First published 2006
Ivan Karamazov sits with his younger brother Alyosha and begins to tell a story. Ivan believes in no god while Alyosha studies to become a monk. The tale Ivan spins takes place in sixteenth-century Seville during the Spanish Inquisition. Christ returns to earth and performs miracles among the people. The Grand Inquisitor arrests him and visits Christ in his cell. The old cardinal explains why the church no longer needs Christ, why humanity cannot handle the freedom he offers, and why the church must rule through mystery, miracle, and authority instead. Christ listens in silence to this lengthy accusation. The Inquisitor argues that most people are too weak for the burden of free choice and that the church protects them by taking this weight away. When the Inquisitor finishes his speech, Christ responds not with words but with a gentle kiss on the old man's lips. This simple act shakes the Inquisitor, who opens the cell door and tells Christ to leave and never return.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, christianity, 19th-century
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: philosophical-debate, religious-conflict
Setting: Seville, Spain
Period: 16th-Century
Paperback · Independently published