Paul W Werth
Biographic Data
| ID | 260382 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Paul W Werth |
| GIVEN NAMES | Paul W |
| FAMILY NAME | Werth |
| SIGNATURE | WERTH P W |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2835-2078 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 19 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1994 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Knock-Knock-Knockin' on an Open Door
This "viewpoint" essay offers a response to the article by Catherine Gibson and Anton Kotenko, "Horizontal Threads." After recounting the article's main propositions, the essay assesses its argument and the potential that its program represents for the study of the Russian empire's spatial history
The Age of Revolution in Microhistory
Diversity and Unity in the Administration of the Russian Empire’s “Foreign Faiths”
In this article, which is an abridged version of the monograph’s chapter [Paul W. Werth, The Tsar’s Foreign Faiths: Toleration and the Fate of Religious Freedom in Imperial Russia (Oxford, 2014)], the author examines the history of the organization of the system of administration of “foreign confessions” — non-Orthodox religious communities in Russia in the last third of the 18th — mid 19th century. According to the author, this system, which he …
The Defiantly Unfashionable Dr LeDonne: 4Th Contribution to the Forum about Forging a Unitary State: Russia’s Management of the Eurasian Space, 1650–1850 by John P. LeDonne
John P. LeDonne’s Forging of a Unitary State represents the culmination of a long and illustrious career in the study of various aspects of Russia’s early-modern experience. This review offers a critical assessment of this important monograph, focusing above all on the author’s contrarian conception of Russia-as-empire and his defiant determination to shun the fashionable in favor of the fundamental. It pays particular attention to LeDonne’s clai…
Nomadic Nobles: Pastoralism and Privilege in the Russian Empire
Probing the manner in which Kazakhs attained noble status in the Russian empire, this article explores a neglected aspect of the country's social history. Recognizing that nobility is typically associated with landowning in a feudal order, we explore how this status also found application in the steppe. Based on diverse sources and comparison with other ethnic elites, we regard Kazakh ennoblement not only as a way of recognizing a traditional nom…
What Is a “Minority” in an Imperial Formation
Is minority a term applicable to groups in the Russian Empire, as an imperial formation? This article seeks to answer this question by engaging with two others: (1) Was there a term (or terms) that conveyed that idea? And, (2) Was there a historical experience among particular segments of that society with attributes that we may associate with “minorities”? The article proposes that, on the one hand, there can be no minorities unless a majority h…
Nation and Empire, Success and Failure
The Congress of Vienna: Power and Politics after Napoleon by Brian E. Vick
The Congress of Vienna: Power and Politics after Napoleon, by Brian E. Vick. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2014. 448 pp. $45.00 US (cloth). This engaging work provides an innovative approach to Congress of Vienna by placing its deliberations in a wider political, cultural, and social context. The author, Brian E. Vick, construes both diplomacy and Congress in broad terms that encompass festivals, publications, marketing, salons, and other …
The Tsar's Foreign Faiths: Toleration and the Fate of Religious Freedom in Imperial Russia
This volume explores the scope and character of religious freedom for Russia's diverse non-Orthodox religions during the tzarist regime
Soslovie and the “Foreign” Clergies of Imperial Russia: Estate rights or service rights?
This essay addresses a significant imperial dimension of the soslovie question by analyzing the estate status of the religious servitors of Russia’s non-Orthodox faiths (the “foreign confessions”). Its goal is to ascertain the extent to which one may discern a clerical estate (dukhovnoe sostoianie) for the foreign confessions, the standards by which individuals were recognized as belonging to non-Orthodox clergies, and the rights and privileges t…
Soslovie and the “Foreign” Clergies of Imperial Russia: Estate rights or service rights
This essay addresses a significant imperial dimension of the soslovie question by analyzing the estate status of the religious servitors of Russia’s non-Orthodox faiths (the “foreign confessions”). Its goal is to ascertain the extent to which one may discern a clerical estate (dukhovnoe sostoianie) for the foreign confessions, the standards by which individuals were recognized as belonging to non-Orthodox clergies, and the rights and privileges t…
Empire, Religious Freedom, and the Legal Regulation of "Mixed" Marriages in Russia
Imperial Rule
Renowned academics compare major features of imperial rule in the 19th century, reflecting a significant shift away from nationalism and toward empires in the studies of state building. The book responds to the current interest in multi-unit formations, such as the European Union and the expanded outreach of the United States. National historical narratives have systematically marginalized imperial dimensions, yet empires play an important role. …
Russia's Steppe Frontier: The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500-1800 (review)
Reviewed by: Russia’s Steppe Frontier: The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500 – 1800 Paul W. Werth Russia’s Steppe Frontier: The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500 – 1800. By Michael Khodarkovsky. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. Although Russia became the largest land empire in modern times, only recently have historians devoted sustained attention to the imperial dimensions of Russia’s past. Michael Khodarkovsky has made significant c…
From Resistance to Subversion: Imperial Power, Indigenous Opposition, and Their Entanglement
From Resistance to Subversion:Imperial Power, Indigenous Opposition, and Their Entanglement Paul W. Werth (bio) To the extent that colonial rule, with its arrogant pretensions of cultural and political superiority, has been construed by the academy as morally illegitimate, it has perhaps been natural for students of colonialism in Russia, too, to seek examples of indigenous resistance to that rule as a way of confirming its illegitimacy and locat…
The Limits of Religious Ascription: Baptized Tatars and the Revision of "Apostasy," 1840s-1905
The Russian ReviewVolume 59, Issue 4 p. 493-511 The Limits of Religious Ascription: Baptized Tatars and the Revision of “Apostasy,” 1840s–1905† Paul W. Werth, Paul W. Werth University of Nevada, Las VegasSearch for more papers by this author Paul W. Werth, Paul W. Werth University of Nevada, Las VegasSearch for more papers by this author First published: 17 December 2002 https://doi.org/10.1111/0036-0341.00138Citations: 5Read the full textAboutPD…
From 'Pagan' Muslims to 'Baptized' Communists: Religious Conversion and Ethnic Particularity in Russia's Eastern Provinces
This article argues for the culturally productive power of imperial rule by exploring how missionary projects in Russia constituted new understandings of ethnic particularity among one group of imperial subjects—baptized Tatars, or Kräshens. 3 I demonstrate that while many Tatars who had been formally baptized into Christianity sought to rejoin the Tatar Islamic community over the course of the nineteenth century, a perhaps larger group, slowly a…
Armed Defiance and Biblical Appropriation: Assimilation and the Transformation of Mordvin Resistance, 1740–1810
If until recently Western investigations of “the nationalities question” in Russia and the Soviet Union focused almost exclusively on the larger and more visible “nations” that enjoyed union-republic status in the Soviet period, scholars have now begun to devote more sustained collective attention to the history of smaller ethnic groups that received only “autonomous” units within the Russian republic itself. For many of these peoples, subjected …
Baptism, Authority, and the Problem ofZakonnost'in Orenburg Diocese: The Induction of over 800 "Pagans" into the Christian Faith
In 1846, theOrenburg Provincial Gazettecarried a brief account of the recent baptism of over 800 Mari pagans in a "distant corner" of Birsk district. As the newspaper reported, District Chief N. Bludarov, accompanied by his assistants and a priest, "by gradually gaining the trust of the Cheremis [Maris], finally succeeded in shaking their obdurate superstition by means of persuasion. At first only a few, then a large number, and finally by whole …
Through the prison of prostitution: State, society and power∗
(1994). Through the prison of prostitution : State, society and power. Social History: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 1-15
From Resistance to Subversion: Imperial Power, Indigenous Opposition, and Their Entanglement
From Resistance to Subversion:Imperial Power, Indigenous Opposition, and Their Entanglement Paul W. Werth (bio) To the extent that colonial rule, with its arrogant pretensions of cultural and political superiority, has been construed by the academy as morally illegitimate, it has perhaps been natural for students of colonialism in Russia, too, to seek examples of indigenous resistance to that rule as a way of confirming its illegitimacy and locat…
From 'Pagan' Muslims to 'Baptized' Communists: Religious Conversion and Ethnic Particularity in Russia's Eastern Provinces
This article argues for the culturally productive power of imperial rule by exploring how missionary projects in Russia constituted new understandings of ethnic particularity among one group of imperial subjects—baptized Tatars, or Kräshens. 3 I demonstrate that while many Tatars who had been formally baptized into Christianity sought to rejoin the Tatar Islamic community over the course of the nineteenth century, a perhaps larger group, slowly a…
