Book Review: The Doukhobors by George Woodcock and Ivan Avakumovic

Running Head: BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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Author Note

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BOOK REVIEW
This study aims to conduct a detailed analysis of the book “The Doukhobors”, written by
George Woodcock and Ivan Avakumovic. The critical analysis will be done on the basis of,
the content of the book, the purpose of the authors and their justification with the central
theme of the book. At the end, the study finds out the areas which are less focused all through
the book. Being a professor of English in the University of British Columbia, George
Woodcock was also inclined to writing poems, biography. He was also the editor of a journal
named “Canadian literature”. Ivan Avakumovic, the other author of the book used to teach
political science in the same university. The political science books he wrote were based on
the history of Communist party. These are the evidences of his deep observation power,
reflective thinking and writing skills.
The title, “The Doukhobor," is indicative of the concept of "Spirit Wrestlers". Archbishop
Serebrennikov first coined the tem Doukhobors in 1785. That time, a group of dissenters,
who strictly followed the Orthodox concepts of Christianity were called Doukhobors. In the
19 th century a group of people emerged from Russia. They were reluctant to hold the
conventional beliefs of Christianity. They migrated to Canada in the middle of the 19th
century. The book The Doukhobors. 1977 portrayed the culture, religious beliefs, lifestyle of
Doukhobors along with the turbulence caused when they migrated to Canada.
This book claimed that Doukhobors used to believe the concept of uniting with the
almighty fighting against superstitions, not against the God. They used to deny the concept of
mediatory priesthood as described in the translation of the 17 th century Bible. The book also
pointed out that the conventional concept of Baptism, the doctrine of redemption that the
Churches tend to hold, were futile in the eyes of the Doukhobors. According to Doukhobors,
the basic symbols of existence should be considered as the signs of their religious beliefs.

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BOOK REVIEW
Those were-the loaf of bread, cellar of salt and the jug of water. It is evident from the book
that the authors used to follow the ideas of Anabaptist dissenters and attempted to establish
same ideas and beliefs in their creation.
The portrayal of the context of the book proves that the authors have consulted a lot of
historical sources at the time of writing the book. The Doukhobors of British Columbia
(1955) was one of such significant sources. It was written by Harry B. Hawthorn, a well-
known name in the field of sociology, who got the assistance from the provincial government
at the time of writing the book and included statistical data regarding the number of
Doukhobor immigrants in Canada, what percentage of them actually got the assistance of the
government. Vasya Pozdnyakov's Dukhobor which was basically Peter Brock’s translation
and a narrative published in the Slavonic and East European Review (June 1965) also added
to the central theme. Another famous article named “Life of Tolstoy” which focused on the
life of that religious group prior to their migration to Canada also contributed to the contents
of the book.
Author Joseph Elkinton, got the permission to access the records held by Russian government
and supported all the evidences written in his book The Doukhobors (1903), by statistical
data.
Citations revealed that the book “The Doukhobors” have also used this valuable source. In
order to describe the distressful situation and the challenges that Doukhobors had to undergo,
the authors had taken reference from the book Terror in the Name of God (1964), written by
Simma Holt. All these have enriched the book with information.