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 1
... tell him apart from a real, non-pretend fool or delinquent?); yet if he does reveal himself, the holy fool subverts his own vocation. If he has no intention of edifying anybody, then he could far more easily avoid worldly renown if he ...
... tell him apart from a real, non-pretend fool or delinquent?); yet if he does reveal himself, the holy fool subverts his own vocation. If he has no intention of edifying anybody, then he could far more easily avoid worldly renown if he ...
Page 7
... tells of how a certain man decided to expose a thief's crimes: 'He went into the church, took off his clothes and began to make as if he was possessed by demons (ðïØå ̃Øí Æıôeí äÆØìïíØæüìåíïí), shouting incoherently.' Horror-struck, the ...
... tells of how a certain man decided to expose a thief's crimes: 'He went into the church, took off his clothes and began to make as if he was possessed by demons (ðïØå ̃Øí Æıôeí äÆØìïíØæüìåíïí), shouting incoherently.' Horror-struck, the ...
Page 8
... tells of such pseudo-exorcists in Byzantium,16 while the vita of Lazaros Galesiotes has evidence for the existence of the pseudo-insane.17 Nor should the label of holy foolery be applied to those who may feign insanity in order to ...
... tells of such pseudo-exorcists in Byzantium,16 while the vita of Lazaros Galesiotes has evidence for the existence of the pseudo-insane.17 Nor should the label of holy foolery be applied to those who may feign insanity in order to ...
Page 28
... tells lies, or utters prophecies, or commits fornication, or talks nonsense, say: 'This is not for me.' The world ridicules madmen for their madness, for they cannot tell who is mocking them and who respects them, and so they will ...
... tells lies, or utters prophecies, or commits fornication, or talks nonsense, say: 'This is not for me.' The world ridicules madmen for their madness, for they cannot tell who is mocking them and who respects them, and so they will ...
Page 30
... tells of how a disciple persuaded the holy man to visit his (the disciple's) father's house: He ran into his house, saying'come out and meet the recluse'. And when from a distance the holy man saw them coming out with lamps, he guessed ...
... tells of how a disciple persuaded the holy man to visit his (the disciple's) father's house: He ran into his house, saying'come out and meet the recluse'. And when from a distance the holy man saw them coming out with lamps, he guessed ...
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
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