Holy Fools in Byzantium and BeyondOUP Oxford, 2006 M04 6 - 492 pages There are saints in Orthodox Christian culture who overturn the conventional concept of sainthood. Their conduct may be unruly and salacious, they may blaspheme and even kill - yet, mysteriously, those around them treat them with even more reverence. Such saints are called 'holy fools'. In this pioneering study Sergey A. Ivanov examines the phenomenon of holy foolery from a cultural standpoint. He identifies its prerequisites and its development in religious thought, and traces the emergence of the first hagiographic texts describing these paradoxical saints. He describes the beginnings of holy foolery in Egyptian monasteries of the fifth century, followed by its high point in the cities of Byzantium, with an eventual decline in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. He also compares the important Russian tradition of holy fools, which in some form has survived to this day. |
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Page 5
... God's instruction to Abraham that he sacrifice his son, or the. 11 L. Levi Macarius, Le sacré et la violation des interdits (Paris, 1984), 269–76. 12 E. A. Gorobinskaia and L. M. Nemchenko, 'Simuliatsiia iurodstva', Russkaia literatura ...
... God's instruction to Abraham that he sacrifice his son, or the. 11 L. Levi Macarius, Le sacré et la violation des interdits (Paris, 1984), 269–76. 12 E. A. Gorobinskaia and L. M. Nemchenko, 'Simuliatsiia iurodstva', Russkaia literatura ...
Page 13
... God (Deut. 18:20), sometimes against his own will (1 Kgdms. 18:10), as if he no longer has his own human identity. The ... God's will. In the Septuagint a people is called 'foolish and without understanding (ìøæeò ŒÆd IŒÜæäØïò)' when it ...
... God (Deut. 18:20), sometimes against his own will (1 Kgdms. 18:10), as if he no longer has his own human identity. The ... God's will. In the Septuagint a people is called 'foolish and without understanding (ìøæeò ŒÆd IŒÜæäØïò)' when it ...
Page 18
... God's will,11 but already the apostle Paul, discussing reason and foolishness, proceeds from Greek axioms about 'common sense'. In the earliest Christian texts, therefore, even praise for foolishness entails a tacit acknowledgement of ...
... God's will,11 but already the apostle Paul, discussing reason and foolishness, proceeds from Greek axioms about 'common sense'. In the earliest Christian texts, therefore, even praise for foolishness entails a tacit acknowledgement of ...
Page 19
... God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ... For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock (óŒÜíäÆoïí), and unto the Greeks foolishness;...but God hath ...
... God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ... For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock (óŒÜíäÆoïí), and unto the Greeks foolishness;...but God hath ...
Page 21
... God wishes people to become foolish (ìøæïýò) in earthly affairs, and intelligent (öæïíßìïıò) in the affairs of heaven. ... We call intelligent those who can perform God's will.18 However, early Christians' reverence for the divine in no ...
... God wishes people to become foolish (ìøæïýò) in earthly affairs, and intelligent (öæïíßìïıò) in the affairs of heaven. ... We call intelligent those who can perform God's will.18 However, early Christians' reverence for the divine in no ...
Contents
1 | |
11 | |
2 Insane Saints | 49 |
3 Lechers and Beggars | 66 |
4 Holy Scandal | 104 |
5 The Second Edition of Holy Foolery | 139 |
6 The New Theologians | 174 |
7 Balancing at the Edge | 195 |
10 The Iurodivyi and the Tsar | 285 |
11 Iurodstvo in an Age of Transition | 311 |
12 Iurodstvo Meets Modernity | 345 |
13 The Eastern Periphery | 359 |
14 The Western Periphery | 374 |
Conclusion | 399 |
Bibliography | 415 |
Index | 457 |
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Common terms and phrases
According already Andrew appears asked became become began behaviour believe blessed Byzantine called canon century Christ Christ’s sake Christian church clothes cultural death demons early elder Emesa episode example fact father foolishness gave give God’s Greek hagiographer hand Hieromonk holy fool holy foolery Ibid icon insanity Ioann iurodivyi iurodstvo Ivan John late later legend Leningrad Leontios lived look madman manuscripts means mentioned monastery monk Moscow motif naked never ŒÆd once original Paris Paul person playing popular possessed pretended prophet referred regarded righteous Russian saint salos sanctity secret seems sense servants spiritual St Petersburg story Studies Symeon tale tells things took town tradition transl translated tsar turned Vasilii vita walked woman women Zhitie