foolishness for Christ

Basil Fool for Christ praying. He did not wear clothing either in summer or winter. Fools for Christ often challenge accepted norms to serve a religious purpose. Painting by Sergei Kirillov, 1994.

Foolishness for Christ (Greek: διά Χριστόν σαλότητα; Church Slavonic: оуродъ, юродъ) refers to behavior such as giving up all one's worldly possessions upon joining an ascetic order or religious life, or deliberately flouting society's conventions to serve a religious purpose—particularly of Christianity. Such individuals have historically been known as both "holy fools" and "blessed fools". The term "fool" connotes what is perceived as feeblemindedness, and "blessed" or "holy" refers to innocence in the eyes of God.