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  1. The Church/
  2. Church History

Holy Fools in Byzantium and Beyond

by Sergey A. Ivanov

  • Hardback
  • 496 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
  • 14 x 21.6 x 3.2 cm

£144.84

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For those interested in unique religious figures

Uncovers the mystery of unconventional saints

You will gain insights into spiritual paradoxes and history

This book explores the fascinating world of holy fools in Orthodox Christianity.

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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.
Holy Fools in Byzantium and Beyond and The Essential History of Christianity
The Essential History of ChristianityHoly Fools in Byzantium and Beyond

  • Author

    Sergey A. Ivanov

  • Book Format

    Hardback

  • Publisher

    Oxford University Press

  • Published

    April 2006

  • Weight

    772g

  • Page Count

    496

  • Dimensions

    14 x 21.6 x 3.2 cm

  • ISBN

    9780199272518

  • ISBN-10

    0199272514

  • Eden Code

    1147372

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