Popular Religion in Russia

'Double Belief' and the Making of an Academic Myth

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Marriage & Family, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book Popular Religion in Russia by Stella Rock, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Stella Rock ISBN: 9781134369775
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: September 10, 2007
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Stella Rock
ISBN: 9781134369775
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: September 10, 2007
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

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. This volume 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 Russian and medieval Russian culture for over a century. It surveys the wide variety of uses of the term from the eleventh to the seventeenth century, and contrasts them to its use in modern historiography, concluding that our modern interpretation of dvoeverie would not have been recognized by medieval clerics, and that 'double-belief' is a modern academic construct. Furthermore, it offers a brief foray into medieval Orthodoxy via the mind of the believer, through the language and literature of the period.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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. This volume 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 Russian and medieval Russian culture for over a century. It surveys the wide variety of uses of the term from the eleventh to the seventeenth century, and contrasts them to its use in modern historiography, concluding that our modern interpretation of dvoeverie would not have been recognized by medieval clerics, and that 'double-belief' is a modern academic construct. Furthermore, it offers a brief foray into medieval Orthodoxy via the mind of the believer, through the language and literature of the period.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Understanding and Reducing Persistent Poverty in Africa by Stella Rock
Cover of the book The Nature of God by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Art as Language by Stella Rock
Cover of the book The African Diaspora in the United States and Europe by Stella Rock
Cover of the book 2004 Rumelhart Prize Special Issue Honoring John R. Anderson by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Media Ethics Beyond Borders by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Erving Goffman by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Culture and Management in Asia by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Conducting Research in Human Geography by Stella Rock
Cover of the book American Interpretations of Natural Law by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Research in Landscape Architecture by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Human Ecology by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Airline Survival Kit by Stella Rock
Cover of the book Just a Number by Stella Rock
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy