This important collection of essays by a pioneer in the field focuses on the history and culture of a conservative religious tradition whose adherents have fought to preserve their beliefs and practices from the 17th century through today.

Crummey examines the ways in which Old Believers defend their core beliefs and practices and adjust their polemical strategies and way of life in response to the changing world. Opening chapters survey the historiography of Old Belief, examine the methodological problems in studying the movement as a Russian example of “popular religion,” and outline the first decades of the history. Particular themes of Old Believer history are the focus of the rest of the book, beginning with two sets of case studies of spirituality, culture, and intellectual life. Subsequent chapters analyze the diverse structures of Old Believer communities and their fate in times of persecution. A final essay examines publications of contemporary scholars in Novosibirsk whose work provides glimpses of the life of traditional believers in the Soviet period.

Old Believers in a Changing World will appeal to scholars and students of Russian history, to those interested in Eastern Orthodoxy, and to those with an interest in the comparative history of religious movements.

Northern Illinois University Press has rescheduled publication of this book for the end of next week - around May 1.

Looks interesting - thank you. I shall try to obtain a copy.

Father Serge

The book has been published by NIU Press, and Amazon.com estimates that I should have a copy by this Friday, May 6.

I just received my copy of OLD BELIEVERS IN A CHANGING WORLD by Robert O. Crummey. My first impression is that it is a welcome and necessary addition to the personal library of anyone interested in Old Believers.

The purpose of the book is to bring together a collection of scattered articles on the cultural history of the Old Believers into a single volume. The reader should be aware that the chapters were originally published over a period of eighteen years and appear in thematic order. Since each article was originally written to stand alone, most require little additional commentary. However, the Preface contains some comments on the author's views and shift in emphasis over the years.

The book has twelve chapters divided into four sections: Historiography and Theory, Seventeenth Century Origins, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Communities, and Old Believer Life and Scholarship in the Late Twentieth Century. An Afterward presents Dr. Crummey's conclusions after years of researching and writing about Old Believers.