Reaction to Dostoevsky Lecture

       I thought that the lecture today was really interesting.  It made me think about a lot of stuff that I never would have gotten before, and it made the book seem more interesting.  After hearing more about Dostoevsky and Crime and Punishment, I would like to go back and read it again now that I understand the characters and their roles more.

       One topic that the pastor discussed today that I thought was interesting was the concept of existentialism.  It makes a lot more sense why it was so easy to get caught up in Raskolnikov's feelings and tortured soul.  I had never thought of bringing the reader into his character's mind as being Dostoevsky's goal in writing this book, and it explains why it was so easy to get into the story.

        I thought that one of the coolest things that the speaker talked about today was murder.  In the story, I disliked Raskolnikov because he murdered another human being and felt justified in doing so.  However, according to God, we murder all the time.  When the pastor said that Jesus considered murder as having anger toward another human being, it made me realize that I have done it too.  I get angry at people and think nothing of it, but in doing so, I am a murderer.  It is definitely an example of how problems that Dostoevsky addresses in his books can reflect the problems that we have now.

Did Raskolnikov Repent?

"... His exasperated conscience found no particularly terrible fault in his past, except a simple blunder which might happen to anyone.  He was ashamed just because he, Raskolnikov... must humble himself and submit to 'the idiocy' of a sentence" (Dostoevsky 498).

"... He did not repent of his crime" (Dostoevsky 499).

  Despite imprisonment, Raskolnikov still does not recognize his own crime.  Although he has regrets, killing another human being is not one of them, and Raskolnikov is not willing to repent and admit his sin.

Mere Christianity

"God can show Himself as He really is only to real men.  And that means not simply to men who are individually good, but to men who are united together in a body, loving one another, helping one another, showing Him to one another.  For that is what God meant humanity to be like; like players in one band, or organs in one body" (144, Lewis).