Doukhobor

American  

[doo-koh-bawr] / ˈdu koʊˌbɔr /

noun

1. a member of an independent religious sect originating in Russia in the 18th century, believing in the supreme authority of the inner voice and in the transmigration of souls, rejecting the divinity of Christ and the establishing of churches, and expressing opposition to civil authority by refusing to pay taxes, do military service, etc.

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Doukhobor British  

/ ˈduːkəʊˌbɔː /

noun

1. a member of a Russian sect of Christians that originated in the 18th century. In the late 19th century a large minority emigrated to W Canada, where most Doukhobors now live

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Etymology

Origin of Doukhobor

1875–80; < Russian dukhobór, dukhobórets, Old Russian dukhoborĭtsĭ literally, one who fights against the Holy Ghost, a calque of Late Greek pneumatomáchos (compare Russian dukh spirit, boréts wrestler); originally a derisive term, later adopted by the sect itself

Example Sentences

A blaze destroyed precious family artifacts, including correspondence between his great-great-grandfather, a prominent Doukhobor leader, and the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, an early admirer of the Doukhobors’ pacifism and Christian morality.

From New York Times

“Pacifism is at the core of what it means to be a Doukhobor, and the war in Ukraine has ended any residual desire that remained to return to Russia,” said Mr. Verigin, the executive director of the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ.

From New York Times

“I am proud to be Canadian but I don’t shy away from saying I am Doukhobor,” he said.

From New York Times

An estimated 30,000 people of Doukhobor descent reside in Canada, and for decades they lived ascetic, communal lives reminiscent of the Quakers or Mennonites, though suffused with Russian culture and traditions.

From New York Times

But the Doukhobor way of life has been buffeted by intermarriage, the allure of city life and a younger generation drawn more to TikTok than Tolstoy.

From New York Times