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Non-possessors

Icon of Saint Nil Sorsky, a leader of the non-possessors (1908)

The non-possessors (Russian: нестяжатели, romanized: nestyazhateli) belonged to a movement in the Russian Orthodox Church in the early 16th century that opposed ecclesiastical land-ownership. It was led by Nilus of Sora (1433–1508) and later Maximus the Greek (c. 1475–1556) and others.[1][2] They were opposed to the possessors (styazhateli) led by Joseph of Volokolamsk (1439/1440–1515), whose followers were known as the Josephites and believed that monastic possessions helped monks.[3] The non-possessors were finally defeated at the Stoglav Synod in 1551.[4] Both Nilus and Joseph were canonized.[1]

The non-possessors are similar to other movements in Christianity, the Spiritual Franciscans for example, in that they believed that ownership of land and the Church's possession of wealth in general had corrupted the church. The non-possessors also believed that the Church should not forcibly convert or persecute heretics or pagans, but should patiently work to convert them to the true faith.

  1. ^ a b Parry, Ken; Melling, David J.; Brady, Dimitri; Griffith, Sidney H.; Healey, John F. (8 November 2000). The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity. John Wiley & Sons. p. 347. ISBN 978-0-631-18966-4.
  2. ^ Borrero, Mauricio (2009). Russia: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present. Infobase Publishing. pp. 181–182. ISBN 978-0-8160-7475-4.
  3. ^ Moss, Walter G. (1 July 2003). A History of Russia Volume 1: To 1917. Anthem Press. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-85728-752-6.
  4. ^ John Meyendorff, Rome Constantinople and Moscow: Historical and Theological Studies (Crestwood NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1996), 179-180.

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