Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XV. Later Sects
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has been proofread at least once.
(diff)
(history)
Denna sida har korrekturlästs minst en gång.
(skillnad)
(historik)
“Paschkovites,” there is mostly a strong emotionalism and earnest
endeavour to save the individual soul from the evils of this
world and that to come. The popular sectaries, on the other
hand, while by no means neglecting the purely spiritual
aspirations, are usually earnestly trying to remedy the social
evils of this life, i.e., to inculcate and realise in all present
human relations the fundamental principle of practical
Christianity, brotherly love.
That is, among the upper classes there is weariness and
pessimism with regard to this present life, while among the
popular sectarians, spite of all the oppression and misery that
they suffer, there is undying hope and belief in the final
triumph of righteousness and love here below, and earnest
endeavours to fulfil the daily prayer—Thy kingdom come on
earth as it is in heaven. This is true of both the older and
later sects as regards the endeavours of brotherly love and
helpfulness, as it was of the earliest Christians; the Old
Believers at one time established prosperous colonies in the
most inhospitable wilds of the North, and others have been
formed in Eastern parts of the Empire by the Molokhans, &c.
It is true that in treating of the more fanatical sects we have
laid stress on a certain pessimistic hopelessness with regard
to this world, but it must be remembered both that many of
the adherents of these extremists were drawn from the
upper classes, and that, in point of numbers, thay do not
compare with the more moderate sectaries. Among many
divisions of Russian Nonconformity of the present day there
is not simply the practical brotherly helpfulness shown
to individuals, but also a strong faith in the efficacy of
righteous social relations to bring true happiness of life here
on earth.
Perhaps it is among the Schalaputi, or “spiritual
Christians,” as they call themselves, that this brotherly love has
found the most thoroughgoing expression in the relations of
everyday life. The origin of the name of this sect, which with
so many others sprang up about half-a-century ago, is not
known. Having its birthplace in the province of Tamboff, it
has, under different names and with changing theological
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
