Jesus, the holy fool : an archetypal study of the gospel Jesus

Abstract

Though at first glance the title, Jesus the Holy Fool: an Archetypal Study of the Gospel Jesus, might seem iconoclastic, even irreverent, this topic represents "cutting edge" explorations in Christology and holds implications not only for spirituality but also for ecclesiology. It is my premise that based on the words and actions of Jesus in the gospels, as well as on the negative reactions he evoked from the establishment, "Holy Fool" is actually a valid Christological title. Just as there is a biblical basis for naming Jesus as "Son of Man," "Messiah," "Suffering Servant," "Logos" and "Son of God," so, too, there is a biblical basis for naming Jesus as Holy Fool. While some Christological interpretations have been influenced by the intellectual trends of a particular era --by Marxism, for example, or by Freudian analysis, those interpretations which are grounded in the testimony of the four evangelists carry a "higher authority" --the authority of the earliest faith statements about Jesus and of the representation of decisive events in his life. The Christological title "Holy Fool" is implied rather than specifically stated. From the scriptures, we learn that Jesus was regarded as "mad" by his family and as "possessed" by the religious establishment; others laughed at him and at his claims, looked down on him because of his table company, ridiculed his teachings and, finally, mocked him as a false king before putting him to death as a common criminal. In this project, I demonstrate that throughout his life and through his teachings, Jesus was willing to appear as a fool for the sake of God's reign; moreover, I explain that his parables, paradoxes and the Beatitudes advocate a way of life that is grounded in Holy Foolishness. My research, built as it is on a seemingly negative Christology, presents Holy Foolishness as a paradigm for the Christian journey.