Author Description
This Book Dispels The Widely Held View That Paganism Survived In Russia Alongside Orthodox Christianity, Demonstrating That 'double Belief', Dvoeverie, Is In Fact An Academic Myth. Scholars, Citing The Medieval Origins Of The Term, Have Often Portrayed Russian Christianity As Uniquely Muddied By Paganism, With 'double-believing' Christians Consciously Or Unconsciously Preserving Pagan Traditions Even Into The Twentieth Century. It Shows How The Concept Of Dvoeverie Arose With Nineteenth-century Scholars Obsessed With The Russian 'folk' And Was Perpetuated As A Propaganda Tool In The Soviet Period, Colouring Our Perception Of Both Popular Faith In Russia And Medieval Russian Culture For Over A Century.--book Jacket. Christian Idol-worshippers And 'pagan Survivals' -- Heretics, Doubters And 'wrong-believing' -- A History Of Historians -- How Russian Is 'double-belief'? Stella Rock. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [199]-226) And Index.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the origins and persistence of the academic construct known as 'dvoeverie' or 'double belief' within the context of Russian religious history. Stella Rock, a scholar of Russian history, utilizes a rigorous historiographical approach to examine how nineteenth-century intellectuals and Soviet-era propagandists utilized the concept of 'double belief' to characterize Russian Christianity as inherently syncretic. By tracing the evolution of this term, the author argues that the narrative of pagan survival alongside Orthodox Christianity is a scholarly invention rather than an accurate reflection of historical religious practice.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A detailed historiographical analysis of the term 'dvoeverie' from its medieval roots to its modern usage.
- An examination of how nineteenth-century Russian intellectuals romanticized the 'folk' to construct national identity.
- A critique of Soviet propaganda techniques that weaponized religious history to marginalize Orthodox traditions.
- A comprehensive review of scholarly literature that has perpetuated the myth of pagan survivals in Russia.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts in the field of Russian religious studies recognize this work as a significant intervention that challenges long-standing assumptions about the nature of popular faith in Russia. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a thorough and necessary deconstruction of a pervasive historical myth.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2007-01-01
Publisher:
Routledge
ISBN-10:
020359228X
ISBN-13:
9780203592281
History
Religion
Old Believers
Academic
Russian History
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