Through the prison of prostitution: State, society and power∗
(1994). Through the prison of prostitution : State, society and power. Social History: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 1-15
Empire, Religious Freedom, and the Legal Regulation of "Mixed" Marriages in Russia
The Limits of Religious Ascription: Baptized Tatars and the Revision of "Apostasy," 1840s-1905
The Russian ReviewVolume 59, Issue 4 p. 493-511 The Limits of Religious Ascription: Baptized Tatars and the Revision of “Apostasy,” 1840s–1905† Paul W. Werth, Paul W. Werth University of Nevada, Las VegasSearch for more papers by this author Paul W. Werth, Paul W. Werth University of Nevada, Las VegasSearch for more papers by this author First published: 17 December 2002 https://doi.org/10.1111/0036-0341.00138Citations: 5Read the full textAboutPD…
Nomadic Nobles: Pastoralism and Privilege in the Russian Empire
Probing the manner in which Kazakhs attained noble status in the Russian empire, this article explores a neglected aspect of the country's social history. Recognizing that nobility is typically associated with landowning in a feudal order, we explore how this status also found application in the steppe. Based on diverse sources and comparison with other ethnic elites, we regard Kazakh ennoblement not only as a way of recognizing a traditional nom…
Baptism, Authority, and the Problem ofZakonnost'in Orenburg Diocese: The Induction of over 800 "Pagans" into the Christian Faith
In 1846, theOrenburg Provincial Gazettecarried a brief account of the recent baptism of over 800 Mari pagans in a "distant corner" of Birsk district. As the newspaper reported, District Chief N. Bludarov, accompanied by his assistants and a priest, "by gradually gaining the trust of the Cheremis [Maris], finally succeeded in shaking their obdurate superstition by means of persuasion. At first only a few, then a large number, and finally by whole …
Through the prison of prostitution: State, society and power∗
(1994). Through the prison of prostitution : State, society and power. Social History: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 1-15
Baptism, Authority, and the Problem ofZakonnost'in Orenburg Diocese: The Induction of over 800 "Pagans" into the Christian Faith
In 1846, theOrenburg Provincial Gazettecarried a brief account of the recent baptism of over 800 Mari pagans in a "distant corner" of Birsk district. As the newspaper reported, District Chief N. Bludarov, accompanied by his assistants and a priest, "by gradually gaining the trust of the Cheremis [Maris], finally succeeded in shaking their obdurate superstition by means of persuasion. At first only a few, then a large number, and finally by whole …
Armed Defiance and Biblical Appropriation: Assimilation and the Transformation of Mordvin Resistance, 1740–1810
If until recently Western investigations of “the nationalities question” in Russia and the Soviet Union focused almost exclusively on the larger and more visible “nations” that enjoyed union-republic status in the Soviet period, scholars have now begun to devote more sustained collective attention to the history of smaller ethnic groups that received only “autonomous” units within the Russian republic itself. For many of these peoples, subjected …
From Resistance to Subversion: Imperial Power, Indigenous Opposition, and Their Entanglement
From Resistance to Subversion:Imperial Power, Indigenous Opposition, and Their Entanglement Paul W. Werth (bio) To the extent that colonial rule, with its arrogant pretensions of cultural and political superiority, has been construed by the academy as morally illegitimate, it has perhaps been natural for students of colonialism in Russia, too, to seek examples of indigenous resistance to that rule as a way of confirming its illegitimacy and locat…
The Limits of Religious Ascription: Baptized Tatars and the Revision of "Apostasy," 1840s-1905
The Russian ReviewVolume 59, Issue 4 p. 493-511 The Limits of Religious Ascription: Baptized Tatars and the Revision of “Apostasy,” 1840s–1905† Paul W. Werth, Paul W. Werth University of Nevada, Las VegasSearch for more papers by this author Paul W. Werth, Paul W. Werth University of Nevada, Las VegasSearch for more papers by this author First published: 17 December 2002 https://doi.org/10.1111/0036-0341.00138Citations: 5Read the full textAboutPD…
From 'Pagan' Muslims to 'Baptized' Communists: Religious Conversion and Ethnic Particularity in Russia's Eastern Provinces
This article argues for the culturally productive power of imperial rule by exploring how missionary projects in Russia constituted new understandings of ethnic particularity among one group of imperial subjects—baptized Tatars, or Kräshens. 3 I demonstrate that while many Tatars who had been formally baptized into Christianity sought to rejoin the Tatar Islamic community over the course of the nineteenth century, a perhaps larger group, slowly a…
Russia's Steppe Frontier: The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500-1800 (review)
Reviewed by: Russia’s Steppe Frontier: The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500 – 1800 Paul W. Werth Russia’s Steppe Frontier: The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500 – 1800. By Michael Khodarkovsky. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. Although Russia became the largest land empire in modern times, only recently have historians devoted sustained attention to the imperial dimensions of Russia’s past. Michael Khodarkovsky has made significant c…
Imperial Rule
Renowned academics compare major features of imperial rule in the 19th century, reflecting a significant shift away from nationalism and toward empires in the studies of state building. The book responds to the current interest in multi-unit formations, such as the European Union and the expanded outreach of the United States. National historical narratives have systematically marginalized imperial dimensions, yet empires play an important role. …
Empire, Religious Freedom, and the Legal Regulation of "Mixed" Marriages in Russia
Soslovie and the “Foreign” Clergies of Imperial Russia: Estate rights or service rights?
