The article analyses different readings of Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot by four prominent Catholic theologians: Romano Guardini, Henri De Lubac, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Divo Barsotti. The works by De Lubac, Balthasar, and Barsotti are considered in a chronological order, while Guardini’s text is analyzed at the end of the paper, as it raises the question on the nature of the artistic word in The Idiot more directly. The history of the Catholic reception of Dostoevsky’s The Idiot attests that in this novel the Russian writer managed to create a literary work that is perceived by the reader as highly ambivalent. The connection between the main character, Prince Myshkin, and Christ is evident, however, it can be interpreted in very different ways. This ambivalence becomes for Guardini a key to a deeper understanding of the novel and its theological content.

The article is dedicated to the possible presence of Dante’s Comedy in Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment. After a brief introduction dedicated to the existing research on the matter and to enumerate some of the macroscopical elements that are common to both works, the author focuses on two passages of Dostoevsky’s text. The first one is Raskolnikov’s decision to go down in the tavern, that is very similar to Dante’s entrance in the Inferno, as “going down” is the only (even if unexpected) way to salvation for both characters. The article goes on underlining some details that allows to think that the scene presents more than casual similarities. The second passage are Porfiry Petrovich’s words in the second chapter of the sixth part of the novel, where a great number of allusions to Dante can be found, starting with the recurring remark about the Pillars of Hercules. Thanks to the analysis of this passage, it is possible to submit the hypothesis that Dostoevsky had in mind not only the Inferno, but (at least) also Dante’s Purgatorio while creating the novel. Here can also be found a new element in favor of the recently proposed convergence between the figures of Raskolnikov and Dante’s Mahomet. The notes to the article present other elements that can possibly be identified as allusions to Dante.

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