Sanctity Unveiled - The Holy Fool in Apophthegmata Patrum (Gk. Syst.) VIII 32

Authors

  • Magnus Halle Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, LUX, Lund University, Box 192 SE-22100 Lund, Sweden e-mail: magnushalle@gmail.com

Keywords:

Apophthegmata Patrum, Concealed Sanctity, Secret Saints, Holy Fools

Abstract

Only a small handful of pre-seventh-century texts shed light on the early tradiiton of holy foolery, an ascetic practice in which a holy man or woman conceals his or her true identity by feigning madness. This paper explores how the sanctity of an anonymous monk who plays the fool is discovered in one of the least studied texts from this period (APanon N 408 / APsys VIII 32 of the Apophthegmata Patrum). The analysis of this brief narrative text reveals that a nuanced understanding of holy foolery existed at a very early date.

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