There are only four other figures who are mentioned more than Sophia in Jewish scripture (the Old Testament): Yahweh, Moses, David, and Job. Historically, the authors of the wisdom literature began this feminine reference to Sophia between 33 B.C. This wisdom is Holy Wisdom: Hagia Sophia. It is here that the feminine pronoun is always used and is consistently reflective of the divine presence. There are many other passages, however, that refer to wisdom as a person. Here wisdom is presented as a “thing”-such as wise sayings, proverbs, and moral exhortations. Some passages speak of wisdom as a quality or a truth to guide our lives. Many people think of wisdom as an “it” rather than a “she.” Actually, both of these approaches are accurate, because there are two types of wisdom in the Bible. Feminine pronouns and figures have rarely been used in speaking of God, even though, as I discovered, there are numerous references in the wisdom literature to Divine Wisdom as “she” and plenty of feminine qualities to describe “her.” I knew that God was neither male nor female, yet I also knew God to be consistently described as male and referred to as “he” in Christian images and metaphors. As I prayed, I noticed how Sophia was always referred to as “she.” This amazed me, even though I knew there were many ways to describe and relate to God. I began by reading and meditating each day on one of the scripture passages referring to Holy Wisdom. When my book proposal was accepted, I took a deep gulp and asked myself: “Just what, or who, is this beautiful figure that Proverbs describes as a partner with the Holy One?” That surprising moment was the beginning of a long and wonderful journey of exploration and research. It was this connection that elicited my desire to explore and write about wisdom. Only much later did I realize that the image of little Elizabeth playing among the roses was reflective of the beautiful passage in Proverbs 8 in which Sophia is described as being present at the beginning of creation: “When there were no depths, I was brought forth when God established the heavens, I was there playing before all the while” (Prov. I also had no awareness that this Sophia would offer me a fresh and deeply profound way of relating to the divine. At that time I had very limited knowledge of the biblical books of wisdom and did not know yet that in the Greek translation the words for Holy Wisdom are Hagia Sophia. I wrote a book proposal on something that had enticed me time and again: my attraction to wisdom in scripture. While I watched Elizabeth playing, something stirred in me, and I found myself reaching for pen and paper. We were out in the rose garden where I was enjoying the happy child as she danced around the flowers, singing with glee. It took me four months before I responded to that letter.Īt the time I was caring for my friends’ 6-year-old daughter. I wanted to say yes but wasn’t sure what I might write.
I left with renewed appreciation for the journey I have traveled with Sophia.Īs I spoke about Sophia, I reflected back to 13 years earlier when I had received a letter one spring day from a publisher asking me to contribute a book to their women’s series. He left with gratitude for discovering a new way of relating to the Holy One. As we departed, the two of us had a new appreciation for one another and for the gift of Sophia. I found him open, ready to learn and to grow. Fortunately, he stayed for the whole weekend, so we had time to talk. So much of this heritage has been lost and must be recovered. His question was also a challenge because I knew that introducing Sophia would take a while to do.
At a retreat where I referred to Sophia several times in my first presentation, a man suddenly stood up and blurted out: “Just who is this Sophia? Stop assuming that everyone here knows who you are talking about!” His interruption startled me, and it reminded me that many do not know this jewel in scripture, that Sophia is hidden from many.
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