This essay aims to explain the attraction toward the main character Stavrogin that the other characters experience in Dostoevsky's The Possessed, his great novel from 1871. I will mainly employ the terms “orientation” and “disorientation” in my analysis of Stavrogin's power of attraction. The theory used for this reading is principally inspired by Sara Ahmed's Queer Phenomenology – Orientation, Objects, Others (2006), and the meaning I attach to the terms “orientation” and “disorientation” is derived from Ahmed's use of them. Ahmed's queer phenomenology helps us to reflect upon how Stavrogin functions as a point of orientation in the novel. This makes him a demonic influence on the other characters, in the sense that he disorientates them. The Possessed asks us what happens when we “lose our way”, and confusion as well as disorientation is a general theme of the novel. This topic has been raised before, but few have connected the demonic disorientation with the underlying unconventional desires, such as Peter Verchovensky's desire for Stavrogin. In this essay I attempt to show how Stavrogin can be thought of as a “new” orientation for the other characters, and how their following him causes them to follow lines that lead to destruction.

<p>The nature of evil is clearly defined in catholic dogma and tradition but, though very rarely addressed, what is actually preached and transmitted in pastoral context often differs significantly from this line of thought. Based on the experience that the topic is often evaded or treated poorly, as well as on information concerning a recent increase in reports of demonic possession in western society, this study explored the schism within the church concerning evil. It was noted that embarrassment - as in the face of 21^st century-enlightened-thought the Church still officially states the existence of the Devil and associated malevolent spirits - seems to have promoted an intellectual cover-up. While not desiring to inhibit freedom of thought or opinion, this work aimed at establishing clarity, coherence and truthfulness concerning teachings of the Church, and implications. It was argued that left in the dark as to the Church’s concept of spiritual reality, and ensuing controversy, the laity is not given fair opportunity to make existential choices, reach own conclusions or put forth important questions and issues for debate. The study was grounded in a systematic presentation of catholic dogma on evil, followed by a phenomenologically inspired method of analysis. Recent theological arguments put forth by <em>the New Theology</em> were related to extracts of an extensive interview with a catholic exorcist in Sweden (included in full). It was shown how the traditional Christian idea of Jesus Christ is inseparably bound up with, and based on, the concept of spiritual forces of light/good and darkness/evil, mutually repelling each other. It was concluded therefore that annihilation of the devil in one way or another, inevitably ends up by making the incarnation pointless, deconstructing not only traditional concepts of evil but the whole Christian idea in itself. The need for open discussion was stressed, including uncomfortable implications of belief in the existence of a spiritual evil.</p>

The nature of evil is clearly defined in catholic dogma and tradition but, though very rarely addressed, what is actually preached and transmitted in pastoral context often differs significantly from this line of thought. Based on the experience that the topic is often evaded or treated poorly, as well as on information concerning a recent increase in reports of demonic possession in western society, this study explored the schism within the church concerning evil. It was noted that embarrassment - as in the face of 21st century-enlightened-thought the Church still officially states the existence of the Devil and associated malevolent spirits - seems to have promoted an intellectual cover-up. While not desiring to inhibit freedom of thought or opinion, this work aimed at establishing clarity, coherence and truthfulness concerning teachings of the Church, and implications. It was argued that left in the dark as to the Church’s concept of spiritual reality, and ensuing controversy, the laity is not given fair opportunity to make existential choices, reach own conclusions or put forth important questions and issues for debate. The study was grounded in a systematic presentation of catholic dogma on evil, followed by a phenomenologically inspired method of analysis. Recent theological arguments put forth by the New Theology were related to extracts of an extensive interview with a catholic exorcist in Sweden (included in full). It was shown how the traditional Christian idea of Jesus Christ is inseparably bound up with, and based on, the concept of spiritual forces of light/good and darkness/evil, mutually repelling each other. It was concluded therefore that annihilation of the devil in one way or another, inevitably ends up by making the incarnation pointless, deconstructing not only traditional concepts of evil but the whole Christian idea in itself. The need for open discussion was stressed, including uncomfortable implications of belief in the existence of a spiritual evil.