Zealots of Piety

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ZEALOTS OF PIETY

The Zealots of Piety (1646–1653) were a group of clergy and laity who energetically sought to elevate the religious consciousness and spiritual life of the people by reforming popular religious practices, improving the liturgy, introducing sermons, and strengthening the role of the clergy. The reformers gathered around Stefan Vonifatiev, archpriest of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin and confessor to Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich. Individuals associated with the Zealots included leading figures at court, such as the Boyar Boris Ivanovich Morozov and gentrymen (dvoryane ) Fyodor Rtishchev and Simeon Potemkin. The head of the Printing Office, Prince Alexei Mikhailovich Lvov, supported the Zealots, as did several of the correctors (spravshchiki ), including Mikhail Rogov (archpriest at the Archangel Cathedral), Ivan Nasedka (priest at the Dormition Cathedral) and Shestak Martemianov (layman). Nikon, archimandrite of the New Savior Monastery in Moscow (patriarch from 1652) was also a participant. Ivan Neronov, a provincial reformer, became archpriest of the Kazan Cathedral in Moscow in 1649 and took his place among the Zealots of Piety. Other representatives of the provincial secular clergy active in the group included the archpriests Avvakum of Yurev, Daniil of Temnikov, Login of Murom, and Daniil of Kostroma. Traditional historiography opposed the Zealots to Patriarch Iosif and the Church Council, although some historians have questioned this opposition. Nikon, a leading Zealot, became patriarch in 1652, and his actions split the circle. Avvakum led several members of the group in opposition that ultimately led to schism and the emergence of Old Belief.

See also: avvakum petrovich; morozov, boris ivanovich; neronov, ivan; nikon, patriarch; old believers; russian orthodox church