JURODIVYJ. – A title given in Russia to ascetics who, through their conduct, seek to incur the contempt of men and inward freedom in divine service. Such “fools for Christ” have existed both in the West and in the East, e.g., Andrew Salos (q.v.). In Russia, however, they have enjoyed special esteem and have appeared in all social classes down to the present day. Among the most famous was a certain Basil (d. 1552), in whose memory the characteristic church on Moscow’s Red Square—formerly the cathedral of Our Lady of Succour—was erected. This form of piety is obviously exposed to the danger of degeneration.
Bibl.: Gamayoun, Etudes sur la spiritualité populaire russe: I. Les «fous pour le Christ», in Russie et Chrétienté, new series, (1938-39), pp. 57-78.
Bibl.: A. Rebellaia, Bossuet et le protestantisme, 1901, passim; R. Lureau, Les idées politiques de J., Bordeaux 1904; I. Dedieu, Le rôle politique des protestants français, Paris 1921; A. Humbert, s. V. in DTHC, VIII, cols. 1996-2001; J. Vie-ner, Histoire de la Réforme française de l'Edit de Nantes à sa réconcilation, Paris 1926, passim; C. Kaeppler-Vielzeuf, Bibl. chronologique des oeuvres de J., in Bull. de la Soc. de l'hist. du protestantisme français, ibid. 1935, pp. 391-440; R. Struman, La perpétuité de la foi dans la controverse Bossuet-Jurieu (1686-97), in Rev. d'hist. ecclés., 37 (1941), pp. 145-89.