Presented at the 2024 CiRCE National Conference: A Contemplation of Prudence.

For many people, Prudence and her sister, Wisdom, are demonstrated by a person’s ability to speak intelligently in a beautiful way. Some people may extend that not just to speech but also to action. Prudence and Wisdom know when to speak and when not to, and they know when and how to act, and when not to. But what about foolishness? Why did medieval courts have jesters? Why does the Church embrace the “holy fool,” and why does St. Paul praise us for being “fools for Christ?” Join Dr. Matthew Bianco as he considers foolishness and how can it be a part of our prudence and wisdom.