ABSTRACT
For the Russian Orthodox Church, the most controversial and troubling aspect of the early Inochentist movement was the beliefs held by some pilgrims concerning the identity of Inochentie. This chapter explores aspects of belief about the person of Inochentie, namely his role as a final prophet heralding the End of Days and his association with the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of the Truth. These beliefs were reflected in Inochentie’s hagiography, hagiographic icons and photographic images and described in contemporary Orthodox Church anti-Inochentist literature. The early Inochentist community produced powerful visual representations of Inochentie as a means of establishing his saintly or divine status. Their enthusiastic use of icons and photographs to mediate their message gave Inochentism a distinctive and radically transgressive character, decentring authority away from the established hierarchy of the Orthodox Church and elevating Inochentie to divine status.
