Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Raskolniks  From Wikisource Jump
to: navigation, search  (Russian raskolnik, a schismatic, a
dissenter; from raskol, schism, splitting; that in turn from
raz, apart, and kolot' , to split; plural, raskolniki).  A
generic term for dissidents from the Established Church in
Russia. Under the name Raskolniki, the various offshoots and
schismatic bodies originating from the Greek Orthodox Church of
the Russian Empire have been grouped by Russian historians and
ecclesiastical writers. Strictly speaking, the name Raskolniki
refers merely to those who have kept the outward forms of the
Byzantine Rite; the others who have deserted its ritual as well
as its teaching are grouped under the name Sekstanstvo
(sectarianism). In the present article they are both treated
together, since either form of dissent is but slightly known
outside of Russia.  The Raskolniks represent in the Russian
Church somewhat the antithesis of Protestantism toward the
Catholic Church. Protestants left the Catholic Chu