This essay addresses a significant imperial dimension of the soslovie question by analyzing the estate status of the religious servitors of Russia’s non-Orthodox faiths (the “foreign confessions”). Its goal is to ascertain the extent to which one may discern a clerical estate (dukhovnoe sostoianie) for the foreign confessions, the standards by which individuals were recognized as belonging to non-Orthodox clergies, and the rights and privileges t…
Soslovie and the “Foreign” Clergies of Imperial Russia: Estate rights or service rights
This essay addresses a significant imperial dimension of the soslovie question by analyzing the estate status of the religious servitors of Russia’s non-Orthodox faiths (the “foreign confessions”). Its goal is to ascertain the extent to which one may discern a clerical estate (dukhovnoe sostoianie) for the foreign confessions, the standards by which individuals were recognized as belonging to non-Orthodox clergies, and the rights and privileges t…
The Tsar's Foreign Faiths: Toleration and the Fate of Religious Freedom in Imperial Russia
This volume explores the scope and character of religious freedom for Russia's diverse non-Orthodox religions during the tzarist regime
The Congress of Vienna: Power and Politics after Napoleon by Brian E. Vick
The Congress of Vienna: Power and Politics after Napoleon, by Brian E. Vick. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2014. 448 pp. $45.00 US (cloth). This engaging work provides an innovative approach to Congress of Vienna by placing its deliberations in a wider political, cultural, and social context. The author, Brian E. Vick, construes both diplomacy and Congress in broad terms that encompass festivals, publications, marketing, salons, and other …
Nation and Empire, Success and Failure
What Is a “Minority” in an Imperial Formation
Is minority a term applicable to groups in the Russian Empire, as an imperial formation? This article seeks to answer this question by engaging with two others: (1) Was there a term (or terms) that conveyed that idea? And, (2) Was there a historical experience among particular segments of that society with attributes that we may associate with “minorities”? The article proposes that, on the one hand, there can be no minorities unless a majority h…
Diversity and Unity in the Administration of the Russian Empire’s “Foreign Faiths”
In this article, which is an abridged version of the monograph’s chapter [Paul W. Werth, The Tsar’s Foreign Faiths: Toleration and the Fate of Religious Freedom in Imperial Russia (Oxford, 2014)], the author examines the history of the organization of the system of administration of “foreign confessions” — non-Orthodox religious communities in Russia in the last third of the 18th — mid 19th century. According to the author, this system, which he …
The Defiantly Unfashionable Dr LeDonne: 4Th Contribution to the Forum about Forging a Unitary State: Russia’s Management of the Eurasian Space, 1650–1850 by John P. LeDonne
John P. LeDonne’s Forging of a Unitary State represents the culmination of a long and illustrious career in the study of various aspects of Russia’s early-modern experience. This review offers a critical assessment of this important monograph, focusing above all on the author’s contrarian conception of Russia-as-empire and his defiant determination to shun the fashionable in favor of the fundamental. It pays particular attention to LeDonne’s clai…
Nomadic Nobles: Pastoralism and Privilege in the Russian Empire
Probing the manner in which Kazakhs attained noble status in the Russian empire, this article explores a neglected aspect of the country's social history. Recognizing that nobility is typically associated with landowning in a feudal order, we explore how this status also found application in the steppe. Based on diverse sources and comparison with other ethnic elites, we regard Kazakh ennoblement not only as a way of recognizing a traditional nom…
The Age of Revolution in Microhistory
Knock-Knock-Knockin' on an Open Door
This "viewpoint" essay offers a response to the article by Catherine Gibson and Anton Kotenko, "Horizontal Threads." After recounting the article's main propositions, the essay assesses its argument and the potential that its program represents for the study of the Russian empire's spatial history
Political science (15 works) · History (12 works) · Law (12 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Politics (10 works) · Empire (9 works) · Philosophy (8 works) · Soviet and Russian History (8 works) · History (7 works) · Ancient history (6 works)