32 pages • 1 hour read
Leo TolstoyA Confession
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1880A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 15-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 15 Summary
Tolstoy says that he “envied the peasants for their illiteracy and their lack of education” (84) because he could see the contradictions in their Orthodox practice of faith. He suffered from these contradictions for three years and finally broke with the Orthodox Church when he realized that dogmatic attachment to one religious sect and demonization of other believers ruins faith. Tolstoy suggests that “in attaining a higher level of understanding the differences [between sects] would disappear” (87). He came to the revelation that his earnest search for faith and meaning is at odds with the human desire to fulfill obligations to tradition or ancestors, and Tolstoy feels horrified by many of the evils Christians have carried out in the name of faith.
Chapter 16 Summary
The author concludes that Orthodox teachings are a mix of truth and falsehood. As both come from scripture, Tolstoy endeavored to study scripture, which contained “the one hope of salvation” even if its contents are not reconcilable to reason. Tolstoy’s goal was to understand the limits of the intellect and to accept what is incomprehensible beyond that. He is determined to sort to truth from the falsehood and present that work in a separate volume.
Tolstoy discusses a dream that represents his struggles with faith and meaning. He is lying on his back in bed and begins to sink, suspended perilously on cords. He realizes he is perched dangerously with an abyss below and above him. The abyss below is terrifying while the one above provides strength. He finally realizes he has been supported this whole time by a single cord balanced underneath his body which is tied to a pillar that is suspended in the air. He feels at peace, and a voice says “See that you remember” before Tolstoy wakes up.
Chapters 15-16 Analysis
Tolstoy accomplishes two things in Chapter 15: First, he acknowledges how much easier faith would be if he lacked education, which has been a stumbling block for him in his quest for meaning. Second, he explains his revelation regarding the search for authentic faith compared to merely fulfilling obligations. Tolstoy takes an ecumenical approach to religion when he criticizes the Orthodox view that members of other religious sects are enemies. For Tolstoy, an authentic quest for faith can take place in any denomination as long as one avoids false doctrines which prioritize “fulfilling what people consider to be certain human obligations” (88). Carrying on religious tradition for its own sake has nothing to do with understanding one’s purpose in life.
In the final chapter, Tolstoy resolves to give religion the respect it deserves while acknowledging that Orthodox teaching is a mixture of truth and falsehood. His intent to understand how far his intellect can take him before the mystery of the universe impedes further progress indicates that Tolstoy will never experience faith in the same way that an average laborer does. At the same time, his dream in which he is incomprehensibly supported by a cord attached to a suspended pillar indicates that Tolstoy can derive meaning from inexplicable sources—as long as he can be sure that they are outside the realm of reason.
Related Titles
By Leo Tolstoy
