confessionalization

The Early History of the Hristovschina: From an Ecstatic Movement to a Confessionalized Sect

This article considers the emergence of the sect of Khlysty. Sources that were not previously used in the study of this movement (investigative documents of Streltsy riots, the case of queen Evdokia, Major Glebov and others) allow a better reconstruction of the environment in which the shaping of the movement took place, its structure and early history.

“Old Sects” in a New Light: How to Study Russian Religious Dissent, 1700–1900

The introductory paper to the thematic block deals with fundamental issues of present day historical, anthropological, and religious studies of the so called “old Russian sects” of the 18th and 19th centuries. Russian religious dissenters of this period could be hardly viewed as homogeneous or integrated religious culture both historically and socially. However, the study of these movements as well as their representation in various discursive and ideological contexts can tell us a lot about religion in Russia of the “Synodal period”.

Emergence of “Church Subjectivity” in Russia on the Example of Normative Texts about Orthodox Clergy (Late 18th — Mid 19th Century)

This article describes the changes in understanding the role and identity of the Russian Orthodox priesthood during late 18th — mid-19th centuries. The analysis of normative texts defining the image of parish priests reveals the gradual differentiation of the social contexts. While at the start of the period the priest acts within a more or less homogenous society, during the first decades of the 19th century this context is gradually reconsidered within binary opposition of church vs. civil (secular).

Russian «New Theology» at the Turn of the Twentieth Centu- ry: The Origin and the Content of the Concept

In this article we consider the origin and substantial characteristics of the concept of «new theology», which emerged in the Russian theological tradition since the end of the 19th century. Initially this term was related to the lay theologians — particularly to Aleksey Khomiakov — but afterwards it became related to the academic scholars as well, such as metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky, V.I. Nesmelov, etc.