Description
Book SynopsisThe image of St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square is a familiar Russian landmark. Saints such as Basil overturn the conventional concept of sainthood - what is saintly about them? This book aims to solve the mystery by exploring the figure of the holy fool in Byzantium and in later Russian history.
Trade ReviewIvanov shows himself to be keenly attuned to all the main questions presented by the phenomenon of holy folly, as well as thedecisive role of the hagiographer...he always manages to add something new, to say something fresh...Still, this book is a gift. Throughly researched, well documented, chock-full of insights- and, one should add, exquisitely translated-it is the best exsisting monograph on the subject. * Peter C. Bouteneff Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies *
A rich and fascinating book * Averil Cameron, Journal of Ecclesiastical History *
Ivanov's volume remains indispensible * Philip Gorski, Sobornost *
...fascinating historical study. * Hugh Wybrew, TLS *
Sergey Ivanov's wide-ranging study... is a welcome new addition to the recently launched series Oxford Studies in Byzantium * SEER *
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Precursors and Emergence of Holy Foolery ; 2. Early Holy Foolery ; 3. The Golden Age of Holy Foolery ; 4. The Decline of Byzantine Holy Foolery ; 5. Holy Foolery's Eastern Periphery ; 6. Holy Foolery's Western Periphery ; 7. Old Russian Iurodstvo ; 8. The Iurodivyi and the Tsar ; 9. Iurodstvo in Transition ; 10. Iurodstvo Meets Modernity
