Sophiology

Holy Wisdom (Yaroslavl, 19th c, priv.coll)

Sophiology

What Is Sophiology? Sophiology (Софиология, by detractors also called Sophianism Софианство or Sophism Софизм) is a controversial school of thought in Russian Orthodoxy which holds that Divine Wisdom (or Sophia) is to be identified with God’s essence, and that the Divine Wisdom is in some way expressed in the world as ‘creaturely’ wisdom. This notion has often...

Reconstruction of the Hagia Sophia basilica (section)

Sophia (wisdom)

Sophia (wisdom) Sophia (σοφία sophía “wisdom“) is a central idea in Hellenistic philosophy and religion, Platonism, Gnosticism, and Christian theology. Originally carrying a meaning of “cleverness, skill”, the later meaning of the term, close to the meaning of Phronesis (“wisdom, intelligence”), was significantly shaped by the term philosophy (“love of wisdom”) as used by Plato. In...

Mosaïques de l'entrée sud-ouest de Sainte-Sophie (Istanbul, Turquie)

Holy Wisdom

What Is Holy Wisdom? Holy Wisdom (Greek Ἁγία Σοφία, Latin Sancta Sapientia, Russian Святая София Премудрость Божия “Holy Sophia, Divine Wisdom”) is a concept in Christian theology. Christian theology received the Old Testament personification of Wisdom (Chokhmah) as well as the concept of Wisdom (Sophia) from Greek philosophy, especially Platonism. In Christology, Christ the Logos as...