Apophaticism and Jurodstvo in Contemporary Russian Literature

Authors

• Maria Engström
• Uljana Boikova
• Margarita Gavrilova
• Anna-Maria Hakanen
• Helka Heiskanen
• Sanna Keskinen
• Yana Klebanova
• Tanja Pukonen
• Aleksandr Tikka
• Natalia Zjablitseva

Keywords:

apofaattisuus, houkkuus, nykykirjallisuus

Abstract

This article focuses on the question of the transformation of the Orthodox tradition in the postmodern context. Apophatic theology and the institute of Holy Fools (jurodstvo) are the most hermeneutic and mystical parts of the Byzantine and Russian Orthodox cultures. These practices have now become detached from their original sacral context and are used as rhetorical devices. The process and results of such transgression are studied using examples from the works of Dmitry Prigov and Vladimir Sorokin. In this article, I concentrate on three rhetorical figures that are used by these authors: logogriph, amplification and ostranenie.