These are the Old Believers of the Russian Orthodox tradition. They spilt in the 17th C from the Nikon reforms for what would seem to us to be remarkably small differences, such as how one holds one's fingers when making the sign of the cross, or chanting two Alleluias instead of three after the psalm.
They sing only the monodic chant
Instead of the polyphony which was coming into fashion under "outside" (Greek) influences.
I gather that the liturgy is so important in the orthodox faith that it has sometimes been legitimate to draw theological conclusions from it.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason the Old Believers made a big stink about these things is because the idiots running the Russian Orthodox Church went out of their way to suppress them.
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