Of the many sects that broke from the official Russian Orthodox
church in the eighteenth century, one was universally despised. Its
members were peasants from the Russian heartland skilled in the
arts of animal husbandry who turned their knives on themselves to
become "eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.' Convinced that
salvation came only with the literal excision of the instruments of
sin, they were known as Skoptsy (the self-castrated). Their
community thrived well into the twentieth century, when it was
destroyed in the Stalinist Terror.
In a major feat of historical reconstruction, Laura Engelstein
tells the sect's astonishing tale. She describes the horrified
reactions to the sect by outsiders, including outraged bureaucrats,
physicians, and theologians. More important, she allows the Skoptsy
a say in deeming the contours of their history and the meaning
behind their sacrifice. Her deft handling of their letters and
notebooks lends her book unusual depth and pathos, and she provides
a heartbreaking account of willing exile and of religious belief so
strong that its adherents accepted terrible pain and the denial of
a basic human experience. Although the Skoptsy express joy at their
salvation, the words of even the most fervent believers reveal the
psychological suffering of life on society's margins.
No foreign tribe or exotic import, the sect drew its members
from the larger pant society where marriage was expected and
adulthood began with the wedding night. Set apart by the very act
that guaranteed their redemption, these "lambs of God" became adept
at concealing their sectarian identity as they interacted with
their Orthodox neighbors. Interaction was necessary,Engelstein
explains, since the survival of the Skoptsy depended upon
recruitment of new members and on success in agriculture and
trade.
Realizing that some prejudices have changed little over the
centuries, Engelstein cautions that "we must not cast the shadow of
our own distress on the story of the Skoptsy. Their physical
suffering was something they willingly embraced." In Castration and
the Heavenly Kingdom, she has produced a remarkable history that
also illuminates the mysteries of the human heart.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
