Sophia: Divine Wisdom

Finished this feminine divine image of Sophia. Sophia is the Greek name for wisdom. In Hebrew wisdom is chokmah. In the Bible wisdom is a feminine personification of an attribute of God. There are many references to Sophia in widom literature and particularly the book of Proverbs, where she stands alongside God in creation.

In Gnosticism Wisdom was a feminine aspect of God and dwelt above the created universe. In the mystical theology of the Eastern Orthodox tradition Holy Wisdom is understood as the Divine Logos (Word)who became incarnate in Jesus Christ (John 1:1ff).

Contemporary feminist theology has reclaimed and reconstructed this image of God as an icon of the feminine divine, even as a goddess figure.

In my drawing of Sophia there are a number of world symbols of wisdom: the owl (hovering like Holy Spirit), the snake (ancient wisdom symbol), the endless knot (Celtic), West African Ananse (spider's web symbol-top), Native American Medicine Man's eye (forehead),Chinese characters for wisdom, and Greek word for wisdom (Sophia).