Icon of Blessed St. Xenia of Petersburg, a 18th century fool-for-Christ.

Foolishness for Christ refers to behavior motivated by real or assumed craziness, to serve a religious purpose of Christianity. The term fools for Christ is attributed to Saint Paul. Saint Francis of Assisi and other saints acted the part of Holy Fools, as have the yurodivy of Eastern Orthodox asceticism. Fools for Christ often employ shocking, unconventional behavior to challenge accepted norms, deliver prophecies or to mask their piety.^[1] There are also parallels in non-Christian Oriental religion, notably amongst Zen monks, and the Mahasiddhas traditions.

Old Testament

Some prophets of the Old Testament, who had signs of strange behaviour, are considered to be predecessors of "Fools for Christ".^[2] Prophet Isaiah walked naked and barefooted about three years predicting a forthcoming captivity in Egypt ; prophet Ezekiel lay before a stone, which symbolized beleaguered Jerusalem, and ate a bread baked on human waste ; Hosea married a harlot to symbolize the infidelity of Israel before God . The prophets were not counted as fools, as they just made separate actions to attract people's attention and to awake their repentance. All the above actions were reportedly inspired by God and corresponded to His will on prophet services.^[3]

New Testament

The Soul of the People, a painting by Mikhail Nesterov.

According to Christian ideas, "foolishness" included consistent rejection of worldly cares and imitating Christ, who endured mockery and humiliation from the crowd. That's why, spiritual meaning of "foolishness" from the early ages of Christianity was close to unacceptance of common social rules of hypocrisy, brutality and thirst for power and gains.^[3]

By the words of Anthony the Great: "Here comes the time, when people will behave like madmen, and if they see anybody who does not behave like that, they will rebel against him and say:"You are mad", - because he is not like them."^[4]

Part of the Biblical basis for it can be seen in the words of the Apostle Paul in , which famously says:

"We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised." (KJV).

And also:

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness." ()

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." ()

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe." ()

Western Christianity

The most famous example in the Western church is St. Francis of Assisi and a more recent Western example of XIX-th century is St. Benedict Joseph Labre.

Eastern Orthodoxy

Bas relief icon of Blessed Basil of Moscow (St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow).

The Eastern Orthodox Church records Isidora Barankis of Egypt (d. 369) among the first Holy Fools. However, the term was not popularized until the coming of Symeon of Emesa, who is considered to be a patron saint of holy fools^[5][6]. In Greek, the term for Holy Fool is salos.

The yurodivy () is the Russian version of Foolishness in Christ (Russian: ????????, yurodstvo or jurodstvo), a peculiar form of Eastern Orthodox asceticism. The yurodivy is a Holy Fool, one who acts intentionally foolish in the eyes of men. He or she often goes around half-naked, is homeless, speaks in riddles, is believed to be clairvoyant and a prophet, and may occasionally be disruptive and challenging to the point of seeming immorality (though always to make a point).

The practice was recognised in the hagiography of fifth-century Byzantium, and it was extensively adopted in Muscovite Russia, probably in the 14th century.

The madness of the yurodivy was ambiguous, and could be real or simulated. He (or she) was believed to have been divinely inspired, and was therefore able to say truths which others could not, normally in the form of indirect allusions or parables. He had a particular status in regard to the Tsars, as a figure not subject to earthly control or judgement.

The first reported fool-for-Christ in Russia was St. Procopius (Prokopiy), who came from the lands of the Holy Roman Empire to Novgorod, then moved to Ustyug, pretending to be a fool and leading an ascetic way of life (slept naked on church-porches, prayed throughout the whole night, received food only from poor people). He was abused and beaten, but finally won respect and became venerated after his death.^[7]

One of the best-known modern example in the Russian Church is perhaps St Xenia of Saint Petersburg.

The Russian Orthodox Church numbers 36 yurodivye among its saints, most prominently Basil Fool for Christ, who gives his name to Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. Fools for Christ are often given the title of Blessed (??????????), which among the Orthodox does not necessarily mean that the individual is less than a saint (as in the Roman Catholic Church), but rather points to the blessings from God that they are believed to have acquired.

The yurodivy in art and literature

After the 17th century the yurodivy existed more in the arts than in real life. Prominent examples are the fool in Boris Godunov, Pavel's mother in The Brothers Karamazov and Prince Myshkin in The Idiot. Another fool-for-Christ Grisha was described in Leo Tolstoy's book "Childhood. Boyhood. Youth".^[7] The composer Dmitri Shostakovich and the pianist Maria Yudina have been cited as 20th century examples of the type .

Film References

• The Island (also known as Ostrov), a movie telling the life story of (fictional) Father Anatoly, in 1970s Russia.
• The Red Western The Burning Miles.
• The character Kayom in At Home Among Strangers, who quickly turns from foe to friend can be seen as such a figure.
• In the film Andrei Rublev, a yurodivy character, "Durochka," is played by director Andrei Tarkovsky's wife Irma Raush.

See also

• Simeon the Holy Fool
• Andrew of Constantinople
• Basil Fool for Christ
• David the Dendrite
• Xenia of Saint Petersburg
• John the Hairy
• Blessed John of Moscow the Fool-For-Christ
• Sign of contradiction
• God: Sole Satisfier
• Nick Bottom the weaver character in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, (modelled on St Paul, tentmaker) who undergoes a transfiguration during an enchanted evening where mere temporal creatures encounter transcendent creatures both legendary and ethereal/ celestial.

Notes

References

• Russia and the Russians, Geoffrey Hosking; ISBN 0-14-029788-X
• Yurodstvo, by S.Kobets

External links

• Holy Fools for Christ
• St. Andrew, Fool-for-Christ-sake
• "Foolishness-for-Christ", Article on Pravmir Portal
• "Holy Fools for Christ"

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