In the 17th century, Patriarch Nikon of Moscow introduced reforms into the Russian Orthodox Church, which led to the so-called Old Believer schism. The consequences of this schism were enormous and remain relevant to this day. 

  • The roots of the schism in the Russian Church. The main participants in the events and the historical background. 
  • The consequences of the Church reforms of the 17th century in the history of Russia and the Orthodox Church. 
  • The Old Believers: their distinctive features compared with other Orthodox believers. 

The Institute of Distance Learning of St.Tikhon’s Orthodox University re-launches the online course, "Old Believers: Russian Church Reforms of the 17th Century", which will be taught entirely in English. 

The goal of the course is to provide an overview of Patriarch Nikon's reforms, together with their historical, socio-political and religious contexts and their consequences, and to examine the origins of the Old Believers. 

  • The course is recommended for students of the history of Russia and the Russian Church and theology. 
  • This course is a good foundation for anyone interested in Russian Orthodoxy, especially for those wishing to learn more about and discover ancient piety and rites of the Russian Church as practiced by many saints of Holy Rus. 
  • This is an interdisciplinary course in the fields of theology, Church history, and general Russian history. 

The course is delivered by Phillip Calington, Doctor of Theology (PhD) (St. Sergius Orthodox Theological institute in Paris), a recognized researcher of Church history, liturgy, the Old Believers, and the schism in the Russian Church of the 17th century. 

The course is being held for the second time. For the first time, the course was held in the fall and winter of 2021 and aroused interest among students from different countries. Here is feedback from the first graduates:

"This was a wonderful course and I highly recommend it to anyone interested In Eastern Orthodoxy and/or Russian History. Because of the short timeframe of the course, the video lectures, reading material, and essay assignments are shorter, but still at at a level that is challenging and rewarding. The instructor also includes the opportunity to meet with him on video chat twice during the course to discuss the material and ask questions. What is best about this this course - the material touches upon the main topics, and then, if you wish, you may go further with your research into dozens of different elements discussed. In completing the course, I've added to my knowledge of Russian Orthodox Church history, and also increased the materials in my library at home (books, articles, etc.). 

If you are someone who wants a thorough course with a smaller timeframe and scope (to fit into your lifestyle), I highly recommend it! I am very eager to see what new courses they may offer in English, and I am encouraged to continue learning Russian again so, God willing, I might be able to participate in courses designed for non-native Russian speakers"

(Gregory Korbut)

Important information: 

  • Classes are held in the Distance Learning System on the Moodle 
  • Duration of the course: 7 weeks (February, 21 - April 16, 2022) 
  • Price: 100 EUR (*8600 RUB, the final price in euro might be slightly different based on the currency rate of the payment day). 

Learn more about the course and submit your application.

Old Believers: Russian Church Reforms of the 17th Century

Online course in the fields of theology, Church history and general Russian history. Читать далее »

Последнее изменение: вторник, 11 января 2022, 00:41