Old Believers in Modern Russia (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies) - Softcover

Robson, Roy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0875809987 ISBN 13: 9780875809984

Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press, 2008

Synopsis

The schism that split the Russian Orthodox Church in 1667 alienated thousands of devout men and women. These traditional worshipers, who came to be known as the Old Believers, practiced their faith as outsiders for more than two centuries. Denied the Russian Orthodox Church's sacraments, they in turn denied that its "new" ways could lead them to salvation. Always at odds with the established Russian Orthodox Church and the tsar, the Old Believers created a vibrant separate culture within the imperial Russian state.

Old Believers in Modern Russia shows how Russia's most traditional religious group created a "culture of community" distinct from the dominant culture and society. This culture provided a lens through which the faithful could view, interpret, and interact with their world. Focusing especially on imperial Russia's twilight years, Robson explores how the Old Believers adapted to rapid change in the early twentieth century.

Until recently, little has been known about Old Believer faith and culture. Most previous studies have relied upon information provided by outsiders, usually the state or the Russian Orthodox Church. Robson explores Old Believer experience from the inside in this first detailed study of the group in the late imperial period. He integrates historical methods with communication theory and symbolic anthropology to reveal the many facets of Old Believer life.

About this title

Review:

"Valuable.... All those interested in Russian culture and religious life would be well advised to read this."—Nationality Papers

"Lively and sensitive.... An excellent account of Old Belief as it developed between 1905 and 1917."—Slavonic and East European Review

"Concise and highly informative.... This book should be widely appreciated by both graduate students and scholars of Russian culture and society."—East/West Education

About this edition

• Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0875809987
• ISBN 13: 9780875809984
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 202