The Procedure for Receiving Heterodox Christians into the Old Believer Church of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy: Conciliar Practice and Its Documentation (1898–1917)

Abstract

The article reconstructs the procedure for admitting non‑Old‑Believers into the Old‑Believer Church of the Belokrinitskaya hierarchy in 1898–1917, based on archival materials (RGADA, OR RGB, Archive of the MM and VR RPSTs) and conciliar documentation. Particular attention is paid to the activities of the Consecrated Councils and diocesan structures that developed the normative framework for the rite of admission, as well as to the mechanisms for coordinating decisions at the pan‑church and local levels. The analysis focuses on the practices of admitting former Nikonians, Bespopovtsy, Beglopopovtsy, and participants in schismatic movements, including issues related to the completion of baptism and marriage, the recognition of sacraments performed outside the hierarchy, and the permissibility of deviations from the established rite. Problematic cases are examined separately: disagreements over the procedure for admission (including options for performing the rite without immersion), conflicts surrounding the status of clergy who transferred from other confessional groups, and the adaptation of norms to the extraordinary conditions of wartime. The paper demonstrates how, under the influence of the changed legal status of the Old Believers after 1905 and new social challenges (in particular, the frontline’s need for pastoral care), the Belokrinitskaya hierarchy adjusted its practices for admitting non‑Old‑Believers — moving from a strict codification of canons to the search for compromise solutions while maintaining conciliar control. The key factors determining the dynamics of the normative development of the admission rite are identified: intra‑church regulation, the diversity of confessional groups and local practices, and administrative and everyday constraints. The materials presented in the article are valuable for studying the history of the Old‑Believer Church, the evolution of its institutional mechanisms, and its canonical approaches to the issues of church unity and the boundaries of the community.