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“The Spiritual Power of the Outrageous: Holy Fools in Eastern Orthodox Christianity”

Lecture by Priscilla Hunt

Holy Foolishness emerged within Eastern Orthodox Christianity, flourished in medieval Russia, and is alive in Russia today. Originating in ancient Byzantium, its defining characteristic is an imitation of Christ through an exhibition of madness. The fool engages in outrageous behavior to provoke a response from the audience that is a form of spiritual teaching and catalyst to personal change.

This presentation will introduce the holy foolish behavioral paradigm and describe its place in the culture of the Byzantine and Russian Middle Ages. We will investigate how the fool combines madness, provocation, and the holy, and what this tells us about the Russian reception of Eastern Orthodoxy.

April 12, 2016

7:00pm

Gerlinger Lounge

1468 University Street

 

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Sponsored by the University of Oregon Gaston Fund in Religious Studies.