Cultural Change vs. Persistence: A Case from Old Believer Settlements

Abstract

Scholars have described in detail the Schism (Raskol) of the Russian Orthodox Church (c. 1652-66) brought on by the Nikonnian reforms. As a result of this schism, large segments of the population (raskol'niki, or people of Raskol) have evolved, members of which came to be known as Old Believers because of their insistence on worshipping according to pre-reform rituals. Persecution by the Russian tsarist government forced Old Believers into remote and undeveloped areas, where they quietly continued to practice the old rituals, periodically moving when threats of persecution caught up with them again. Several of these groups have recently immigrated to the United States, settling in the rural areas of Oregon and Alaska. Their obedience to the old 17th-century ways places them in conspicuous contrast to other residents of their new location. At the same time, elders complain that contact with modern American values is threatening the loyalty and discipline of their members, especially the younger ones. However, despite tendencies toward acculturation in some aspects of their existence, their continued observance of the old ways in many religious and cultural aspects, including appearance, religious conduct, and language, both Russian and Church Slavonic, is found to a large degree. This paper describes their present-day way of life and the continuing efforts to preserve and protect their cultural values.

Key words: Old Believers, cultural change, persistence, religious values