Faith

The actions of Father Sergei and Sasha show that faith is a powerful tool, while Konstantin’s loss of faith pushes him to the depths of evil.

Father Sergei, the best example of a devout priest in the entire novel, uses faith as both an effective weapon and an explanation for things he does not understand. When he first hears Vasya’s story, he tells Sasha that “it is not for men and women to presume what the Lord wishes. That way lies evil, when men put themselves too high, saying, I know what God wants, for it is also what I want” (191). He believes that God’s plans are impossible for anyone to truly know and must be followed regardless of the circumstance. He shows this belief again when Vasya asks him and Dmitrii to trust the chyreti to fight for them. Even though Father...