Cynicism, Holy Foolishness and Holiness

This article by Tatiana Goritcheva examines the relationship between contemporary cynicism and holy foolishness as a form of sanctity. Adopting both a philosophical and theological approach, the author first analyzes post-nihilist cynicism as described by Sloterdijk, Glucksmann and Deleuze, demonstrating its parallel manifestations in the West and in the Soviet Union. She then identifies several intermediary figures — the idealized schizophrenic, the pseudo holy fool of the Kierkegaardian type, the "Cynic" in the manner of Diogenes — as so many counterfeits of genuine holy foolishness. The theological contribution of the article lies in its demonstration that sanctity, and more particularly *yourodstvo*, constitutes the only authentic response to cynicism: not an escape, but an active eschatological freedom, rooted in obedience to God and oriented toward the transfiguration of the world.