The Christian fool in the century of apophaticism

This article by Tatiana Gorycheva examines the figure of the fool-for-Christ in light of apophaticism as the destiny of modern European culture. Adopting a meditative and philosophical approach, the author articulates mystical theology, history of philosophy, and cultural criticism. She argues that the tradition of holy foolishness constitutes an authentic response to the spiritual crisis of modernity, from Nietzsche's nihilism to contemporary post-modernism. By tracing the apophatic way from Dionysius the Areopagite to Heidegger, through Russian sanctity, Dostoevsky, and Remizov, Gorycheva shows that the fool-for-Christ embodies the most radical form of negative theology: a grotesque and elusive presence that points to an absolutely transcendent God. The contribution of the article is to propose a theological reading of post-modernism that rehabilitates sacred folly as a mode of knowledge of God.