Like its companion
Heliocentric, Anthropocentric focuses on critique of
Fundamentalist Christianity and
Creationism. It calls into question the beliefs of "creationists" and "modern fundamentalists" who assert that "the earth is at the center of the universe" as well as the belief that the Earth is "no more than 5,000 years old." The band places focus on the concept of "man and his place in the universe". The band specified critiques of Christianity inspired by the questions of
Dostoyevsky,
Nietzsche and
Richard Dawkins. At the base of the album are three songs with the titles
"The Grand Inquisitor I, II and III". These songs have been inspired by the chapter of the same title in
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel
The Brothers Karamazov: a conversation between the brothers Ivan, an atheist, and Alyoscha, a monk. Ivan tells Alyoscha the story of a Second Coming of Christ in 16th century Sevilla. According to this parable, Jesus is arrested by the Catholic inquisition. The grand inquisitor who interrogates Jesus casts a new light on the legend of the temptation of Christ: he reproaches Jesus with having betrayed humanity and having deprived man of salvation by offering him freedom. The conversation between Ivan and Alyoscha mirrors, to some degree, the conversation between the grand inquisitor and Christ and raises more questions than it answers. ==Music==