The Phenomenon of Crypto-Christianity in the Vitae of the 16th Century Balkan Martyrs

Abstract

The article examines the reflection in the works of Slavic hagiography of the 16th century of one of the important phenomena of interreligious interaction in the Balkans: Crypto-Christianity. Crypto-Christians or hidden Christians are those who outwardly accepted Islam, and also performed Muslim rituals, but at the same time secretly professed Christianity, performing some Christian rituals. The article examines this phenomenon based on the material of the vitae of the Balkan martyrs (martyria). For obvious reasons, not much is known about Crypto-Christianity, but individual examples of Crypto-Christianity can be found in hagiographies dedicated to some Balkan martyrs. In Slavic hagiography, Crypto-Christianity is often presented as a possible alternative to martyrdom. St. Nicholas the New, after his Muslim acquaintances deceived him into their faith, did not leave his house for a whole year, which caused discontent among Muslims and his Orthodox relatives. Thus, before his exposure by Muslims, Nicholas was a Crypto-Christian. But the most obvious example can be found in the South Slavic vitae of St. George the New, which mentions a certain “Saracen” who secretly professed the Christian faith. At the same time, the article suggests that the image of this “Saracen” is a biblical reference to the image of Joseph of Arimathea from the Gospel of John. At the same time, the attitude of hagiographers to Crypto-Christianity, reflected in the works they created, is rather negative. From the point of view of representatives of the church in the 16th century, it is preferable to die for the faith than to maintain commitment to Orthodoxy in secret.

Received: 07.01.2025.
Revised: 12.02.2025.
Accepted: 18.03.2025.

Citation
Evstafyev N. V. The Phenomenon of Crypto-Christianity in the Vitae of the 16^th Century Balkan Martyrs // Slavic Almanac. 2025. No. 1–2. P. 399–412 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2025.1-2.20