Holy Foolishness in Novgorod and Moscow
Lives of St. Prokopii of Ustiug, St. Nicholas Kochanov, St. Theodore of Moscow, St. Basil the Blessed, St. Nicholas Salos (223-231), St. Michael the fool of Klopsko Monastery (236-240).
Find blasphemous, controversial deeds in the Lives of Russian fools for Christ. Compare them with those of Simeon and Andrew.
How are Russian fools presented in their vitae?
Compare Lives of Prokopii of Ustiug and St. Andrew of Constantinople; Lives of St. Basil of Moscow and St. Simeon of Emesa: what biographical data do they contain? Which of them are more explicit? Which of them account for mystical experiences of the saints? What were those experiences? What are the differences between these hagiographies?)
Comment on the composition of the Life of St. Michael the Fool of Klopsko Monastery. What events are included in his life? What do we know about his life prior to his arrival to Klopsko?
What are the characteristics of Michael of Klopsko? Does he resemble any of the saints from our previous readings? In which way?
Which of the Lives we have covered so far dwell on the contentions between the holy fools and the rulers? How are the saints presented in these episodes?
