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 8
... called holy foolery, since its aim is practical rather than metaphysical. The same can be said of cases of insanity feigned for the sake of modesty. For example, when Ephrem Syrus was threatened with being consecrated a bishop, he ...
... called holy foolery, since its aim is practical rather than metaphysical. The same can be said of cases of insanity feigned for the sake of modesty. For example, when Ephrem Syrus was threatened with being consecrated a bishop, he ...
Page 13
... called 'foolish and without understanding (ìøæeò ŒÆd IŒÜæäØïò)' when it 'has eyes, and sees not' and when it 'has ears, and hears not' (Jer. 5:21), yet overall the word moros ('foolish', 'stupid') is not common in Precursors and ...
... called 'foolish and without understanding (ìøæeò ŒÆd IŒÜæäØïò)' when it 'has eyes, and sees not' and when it 'has ears, and hears not' (Jer. 5:21), yet overall the word moros ('foolish', 'stupid') is not common in Precursors and ...
Page 14
... called stupid (ìøæüò) all the days of my life than appear dishonourable for a single hour in the sight of the Lord.'4 In the Midrash the commentary on Psalm 34 (= 33 in the Septuagint) notes that: 'in sea-ports fools are called morim'.5 ...
... called stupid (ìøæüò) all the days of my life than appear dishonourable for a single hour in the sight of the Lord.'4 In the Midrash the commentary on Psalm 34 (= 33 in the Septuagint) notes that: 'in sea-ports fools are called morim'.5 ...
Page 37
... called a holy fool. If this is the case, then we have here the first example of holy foolery as it was to become in its heyday, but the author of the text is apparently unaware of its significance, so the story looks somewhat odd. For a ...
... called a holy fool. If this is the case, then we have here the first example of holy foolery as it was to become in its heyday, but the author of the text is apparently unaware of its significance, so the story looks somewhat odd. For a ...
Page 38
... called a mad dog (salos kyon) because of its laugh (see above on the laughing monk), but with regard to his simple-minded pupil, Paul uses the word salos as a form of abuse. Indeed, if anyone here displays any features of holy foolery ...
... called a mad dog (salos kyon) because of its laugh (see above on the laughing monk), but with regard to his simple-minded pupil, Paul uses the word salos as a form of abuse. Indeed, if anyone here displays any features of holy foolery ...
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