke College, Freeman lived at home where she spent most of her time reading, and writing stories for children. In 1883, soon after the death of her parents, she decided to live with friends, returning back to her hometown of Randolph, Massachusetts. Also, during that same year, she published her first adult story in a Boston newspaper. The best of her work was done while
If we look at Kaplan’s book as a summary of most of the events that we have discussed throughout the class this semester, it helps solidify the complexity of the reformation in early modern Europe. It fits along the lines that recent historians have argued that traditional views on toleration and the reformation are outdated and need to be more closely examined. When viewed from all angles (or at least the ones we can look at) the reformation takes on a very vast and difficult social, political, and religious situation that will be continually revisited.
A Sociologist’s Perspective,” share various opinions while developing their own theories. The comparison of these observations will focus upon why the witch trials occurred when they did, why did they stop when they did, why did the witch trials occur when they did, and who was persecuted and who was responsible for the identification and punishment of witches. Concerning why the witch hunts occurred when they did the agreed upon opinion by all three author’s is the social unrest and uncertainty felt due to the Protestant Reformation and the schism it created amongst the populace, the effects of recovering from plague and war, and the enforced patriarchal structure of a society that was changing. It was during the Reformation that Christians,’ Protestant and Catholic alike, endeavored to convict all individuals guilty of heresy, with witches acting as the scapegoat.... ...
In The Grand Inquisitor, the conflict between freedom and security is one of the main reasons for Ivan’s dissent from Christianity. The difference between Jesus Christ’s point of view and the Grand Inquisitor’s is the value that each places on freedom and security. The way that Christ responds to the three temptations is assumed to display the importance and beauty of our ability to make decisions for ourselves. The rejection of comfort in our lives is represented by the bread. Jesus should have eaten the bread and given us freedom from hunger instead of choice. The need for faithfulness is represented b...
Joseph Pérez not only described the Spanish Inquisition by summarizing the contents of this “regime,” but also his main thesis and interpretation are based on criticizing the origins of anti-Semitism, how the Spanish Inquisition “defended the Catholic faith” against Jews, Muslims, Protestantism, and witchcraft. Also, Pérez continues his thesis and interpretations when he argued against the trials and organization of “the Holy Office”—the Inquisition. Finally, Pérez reinforced his main thesis by arguing and comparing the Spanish Inquisition with modern regimes, such as Nazi Germany and Communist regimes that used similar procedures of “torture” and “persecution” to those who opposed Nazism and Communism ideologies. Therefore, Pérez’s interpretation and explanation not only make sense, but they are well presented.
Persecution has existed for a long time. There has been a time where Roman Emperors persecuted Christians “but it is said that the number of victims sacrificed to the Inquisition in the reign of Philip II of Spain exceeded by many thousands those who died at the order of the Emperors of Rome. Moreover,
Taking its time to establish a radically theological point of view, this essay aims to apply it to the body of novel literature in 18th century England, probing and inquiring it whether it is in support of Christianity as laid down in the New Testament or not. It assumes the stance of an advocate of "the narrow path", the strict and unforgiving measuring scale of those few taking the Christian way of life truly seriously. Thus, the arguments and deductions featured herein - which are the actual purpose of the piece - may well strike materialist and novel-advocate minds as unnotable and subjective. The author, on the other hand, is firmly convinced - on the grounds of faith - that the conclusions to come are as objective as it is possible, being based on the revelations of the Holy Trinity. All views and opinions featured are his own except where signified.
Voltaire once said, “Of all religions, the Christian [religion] should of course inspire the most tolerance, but until now Christians have been the most intolerant of all men.” The quote was once true for the Catholic Church. Catholics have the ten commandments, one of them being, “Thou shalt not kill.” As long as the commandments are followed, it would guarantee a one way ticket to heaven. However, what if the Catholic Church and the Pope grant permission for thousands of innocent people to be killed or punished just because they have their own beliefs that do not follow those of the Catholic religion? In 1472, the Spanish rulers and the Catholic Church started the Spanish (Holy) Inquisition in Western Europe (mainly Spain and Portugal) to gain more political and religious power. Any heretics and non-believers were executed, tortured, or driven away. Thousands of innocent people were killed or harmed all because they did not follow the Catholic belief system. Voltaire is a famous enlightenment writer who wrote many well known poems, plays, and books. One of his most famous literary works is Candide. Candide is written by Voltaire to criticise the events that took place during the Spanish Inquisition. The fictional characters in the book make real life decisions and were stuck in realistic life situations. Voltaire wrote about actual things that happened in history and incorporated his views and opinions into the story (Barnes). Voltaire disagreed with the methods used by the Spanish rulers and the beliefs of the Catholic Church during the Spanish (Holy) Inquisition.
In fact, only a few have the strength to follow this word. In a passage strikingly reminiscent of Nietzsche, the Inquisitor desribes the error to Jesus. "Thou didst crave for free love and not the base raptures of the slave before th emight that has overawed him forever. But Thou didst think too highly of men therein, for they are slaves, of course, though rebellious by nature." What is to become of them? They cannot make their way on their own and can find happiness only by foresaking their freedom and turning their affairs over to the Church. "But with us all will be happy and will no more rebel nor destroy one another as ubnder Thy freedom. Oh, we shall persuade them that they will only become free when they renounce their freedom to us and submit to us."
History is replete with examples of persecution. Gonzalez reminds us, “Christianity is no easy matter” (41). Early Christians such as Ignatius (52), Polycarp (Bettenson 9) and Felicitas and Perpetua (Kerr 24) among thousands of others bear witness to this struggle, which
The Grand Inquisitor is based on the idea of freedom and human nature. According to the Grand Inquisitor, the notion of freedom does not exist. Essentially the Grand Inquisitor observes that people are inherently selfish, and because of this the Grand Inquisitor believes that the people will benefit of this. This is significant because he argues that the needs of individuals and to the notion that freedom of “Free will” simply does not exist complement each other. On this basis, the freedom that Jesus brings to the world is not freedom but slavery. This aspect is denoted in the poem when the Grand Inquisitor tells Jesus that by coming again, he is destroying the church. He further tells Jesus that the devil tempted him with three items, food,