August 15, 7533
Why should a married woman cover her head? Is it permissible to leave part of her hair uncovered? Should she also sleep with her head covered? This question invites reflection. Indeed, it would seem unusual for those raised in a Christian environment from childhood. In pre-schism Rus’, such a question would have been unthinkable. In…
The spiritual condition of modern Russian society, living in the postmodern era, is characterized as secularized. Our present time is marked by the fact that the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens do not connect their lives with any religious norms, customs, or traditions. Despite the church revival of the late 20th and early 21st…
Unfortunately, what was once considered natural for believers is today met with profound misunderstanding. Before the Church schism of the 17th century, all Orthodox men in Rus’ did not shave their beards—such an idea, I think, never even occurred to them. Wearing a beard was a common religious and ethical norm. The same was true…
Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) I began to speak about how one may attain salvation while living in the world. According to the teaching of the Church, the family is itself a little Church… a school of Christian life and Christian love. From this alone it follows that life within the family is in itself a broad…
A man is the head of the woman. How should a man conduct himself so that a woman does not feel demeaned? How can one avoid extremes such as “You’re nothing, and your place is in the kitchen”? This question touches on two critical spiritual truths: the creation of the world and the Fall. St….
Why is a man prohibited from shaving his beard? Why should we so strictly follow the Old Testament today? The strict prohibition against shaving the beard is indeed found only in the Old Testament: “Neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.”(Leviticus 19:27) However, the New Testament does not explicitly address many things, including…
The Family as a Supreme Value: Scholarly Article by I. A. Sedakova on Old Believers’ Attitude Toward Family — Selected Excerpts The article by I. A. Sedakova is based on materials collected from 2006 to 2008 among Russian Old Believers — the Nekrasovites and Lipovans — in Bulgaria (Kazashko village, Varna province; Tataritsa village, Silistra…
Priests in their sermons must emphasize the role and significance of the traditional family, its strengthening, and the increase in childbirth.*According to the commandments of Scripture, the family is sacred, and its destruction is punished by God. Thanks be to God that our Old Believer Church today sets an example of strong, large families. Special…
By Kiril Mikhailov When comparing Old Belief with other Orthodox confessions, the first thing that stands out is its familialism. All forms of traditional spirituality tend to gravitate toward traditional social structures and patriarchal ways of life—but for Old Belief, this was almost the central issue of its confession of faith [14: 79]. Everyone is…
How can one save a marriage and restore relationships if they married foolishly, out of passion, or without love? Is such an unsuccessful marriage also considered God’s will, requiring humble submission? This question has two parts. What we do is not necessarily done according to God’s will. However, everything we do is allowed by God…