Sophiology

Sophiology (from Greek Σοφία "Sophia (wisdom)") (in Russian София) is a philosophical concept regarding wisdom, as well as a theological concept regarding the wisdom of God. Sophiology has roots in Hellenistic tradition, Platonism, Gnosticism, Christian mysticism (Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Jakob Böhme (1575–1624), Jane Leade (1624-1704)), Esoteric Christianity (Rosicrucianism), Orthodox Christianity, Wisdom Theology, nineteenth and twentieth century Russian Theology (Sergei Bulgakov through the influence of Vladimir Solovyov), New Age spirituality, as well as contemporary feminism. Some see Sophia as a deity in her own right, others see her as representing the Bride of Christ (Revelation 19), others as a feminine aspect of God representing wisdom (Proverbs 8 and 9), and others as a theological concept regarding the wisdom of God.

Bibliography

* Sergei Bulgakov, "Sophia, the Wisdom of God: An Outline of Sophiology (Library of Russian Philosophy)", Lindisfarne Books, 1993. (ISBN-10: 0940262606, ISBN-13: 978-0940262607)
* Oleg A. Donskikh, ‘Cultural roots of Russian Sophiology’, "Sophia", 34(2), 1995, pp38-57
* Priscilla Hunt, "The Wisdom Iconography of Light: The Genesis, Meaning and Iconographic Realization of a Symbol" due to appear in “'Spor o Sofii' v Khristianskoi Kul’ture", V.L. Ianin, A.E. Musin, ed., Novgorodskii Gos. Universitet, forthcoming in 2008
* Priscilla Hunt, "Confronting the End: The Interpretation of the Last Judgment in a Novgorod Wisdom Icon", Byzantino-Slavica, 65, 2007, 275-325
* Priscilla Hunt, "The Novgorod Sophia Icon and 'The Problem of Old Russian Culture' Between Orthodoxy and Sophiology", Symposion: A Journal of Russian Thought, vol. 4-5, (2000), 1-41
* Priscilla Hunt "Andrei Rublev’s Old Testament Trinity Icon in Cultural Context", The Trinity-Sergius Lavr in Russian History and Culture: Readings in Russian Religious Culture, vol. 3, Deacon Vladimir Tsurikov, ed., Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2006, 99-122
* Caitlin Matthews, "Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom" (London: Mandala, 1991) ISBN 0044405901
* Brenda Meehan, ‘Wisdom/Sophia, Russian identity, and Western feminist theology’, "Cross Currents", 46(2), 1996, pp149-168
* Thomas Schipflinger, "Sophia-Maria" (in German: 1988; English translation: York Beach, ME: Samuel Wiser, 1998) ISBN 1578630223
* Mikhail Sergeev, "Sophiology in Russian Orthodoxy: Solov’ev, Bulgakov, Losskii, Berdiaev" (Edwin Mellen Press, 2007) ISBN 0773456090 and ISBN 9780773456099, 248 pages
* Arthur Versluis, "Theosophia: hidden dimensions of Christianity" (Hudson, NY: Lindisfarne Press, 1994) ISBN 0940262649
* Arthur Versluis, "Wisdom’s children: a Christian esoteric tradition" (Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 1999) ISBN 0791443302
* Arthur Versluis (ed.) "Wisdom’s book: the Sophia anthology" (St.Paul, Min: Paragon House, 2000) ISBN 1557787832

ee also

*Sophia
*Holy Wisdom
*Theosophy
*Hildegard of Bingen
*Jakob Böhme
*Jane Leade
*Pavel Florensky
*Sergei Bulgakov
*Vladimir Solovyov
*Theophilus of Antioch
*Hagia Sophia
*Pistis Sophia
*Sophia of Jesus Christ
*Valentinus
*The Order of Christ Sophia
*Chokhmah
*Sophism
*Phronesis
*Christian mysticism
*Esoteric Christianity
*Gnostic Christianity
*Gnosticism

On-line resources

Icons and images of Sophia (Holy Wisdom):

* [http://stnicholas-billings.org/Saints/Theotokos/sophiawisdom.htm "Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God"] - A good brief overview of the Sophia icon
* [http://www.saintmarymagdalen.com/eileen/e_icon53.htm Sophia - Divine Wisdom, by Eileen McGuckin, "Icon 53"]
* [http://www.saintmarymagdalen.com/eileen/e_icon72.htm Sophia - Divine Wisdom, by Eileen McGuckin, "Icon 72"]
* [http://www.skete.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=532 Holy Wisdom (early 18th century)]
* [http://www.russianicons.net/index.php?lang=en&data=view&zoek=categorie&show=ov&id=220 Another icon of Sophia]

Film:

* [http://www.sophiasecretwisdom.com/sophia_02.19.pdf Hartley Film Foundation, "Sophia: Secret Wisdom"] - By John McGuckin and others

Essays related to Sophia or Sophiology:

* [http://www.ifil.uz.zgora.pl/index.php?id=86,187,0,0,1,0 Lilianna Kiejzik on the emergence of the study of Sophia (Sophiology) in Russian philosophy] - in Polish
* [http://home.planet.nl/~chotki//introduction_to_sophiology.htm Gregorios Wassen, "Introduction to Sophiology"]
* [http://home.planet.nl/~chotki/sophia%201.htm Gregorios Wassen, "The Divine Sophia in the Holy Trinity"]
* [http://home.planet.nl/~chotki/sophia_in_bulgakov.htm Gregorios Wassen, "Sophia in Fr. Sergius Bulgakov's Theological Thought"]
* [http://www.geocities.com/sbulgakovsociety/seiling_florensk_conf_final.rtf Jonathan Seiling, "Kant's Third Antinomy and Spinoza's Substance in the Sophiology of Florenskii and Bulgakov"] - Presented at Florensky conference in Moscow, September 2005
* [http://www.theandros.com/parallelvis.html Joseph H. J. Leach, "Parallel Visions - A consideration of the work of Pavel Florensky and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin"] - Contains a section on Sophia
* [http://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/CARTS/Wisdom.html Cambridge Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, "The Figure of Wisdom in the Patristic Tradition"]
* [http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1541 Discussion thread at Monachos.net: "Sophia in the patristic tradition"]
*it icon [http://www.unipa.it/dicem/html/pubblicazioni/pan2003/19.Gambino_Ros.pdf La Sofia Come Quarta Ipostasi Tra Dio e Il Mondo] - By Rosanna Gambino

In other traditions:

* [http://www.northernway.org/sophia.html Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom & God's Bride]
* [http://www.crcsite.org/ViriginSophia.htm Virgin Sophia - Rosicrucian Library]
* [http://www.timelessmyths.com/mirrors/gnostic.php Dark Mirrors of Heaven: Gnostic Cosmogony]

Bibliographic:

* [http://www.geocities.com/sbulgakovsociety/sergeev_sophia_bibliography.doc Bibliography] - From Mikhail Sergeev, "Sophiology in Russian Orthodoxy: Solov’ev, Bulgakov, Losskii and Berdiaev". Lewiston, Maine: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2006
* [http://www.geocities.com/sbulgakovsociety/sophiology_online_resources.doc Sophiology - Selected Online Resources] - Compiled by Robert Thompson
* [http://lesserg4mini.cs.umass.edu/~lesser/Priscilla_Academic/Articles.html Divine Wisdom articles compiled by Priscilla Hunt]