Laura Engelstein is a historian of Russia, and this Cornell University Press book is her academic study of the Skoptsy, a Russian religious sect whose members practised ritual castration in preparation for what they believed would be a promised heavenly kingdom, examined here through the lens of a specific documented court case and folktale tradition surrounding the sect. Its strength is treating a sect easily dismissed as mere curiosity as a serious subject of religious and social history, working from Russian archival, legal and folkloric sources to understand the Skoptsy's own theological logic rather than only its shock value to outsiders. Its limit is that it centers on this specific case and its surrounding narrative tradition, so a claim about the Skoptsy's history or theology more broadly needs a source with wider chronological or geographic coverage of the sect.
Facts
Citation
AuthorLaura Engelstein
PublisherCornell University Press
Publication Year1999
URLhttps://archive.org/details/castrationheaven00enge
Source Typeacademic monograph
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Laura Engelstein's Cornell University Press historical study of the Russian Skoptsy sect, whose members practised ritual castration in preparation for a promised heavenly kingdom. NotesHistorical study of the Russian Skoptsy sect, whose members practised ritual castration in preparation for a promised heavenly kingdom.
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Russia directly: "Laura Engelstein is a historian of Russia, and this Cornell University Press book is her academic study of the Skoptsy, a Russian religious sect whose members practised ritual castration in..."
This source names Skoptsy directly: "book is her academic study of the Skoptsy, a Russian religious sect whose members practised ritual castration in preparation for what they believed would be a promised heavenly kingdom, examined..."
Claims Backed By This Source (58 claims)
This source backs 58 claims across the atlas. As facts: 42 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate. As cited relationships: 6 holds, 2 connected, 1 held Differently. Plus 6 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Denominations, 13 claims: 10 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
- Sources, 10 claims: 8 well-attested, 2 holds.
- Literary Works, 9 claims: 6 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 connected, 1 general references.
- Open Questions, 9 claims: 7 well-attested, 1 connected, 1 general references.
- Articles, 8 claims: 7 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Sacred Dances, 7 claims: 4 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 1 holds, 1 general references.
- Doctrines, 2 claims: 1 held Differently, 1 general references.
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