Rejecting the common (mis)reading of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov as a contest between faith and reason, Tilley finds six alternative forms of life of varying degrees of reasonableness depicted in this novel. These include materialism (Ivan), sensualism (Fyodor), superstition (Fr. Ferapont), religious naivete (pilgrims), manipulation (Rakitin), and realism (Alyosha). Tilley notes that these positions are also properly described as “faiths” in the sense of being ways of living in relation to a center of value or meaning. Tilley’s central contention is that Dostoeveky invites us to grapple with the question of which, if any, of these forms of life is truly rational in being able to respond to new circumstances, to enable people to live well, and to result in the sort of world we want to inhabit. In and through the depictions of these characters (and other characters whose doubling or mirroring provide variations of these six main positions), Dostoevsky seeks to persuade the reader that the most reasonable position is not the disengaged materialism of Ivan but Alyosha’s “realist” commitment to responsible love for a broken world.
Deeply steeped in the rich body of Dostoevsky scholarship, Tilley brings to the interpretative task the additional lens of his theological expertise, and especially his familiarity with the nuanced Christian concepts of freedom, grace, and community that are integral to Dostoevsky’s orthodox view. Tilley is thus able to discern—and provide a compelling defense of—an underlying structure that reveals the deeper meaning of major and minor events in this sprawling novel. For example, the various conversions, near conversions, and missed conversions attain clearer significance as explorations of the six main “faith” stances, while the story of the woman who clung to her onion is interpreted from various angles that show this story to be profoundly illuminative of Dostoevsky’s understanding of the human person.
Most importantly, Tilley clarifies that the questions the novel posed to readers in Dostoevsky’s day are also among the pressing questions of our time. What does it mean to be free? How can we live well in our world? What is the role of community, and communal traditions, in forming us to become our true selves? More specifically, for those who would reject the lack of freedom in the extremes of Fyodor’s unbridled sensuality, on the one hand, and the antlike obedience enforced by the Grand Inquisitor, on the other hand, what kinds of communities and authorities will foster the responsible freedom through which we might flourish together?
These are profoundly theological questions and ones that those of us who teach theology encourage our students to ponder. We too live in a world where manipulation, hedonism, religious naivete or superstition, and narrow rationalism often appear to be more attractive options than discipleship for loving solidarity. Tilley helps us to see that this novel is an occasion for serious thought about these choices and where they are likely to lead. My hunch is that students who are suspicious of theological arguments will respond better to Dostoevsky’s polyphonic literary exploration of these issues, especially as illuminated by Tilley.
Anyone teaching The Brothers Karamazov will benefit from including The Karamazov Case in the course readings. Tilley’s slim volume is clearly written, accessible to undergraduates, and enormously helpful in clarifying the major issues at stake in the novel. Indeed, all who are interested in Dostoevsky’s work will want to engage this perceptive interpretation. Reading The Karamazov Case is like spending a delightful afternoon discussing what it means to live well with a wise theologian who brings a lifetime of insight and a lively mind to the conversation.
Those who do not have the luxury of including a novel the size of The Brothers Karamazov in their courses will find that Tilley’s sixth chapter discussing Ivan Karamazov and freedom can be profitably read along with “Rebellion” and perhaps “The Grand Inquisitor.” Tilley’s interpretation will push students beyond their usual facile positions and may have the added bonus of inspiring their interest in reading the whole of both books.
