The Brothers Karamazov (The Grand Inquisitor):

Book V, Chapter 5 of The Brothers Karamazov (The Grand Inquisitor):

Context

In a heated conversation, Ivan Karamazov tells his younger brother Alyosha a “poem” or fable he has imagined. It is not meant to be literal but rather Ivan’s way of expressing his rebellion against God and organized religion.

The Story Ivan Tells

• Setting: 16th-century Seville, at the height of the Spanish Inquisition.

• Christ’s Return: Jesus returns to earth, silently and lovingly, performing miracles just as in the Gospels—heals the sick, raises a child from the dead, and people recognize Him at once.

• The Arrest: The Cardinal Grand Inquisitor, a 90-year-old man, has Him arrested and thrown into a dungeon.

The Inquisitor’s Argument

The Grand Inquisitor visits Christ in prison and delivers a long monologue:

1. The Three Temptations (from the Gospels):

   • He says Jesus should have accepted Satan’s temptations in the wilderness: to turn stones into bread, to leap from the temple to prove His power, and to rule over the kingdoms of the world.

   • By refusing them, Christ chose freedom for humanity instead of security, miracle, and authority.

2. Human Weakness:

   • The Inquisitor insists that humans cannot bear such freedom. They crave bread, certainty, and someone to obey.

   • The Church, by aligning with authority and miracle, has corrected Christ’s “mistake” and taken on the burden of ruling people.

3. Power over Souls:

   • The Church, through miracle, mystery, and authority, has given people what they really want: comfort and guidance.

   • In return, people willingly surrender their freedom.

4. Christ’s Presence is Dangerous:

   • The Inquisitor tells Christ that His return threatens the Church’s system.

   • Therefore, He must be executed again, because humanity is better off without His radical gift of freedom.

The Climax

• After this long accusation, Christ says nothing.

• Instead, He silently kisses the old man on the lips.

• The Inquisitor trembles, opens the door, and lets Him go, whispering: “Go, and do not come again.”

• Christ departs into the dark streets of Seville.

Aftermath

Ivan ends the fable. Alyosha, moved, kisses his brother—just as Christ kissed the Inquisitor—and says simply: “Your poem is in praise of Jesus, not in blame of Him.”

The “Grand Inquisitor” dramatizes Ivan’s claim that humanity cannot endure the freedom Christ offers and prefers the security of authority, even at the cost of truth.

“Your poem is in praise of Jesus, not in blame of Him.”

Humanity cannot endure the freedom Christ offers and prefers the security of authority, even at the cost of truth.