Neophyte syndrome: the problem of religious dialogue within the Old Believers

Abstract

This article examines the problem of accepting proselytes (“neophytes”) and their role in the modern Old Believers. The relationship between “hereditary” and newly arrived members of the community is not always clear in the Old Believer environment, and who can be designated by the term “neophyte” is a very controversial issue. The lexical meaning of this word has undergone some metamorphoses among the followers of the old faith and is endowed with negative connotations. The study was based on a survey of informants living in different regions and belonging to different denominations; the method of participant observation and literary sources was also used. The author analyzes different types of Old Believer proselytes, based on the classification of E. E. Dutchak. Along with this, the reasons for changing the confession and choosing in favor of the Old Believers are considered, for which a “new theory” was used within the framework of the market concept of religion.