May 1, 7534
In modern Orthodoxy, the topic of virtues has unfortunately been almost forgotten. This applies not only to official Orthodoxy but largely to the Old Believer environment as well. Today, when we hear the word “virtue,” we often perceive it as something abstract: just beautiful words, a call to “be a good person,” or to do…
Old Believer Christians have preserved a unique and ancient tradition of wearing two types of belts. The first is the body belt (inner belt)—a simple ribbon or cord of any fabric worn directly against the skin. It is never taken off, though it may be replaced if lost or damaged. The second is the outer…
For a Christian – there are two settings for prayer: personal prayer, and common (communal) prayer. Common prayer is primarily prayer within the temple, but common prayer can be anywhere, for “where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them”. The holy martyr Avvakum, when he could…
In the aftermath of the Nikonian councils of 1666, the priesthood ceased among Old Believers. This is not disputed by anyone, and indeed when, at the latter half of the 19th century a Nikonian bishop was received by a group of Old Believers, they went to great lengths to defend and explain how it was…
There is an almost universal truth across religious traditions – those that are the greater in zeal are the more particular and conformist in their appearance. Attire, like conduct, should be a reflection of the inner spiritual state. It does not take a genius to recognize that the woman in the grocery store wearing her Lululemon workout…