February 13, 2001

Doukhobors of Russia


Doukhobors of Russia

The Doukhobors did not have worship services or masses as is part of other Christian faith traditions. The center of their religious expression was the gathering or sobraniye. At the gathering, the Doukhobors would come together, sit around a table laden with food and recite or sing passages from the Book of Life. This was a collected oral tradition of hymns and proverbs. Little material symbolism was present in Doukhobor religion, however, bread, salt and water represented the faith and kindness of the Doukhobors.

Doukhobors spiritual dogma is based on the Law of God. This canon is made up of two elements.

  1. Recognize and love God, God's power and role as the only Creator
  2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

God was defined as word, spirit and love. The soul is that part of each person which reflects the Spirit of God. Where love prevails, God lives. Doukhobors see Christ as a human figure whose Spirit prevails and lives in all who live, not just preach, His teachings. The purpose of Christ's human life was to show that the meaning of all human life was/is a fulfillment of God's Law. Again, God's Law is only achieved/obeyed via love. Thus, hate, war, violence of any kind, etc., is taboo.

In brief, the Doukhobors believe in the following:

  1. They reject all forms of ordained clergy
  2. There is no liturgy or veneration of symbols
  3. No fasting
  4. Marriage is not subject to laws of church or state
  5. Reject Bible as central source of inspiration
  6. No Baptism
  7. Man is redeemed through his/her individual inspiration
  8. Christ did not, literally, rise from the dead
  9. Heaven/Hell are states of mind and conditions on earth
  10. Each person is lead by the Divine Presence in others

Doukhobors believe, without hesitation or doubt, that the Spirit of God dwells in all human beings. Once this is understood, one assumes the responsibility to care for all of God's Creation. All elements of this Creation are spiritually intertwined. Each person's actions and deeds are governed by God's Spirit and Voice from within. This Voice enables the Doukhbor to:

  1. Develop conscious understanding
  2. Use one's ability to reason
  3. Use one's will to take action based on understanding and reasoning.

This is the Doukhobor's understanding of the Trinity.

Next Page Move to Canada Page 1, 2, 3

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955