Castration and the heavenly kingdom

"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.""--BOOK JACKET. "In a 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 defining the contours of their history and the meaning behind their sacrifice."--BOOK JACKET.

Year

1999

Language

English

Publisher

Cornell University Press

Editions

3

Pages

296

ISBN

9780801488795

Data source: Wikidata