Bespopovtsy

{{Short description|Priestless Old Believers that reject Nikonite priests}} {{More footnotes needed|date=June 2021}} {{Eastern Orthodox sidebar|width=22.0em}} thumb|right | Old Believers in Russian North. Late 19th - early 20th century '''Bespopovtsy''' ({{lang-rus|беспоповцы|p=bʲɪspɐˈpoftsɨ|t=priestless ones}}), often called '''Priestless Old Believers''' in English, are one of the two major groups of Old Believers. Unlike the Popovtsy ("priested"), the Bespopovtsy reject priests ordained following the liturgical reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow in the 17th century.

==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.<ref>[https://cnewa.org/eastern-christian-churches/orthodox-church/orthodox-churches-of-irregular-status/the-old-believers/ Catholic Near East Welfare Association website, ''The Old Believers'', article dated September 4, 2021]</ref>

==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, Chasovennye, ''Beguny'' ("Runners"), Saviour's Confession (''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,<ref>[https://journals.ku.edu/folklorica/article/view/3800/3638 University of Kansas website, Journals, ''Traditional Customs of Russian Old Believers in Woodburn, Oregon'', article by Elena Razumovskaya (2008)]</ref> with settlements in Oregon and Alaska.<ref>[https://nhlrc.ucla.edu/nhlrc/article/166943 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]</ref><ref>[https://alaskawatchman.com/2022/01/05/the-arrival-of-russian-old-believers-in-alaska-part-2-of-2/ Alaska Watchman website, ''The Arrival of Russian Old Believers in Alaska, Part 2'', article by Alexander Dolitskey, published January 5, 2022]</ref>

==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. * {{cite book| author = Нильский, И. | url = http://dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003852959#?page=7 | title = Семейная жизнь в русском расколе. Вып. 1: От начала раскола до царствования императора Николая I |location= СПб. |date = 1869a |language=ru}} * {{cite book| author = Нильский, И. | url = http://dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003852957#?page=5 | title = Семейная жизнь в русском расколе. Вып. 2: Царствование императора Николая I |location= СПб. |date = 1869b |language=ru}} * {{ВТ-ЭСБЕ|Раскол|Василенко Н. П.|ref=Василенко}} * {{cite book| author = Казьмина О. Е.| author-link = Казьмина, Ольга Евгеньевна| chapter = Беспоповцы| chapter-url = http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/narody_i_religii_mira_enciklopediya.pdf | title = Народы и религии мира: Энциклопедия | edition = {{nowrap|100000 экз}} |location= М. |date = 1999 |publisher= Большая Российская энциклопедия | pages = 692–693| isbn = 5-85270-155-6| ref = Казьмина}} * {{cite book| author = Миловидов В. Ф.| author-link = Миловидов, Владимир Фёдорович| chapter = Беспоповщина| chapter-url = http://terme.ru/termin/bespopovschina.html#item-51346| title = Религии народов современной России: Словарь  | edition = 2-е изд., испр. и доп {{nowrap|4000 экз}} |location= М. |date = 2002 |publisher= Республика | pages = 45–46| isbn = 5-250-01818-1| ref = Миловидов}} * {{cite journal |author = Попов С. Н. |title= Типология (классификация) христианских церквей. (Русские староверы – старообрядцы или реформаторы?) |type= сб. ст |edition= Теология и религиоведение |location= Барнаул |date= 2007 |publisher= Изд-во Алт. ун-та |issue= 2 |ref= Попов }}

==References== {{reflist}}

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

Category:Old Believers