Russian Sophiology

Thu Jul 25 19:55:07 UTC 2013

My thanks to all of you who have responded to my question both on- and off-list.  The responses have led me to some interesting texts and images.  One image I have not been able to SEE is the "Sofiia Iaroslavskaia" kindly suggested by Will Ryan, and which is a token of the "Sofia krestnaia" type which the late Don Fiene wrote about in 1989.  Perhaps it is to be found in the exhibition catalogue mentioned by David Borgmeyer (which I have ordered on ILL).  If anyone could locate an online image, I would be grateful to know about it.

With regards to the list,

Daniel R-L.

On Jul 23, 2013, at 1:13 PM, David Borgmeyer wrote:

My understanding is that Will Ryan’s Iaroslavl version is one variant of the icon type “Sofiia krestnaia.”  These were more common in northern Russia and explicitly connect the references to personified feminine Wisdom in Proverbs, etc. to Jesus Christ crucified, as in Paul.  This type seems to parallel the references Daniel Rancour-Laferriere had mentioned in other/western sources.

One can quickly find a small reproduction and brief introduction to the type in Donald Fiene’s “What is the Appearance of the Divine Sophia?” in Slavic Review 48:3 (Autumn 1989), 449-476.   The Tretiakov’s exhibition catalog Sofiia Premudrost’ Bozhiia (Radunitsa, 2000) also offers numerous examples of the iconographic intersections of Christ and Wisdom.

Best,
DB

Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 17:51:58 +0100
From: wfr at SAS.AC.UK
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Russian Sophiology
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU

There are a few Russian fresco and icon representations of the theme "Pemudrost' sozda sebe dom" in which the central figure is Christ crucified.
See in particular http://www.projects.uniyar.ac.ru/frescoes/rus/a3-0.htm: "Премудрость созда себе дом" ("София Ярославская")- специфически ярославский сюжет фресковой живописи, встречающийся в храмах Иоанна Предтечи в Толчкове, Рождества Христова и др. В основе сюжета - слова из книги Притчей Соломоновых: "Премудрость созда себе дом и утверди столпов семь" и их новозаветное толкование. В центре композиции - в изящной колоннаде на пьедестале - Распятие. Крест - основной столп церкви, распятый Христос - воплощенная Премудрость. Остальные шесть столпов символизируют вместе с ним церковные таинства, церковные Соборы, дары Святого духа. Выше храма с Распятием- Богоматерь, которую церковные песнопения называют храмом Премудрости, и Бог-отец, пославший свою Премудрость на землю. Этот сложный богословский сюжет был заимствован из западно-европейских гравюр, в то же время его смысл был понятен образованным русским людям XVII века.

Will Ryan
On 21/07/2013 07:25, Daniel Rancour-Laferriere wrote:
Dear Slavists,

I have the impression that, when Sofiia (Premudrost') is a person or a personification in the Russian cultural context, she is either an independent entity or tends to merge with Bogoroditsa.  I cannot seem to find passages in Bulgakov, Soloviev, or Florenskii where she is "Christ crucified," that is, wisdom (Wisdom) in the Pauline sense (see especially 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, 30).  Perhaps I have not searched thoroughly enough, and I would be grateful for any assistance.  In the Russian translation I see that Paul utilizes "premudrost'," not "sofiia."  The same goes for earlier Jewish wisdom writing in Russian, e.g., chapter 24 of Sirach.  In Septuagint and NT Greek I see "sofia," and in Vulgate Latin "sapientia."

I ask the question because there are examples from outside of Russia where the crucified Christ is Wisdom, and is referred to with some feminine construction (e.g., "Dame Sapience" in an illustrated Old French translation of Suso).

Thank you, and with regards to the list -

Daniel Rancour-Laferriere
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