Sophía—wisdom
"When you know where you come from you have a better sense of where you're going"
Thomas Barry- "We are in trouble because we do not have a good story. The challenge we face today is creating a new sense of what it means to be human." Tribal stories & creation myths gave indiginous people a sense of who they were & what their purpose was. This kept the connectivity of their people together to sustain themselves. We no longer have a story that gives people a deep sense of meaning/a "spark" for life.
The Role of Sophía
The understanding of philo-sophía permeates Plato's dialogues. In the Republic, the leaders of the proposed utopia— an imaginary community/society that possesses near-perfect qualities for its members, are to be lovers of wisdom—sophía.
Sophía was the last æon to arise from God. She represents wisdom & the divine feminine principle that nurtures/sustains life. æon– αἰών; divine entities who inhabit the light of God, they are considered perfect & uncorrupted, external to a concept as fragile as evil.
The Meaning of Sophía
Sophía— The Ancient Greek word sophía variously translates to clever, skillful, intelligent, wise. It's a central concept in many theologies; the discovery of sophía exists in all creation myths, directly or indirectly. The terminology or gender may vary, but the story is the same. The portrayal of Sophía aligns with similar figures in other traditions, such as Isis in Egyptian mythology and Shakti in Hinduism.
- Philosophy & religion– Sophía is a central idea in these traditions.
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Platonism– Plato's use of the term philosophía significantly shaped the meaning of Sophia.
- The Bible– Sophía is the female personification of wisdom in the Bible.
- Gnosticism– The term "Gnosticism" stems from the Greek word, gnosis— knowledge. Gnostics believe salvation can be achieved through knowledge, not through faith. Their beliefs resemble dualism, which is the view that the universe is structured by two opposing forces, good and evil. They worship Sophía as the divine female creator/counterpart to Jesus Christ.