VerbarRaskolnik - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition verbarraskolnik

Definition :

The name applied by the Russian government to any subject of the Greek faith who dissents from the established church The Raskolniki embrace many sects whose common characteristic is a clinging to antique traditions habits and customs The schism originated in 1667 in an ecclesiastical dispute as to the correctness of the translation of the religious books The dissenters who have been continually persecuted are believed to number about 20000000 although the Holy Synod officially puts the number at about 2000000 They are officially divided into three groups according to the degree of their variance from orthodox beliefs and observances as follows I ldquoMost obnoxiousrdquo the Judaizers the Molokane who refuse to recognize civil authority or to take oaths the Dukhobortsy or Dukhobors who are communistic marry without ceremony and believe that Christ was human but that his soul reappears at intervals in living men the Khlysty who countenance anthropolatory are ascetics practice continual self flagellation and reject marriage the Skoptsy who practice castration and a section of the Bezpopovtsy or priestless sect which disbelieve in prayers for the Czar and in marriage II ldquoObnoxiousrdquo the Bezpopovtsy who pray for the Czar and recognize marriage III ldquoLeast obnoxiousrdquo the Popovtsy who dissent from the orthodox church in minor points only