"This detailed study examines the social, religious, and institutional conflicts accompanying the Russian Schism of the seventeenth century. By analyzing who opposed the reforms of Patriarch Nikon (1652-58) and under what circumstances, the author presents a complex and multi-faceted world of popular religious resistance that has been hidden from view for centuries.". "The book provides a thorough reassessment of the Russian Schism, relying primarily on archival documents and thus departing from the traditional focus on Old Believer writings and biographies."--BOOK JACKET.