Faith, Freedom, and Philosophy in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov is widely considered to be one of history’s greatest novels. This course will help you appreciate the joy and benefits you can derive from reading the West’s greatest novels by beginning with one of the absolute best. Written in the face of the West’s greatest intellectual crisis, this late-nineteenth-century work takes on nihilism and atheism with a philosophical tour de force addressing perennially great questions: What is true religion? How do we know that there is a God? Why do the innocent suffer? What path should we choose if we must take either between dysfunctional freedom or prosperous authoritarianism? Why do we have the propensity to commit evil and what ought we to do about it? And finally, how can we love others and love God properly? We will address these questions and many more as we journey through this classic page-turner. At the end, you will have a better understanding of how your religion is responsible for your culture and how your culture is responsible for your religion.
Takes place Thursdays, 1:30-2:45 PM
Nov 10, Dec 1, Dec 8, Jan 5, Jan 19, Feb 2, Feb 16 (Make Up Class)
In Person: Nov 4, Dec 30, Feb 10
Rabbi Mitchell Rocklin
Rabbi Dr. Mitchell Rocklin is Director of the Jewish Classical Education Concentration track at the University of Dallas and the academic director and dean of the Lobel Center for Jewish Classical Education. His prior work on Jewish Classical Education as a research fellow with Tikvah was featured in the Wall Street Journal. He received his Ph.D. in history from the CUNY Graduate Center, held postdoctoral fellowships at Princeton University and Yeshiva University, and taught at both CUNY and Princeton. He is also a chaplain in the Army National Guard with the rank of Major. Rabbi Rocklin is also the president of the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty, as well as a member of the Rabbinical Council of America’s Executive Committee and Military Chaplaincy Committee. Prior to his work at Tikvah, he served as a congregational rabbi in Connecticut. His writings have been featured in publications including The Los Angeles Times, National Review Online, The Daily Wire, The Forward, The Public Discourse, and Mosaic.
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