Towards the нistory of the Renovationist group “Union of communities of the Ancient Apostolic Church”
Abstract
The initial period of the history of the Renovationist schism was marked by the strong mutual hostility of the leaders of the schism, which led to the emergence of three main rival groups: the «Living Church», the «Union for Church Revival» and the «Union of Communities of the Ancient Apostolic Church» (SODATs). The SODATs, led by Archpriest («Archbishop» since May 6, 1923) Alexander Vvedensky, stated the need to simplify worship and shrines, equalize the rights of clergy and laity, involve all believers in socially useful labor, establish exclusively married (white) episcopate, close urban monasteries and transform rural ones into labor communes. SODATs relied on the educated urban clergy. During the short period of the group's existence from October 1922 to August 1923, most of its reform initiatives were not implemented. The members of the SODATs took an active part in the work of the Renovationist «local council» of 1923, but the «council» generally followed the program of the «Living Church» rather than SODATs. SODATs obeyed the decision of the Plenum of August 8, 1923, which abolished the groups and declared its commitment to conservatism in Church life. Soon the SODATs was forgotten. Despite the fact that SODATs is described in works devoted to the Renovationist schism, and the SODATs leader, Alexander Vvedensky, is still the most famous figure of this schism, the activity and doctrine of SODATs has not yet become the object of special research in the scientific literature. Even the "Orthodox Encyclopedia" does not have the article about SODATs. This publication is intended to fill this research gap.
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