In the Shadow of Antichrist: The Old Believers of Alberta

Carolyn D. Redl is a sessional lecturer of English at the University of
Alberta.

Initially the research for Scheffel’s Ph.D. dissertation in
anthropology, this study describes an elusive minority group of people
who migrated to Alberta from Russia and who consciously seek a simple
agrarian lifestyle in isolation and anonymity. The Old Believers live
and practice their religion daily and transmit their culture iconically
rather than intellectually.

As an outsider, Scheffel is not permitted access to all aspects of the
Old Believers’ lives. However, he presents an authoritative and
thoroughly researched account of accessible historical and sociological
features and describes his yearlong on-site experiences.

Divided into seven self-defining major sections—“Prelude in
Muscovy,” “Berezovka,” “Community and Family,” “Orthodoxy
and Its Interpretation,” “Symbols of Orthodoxy: The Church,”
“Symbols of Orthodoxy: The Home,” and “Old Belief in
Context”—the study depicts a disciplined society living
ritualistically according to patterns outlined in ancient texts and by
principles sanctioned by the Greek church. It carefully distinguishes
the Old Believers from Hutterites.

Accompanied by illustrations and a comprehensive bibliography, the
study should interest scholars in anthropology, history, Canadian
studies, and religious studies, and, given its readability, laypeople
who have an interest in Canada’s minority cultures.