The concept of the erotic, as defined by Andre Lorde in “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power”, is proposed as a solution to the problems of free will in Dostoevsky's book The Great Inquisitor. In this essay I will analyze the story of the Grand Inquisitor and Jesus to criticize the false authority provided by the Catholic Church, naming a shared community of faith and love as justification for allowing free will to exist without a hierarchical power attempting to provide security. . The Church's concern for the collective will is being suppressed in favor of the singular will, but the social relations on which erotic power is based build a community that is simultaneously attentive to the needs of the individual and the public. Ivan, a young man struggling with skepticism and doubt, tells the story of the Inquisitor who acts against God because he sees the evil of human nature. To the Inquisitor, God is not acting in humanity's best interests because free will is problematic and as a result he sees humans as being better off under a church with no real authority than making decisions for themselves. The Inquisitor states that Christ was wrong to allow humanity choice, and should have instead chosen power to give individuals security rather than freedom. The same people who did not want to follow Jesus would still be condemned, but instead of the crippling weight of moral and emotional freedom, they would have happiness and security in following the Church. If Christ had performed miracles and given the people clear authority to worship, “[he] would have saved them great anxiety… in making a free decision.” (Dostoevsky) Thus, proving themselves divine, people would have no choice but to love Christ without question. However, because Christ denied the three temptations, the collective had the free choice to follow the Church. There were doubts about the validity of religion, and this led