Penitential Formulas in the Relationship of Church and State in Russia in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries

Abstract

The socio-psychological traits of particular groups in society are a research topic that is attracting more and more historians. Usually special attention is focused on the social psychology of the lower orders. This is wholly justified, given both the general lack of research in this area and the considerable difficulties involved in source study, the need to develop a special methodology for working with available texts. There is also, however, a problem with research on the socio-psychological traits of social groups that did not belong to the lower orders but rather to the upper strata—a need to seek out and study sources reflecting particular socio-psychological features of the upper strata. It seems to us that the source discussed here—penitential formulas—reveals certain characteristics of the social psychology of an influential group in medieval society—the church hierarchy—in its evolving relationship with the secular state authority.