Bespopovtsy

Old Believers in Russian North. Late 19th - early 20th century

Bespopovtsy (Russian: беспоповцы, IPA: [bʲɪspɐˈpoft͡sɨ], "priestless ones") are a Christian group based in Russia. They are Priestless Old Believers that reject Nikonite priests. They are one of the two major strains of Old Believers.

Historical background

After the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow in the 1650s, many members of the Russian Orthodox Church refused to acknowledge the changes which he had made to bring the church in line with the Greek Orthodox Church.^[1]

Modern beliefs

Priestless Old Believers may have evolved into the first Spiritual Christians which were divided into various and diverse tribal sects including: Pomortsy, Fedoseyans, Filippians, Beguny ("Runners"), Netovtsy/Netovshchina, and many others. Some reject priests and a number of church rites, such as the Eucharist, believing that any priest or hierarch who has used the Nikonite Rites has forfeited apostolic succession. Others still believe in the existence of a priesthood, but happen to find themselves without priests. Many such sects have historically received Nikonite priests that have publicly repented from the reforms of Patriarch Nikon.

The US

In the 21st century, over 7,000 Old Believers live in the US,^[2] with settlements in Oregon and Alaska.^[3][4]

Sources

• Crummey, Robert O. The Old Believers & The World Of Antichrist; The Vyg Community & The Russian State, Wisconsin U.P., 1970.
• Zenkovsky, Serge A. "The ideology of the Denisov brothers", Harvard Slavic Studies, 1957. III, 49–66.
• Нильский, И. (1869a). Семейная жизнь в русском расколе. Вып. 1: От начала раскола до царствования императора Николая I (in Russian). СПб.
• Нильский, И. (1869b). Семейная жизнь в русском расколе. Вып. 2: Царствование императора Николая I (in Russian). СПб.
• Василенко Н. П. (1890–1907). "Раскол". Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary: In 86 Volumes (82 Volumes and 4 Additional Volumes) (in Russian). St. Petersburg: F. A. Brockhaus.

• Казьмина О. Е. (1999). "Беспоповцы" (PDF). Народы и религии мира: Энциклопедия (100000 экз ed.). М.: Большая Российская энциклопедия. pp. 692–693. ISBN 5-85270-155-6.
• Миловидов В. Ф. (2002). "Беспоповщина". Религии народов современной России: Словарь (2-е изд., испр. и доп 4000 экз ed.). М.: Республика. pp. 45–46. ISBN 5-250-01818-1.
• Попов С. Н. (2007). "Типология (классификация) христианских церквей. (Русские староверы – старообрядцы или реформаторы?)" (сб. ст) (2) (Теология и религиоведение ed.). Барнаул: Изд-во Алт. ун-та. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

References

1. Catholic Near East Welfare Association website, The Old Believers, article dated September 4, 2021
2. University of Kansas website, Journals, Traditional Customs of Russian Old Believers in Woodburn, Oregon, article by Elena Razumovskaya (2008)
3. University of California, National Heritage Language Resource Center section, Russian Old Believers in the USA: Language and Belief, ,by Tamara Morris, published August 19, 2016
4. Alaska Watchman website, The Arrival of Russian Old Believers in Alaska, Part 2, article by Alexander Dolitskey, published January 5, 2022

See also

• Popovtsy, another major strain of Old Believers, the ones who accept priests.
• Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy
• Edinoverie Old-Ritualists
• Russian Old-Orthodox Church