Spiritual Christianity

Russian religious movement, non Orthodox

Spiritual Christianity (духовное христианство) is the group of belief systems held by so called folk Protestants (narodnye protestanty), including non Eastern Orthodox indigenous faith tribes and new religious movements that emerged in the Russian Empire. Their origins are varied: some come from Protestant movements imported from Europe to Russia by missionaries, travelers and workers; others from disgust at the behavior (absenteeism, alcoholism, profiteering) of Orthodox priests, still others from the Bezpopovtsy Raskolniks. Those influences have mixed with folk traditions resulted in communities that are collectively called sektanty (sectarians). Such communities were typically documented by Russian Orthodox clergy with a label that described their heresy such as not fasting, meeting on Saturday (sabbatarians), rejecting the spirit (spirit wrestlers), body mutilation (castigators), self flagellation, or suicide. The heterodox (non orthodox) groups "rejected ritual and outward observances and believe instead in the direct revelation of God to the inner man". Adherents are called Spiritual Christians (духовные христиане) or, less accurately, malakan in the Former Soviet Union, and "Molokans" in the United States, often confused with "Doukhobors" in Canada. Molokane proper constituted the largest and most organized of many Spiritual Christian groups in the Russian Empire. Spiritual Christians have been compared to the European Radical Reformation. Many Spiritual Christians embraced egalitarian and pacifist beliefs, which were considered politically radical views by the Russian government. It deported some groups to internal exile in Central Asia. About one percent escaped suppression by emigrating (1898–1930s) to North America forming a diaspora that divided into many sub groups.

The Molokane are a sect that has been compared to the Radical Reformation, to the Quakers, and often confused with other Spiritual Christian faiths from Russia. They have a Protestant like view of the authority of scripture, however interpreting the bible allegorically or "spiritually", they see the sacraments "spiritually", reject the use of icons, images of the cross and Church hierarchy along with venerating the saints. Molokane believe each has their own inner light, therefore do not need someone to "jump in the spirit" for them. About 40,000 continue the faith in Russia,

Mokrye Molokane are a Molokan subsect that split off the Molokans in 2000ad that is nearly identical to the Molokans but practice water baptism.

Sukhie Baptisty was a 19th century Spiritual Christian movement, which was born from Molokans who merged with the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians. They were called "dry baptists", because they refused to baptize believers in physical water, but instead believing in a "baptism of the spirit", insisting that baptism was a purely spiritual experience instead of a physical one. Very few dry Baptists still exist in Georgia.

Molokan Adventisty are a hybrid sect of Molokans and Seventh Day Adventists, the sect was born because of German Adventist missionaries in the 20th century. One outspoken Prygun leader in Erivan Governorate, Maksim G. Rudomyotkin (1818 1877), formed his own Maksimist faith, which merged with the new Dukh i zhiznik movement formed in Los Angeles, California in the 1930s by adherents who migrated there from 1905 through 1912.

Dukhobortsy were an 18th century Spiritual Christian movement that evolved from ikonobortsy, opposed all external authorities and the literal Bible, instead being in favour of direct individual revelation. They abolished priests and sacraments, were pacifists and opposed the authority of church and state. One third mass migrated to Canada (1899 19830), and about 15 20k Dukhobortsy still exist in Russia. The Khlysty imposed self denial and focused on the reception of the Holy Spirit through constant prayer, they were denounced as "Quaker heretics" and practices such as ecstatic forms of worship, rhythmic dancing, chants and celibacy resembled the practice of the Shakers. The Khlyst practices also resembled Pentecostal sects. C. L. Sulzberger, in 1977, claimed that Rasputin "adopted the philosophy (if not proven membership)" of the Khlysts.