Literary Variations of the Messianic Symbol of the Cross in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment

Abstract

Literary Variations of the Messianic Symbol of the Cross in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. – This article deals with the theme of the cross as it is presented by Dostoevsky in his Crime and Punishment. It, however, does not focus merely on the material presentation of the cross in the novel but deals with the cross in its wider theological context. The central theme of the novel is considered to be salvation and redemption. The novel is therefore read as a soteriological drama of which the cross is a symbolic representation. Raskolnikov is in this study regarded as a redeeming figure who is presented in the novel as a messianic figure and in that respect a prelude to the Great Inquisitor of Dostoevsky’s last novel. Dostoevsky’s use of theological themes will be analysed in light of Bakhtin’s concept of the carnivalesque. Theological and biblical themes of the novel will be read from the perspective of Bultmann’s existential hermeneutics. This article takes into account both traditional and contemporary critical works of Dostoevsky studies.