Fall 2009 Sophia: the Gnostic Heritage John F. Nash Summary ther,” “Lord,” and so forth. Resistance has also increased to the custom of envisioning his article presents a brief history of God in any kind of anthropomorphic terms.2 TSophia, best known of the divine feminine Yet anthropomorphism is comforting to many individualities of the West. Under her Hebrew people, and the concept of a powerful God- name, Chokmah, Sophia emerged in late bibli- dess, complementing or even replacing the cal times. But it was the Gnostics of the early traditional masculine God, resonates with large Christian era who created the Sophia we rec- numbers of thinking people. ognize today. Sophia played a small but sig- nificant role in western mainstream Christian- Of all the anthropomorphized, feminine deities ity and a much larger role in Eastern Ortho- discussed today, Sophia is the most popular in doxy. Russian Orthodox theologians not only the West, to judge by the literature of feminist had personal experiences of Sophia but also theology, women’s studies, and New Age cul- shared important insights into how she related ture. The purpose of this article, then, is to to the Trinity and to the “invisible Church” present a brief review of the history and con- that transcends historical Christianity. The temporary relevance of Sophia in western article concludes with some remarks about the spirituality. Many questions remain concern- relevance of Sophia in modern spirituality. ing how Sophia can be reconciled with tradi- tional Christian doctrine. However, opportuni- Background ties also exist to integrate Sophia more firmly into the Trans-Himalayan teachings. masculine God dominates Judaism, A Christianity and Islam. But female deities Sophia in Biblical Times were popular in many ancient cultures, and they survive in the religions of Asia and the he Greek word for “Wisdom” is Sophia. Pacific, and in the indigenous religions of the TBut the story of Sophia extends back into Americas. A popular theory is that the Great biblical Judaism, where she was known by the Mother once ruled supreme in much of the Hebrew name Chokmah. Chokmah had a long world but was overthrown when Indo- history in the Old Testament, starting out sim- European tribes invaded the Middle East in the ply as the quality or virtue of wisdom and third millennium BCE. Allegedly the invaders gradually approaching the status of a divine brought with them a masculine warrior god, or individuality. She had a close relationship several warrior gods, who eventually evolved with the masculine Yahweh, even participating 1 into the Deity of the Abrahamic religions. Whether or not there was once a supreme feminine deity—and the issue continues to be About the Author debated—there is no doubt that feminine dei- John F. Nash, Ph.D., is a long-time esoteric student, ties were more common in the West in antiq- author and teacher. Two of his books, Quest for the uity than they became during the 2,000 years Soul and The Soul and Its Destiny, were reviewed of the Common Era. In recent decades resis- in the Winter 2005 issue of the Esoteric Quarterly, tance has increased not only among feminist and his latest book, Christianity: the One, the theologians but also more generally to the con- Many, in the Fall 2008 issue. See the advertise- vention that God is necessarily masculine and ments on page 14 of this issue and also the website: must be referred to in terms such as “He,” “Fa- www.uriel.com. Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2009. 29 The Esoteric Quarterly in the creation. In an often-quoted passage But if the possession of wealth is to be from Proverbs Chokmah addressed the reader: desired in life, What is richer than wisdom, which op- The Lord possessed me in the beginning erates everything?6 of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the Jewish reverence for Sophia was continuing to beginning, or ever the earth was. When develop at the turn of the Common Era. Philo there were no depths, I was brought of Alexandria, a contemporary of the Apostle forth; when there were no fountains Paul, referred to her as the “Daughter of abounding with water. Before the God.”7 Elsewhere, he reaffirmed her role in mountains were settled, before the hills the creation: was I brought forth: While as yet he had [T]he Creator of the universe is also the not made the earth, nor the fields, nor father of his creation; and… the mother the highest part of the dust of the world. was the knowledge of the Creator with When he prepared the heavens, I was whom God uniting… became the father there: when he set a compass upon the of creation. And this knowledge having face of the depth: When he established received the seed of God, when the day the clouds above: when he strengthened of her travail arrived, brought forth her the fountains of the deep: When he gave only and well-beloved son… this world. to the sea his decree, that the waters Accordingly Wisdom [speaks] of herself should not pass his commandment: in this manner: “God created me as the when he appointed the foundations of first of his works, and before the begin- the earth: Then I was by him, as one ning of time did he establish me.” For it brought up with him: and I was daily his was necessary that all the things which delight, rejoicing always before him.3 came under the head of the creation The next chapter in Proverbs linked Chok- must be younger than the mother and mah/Sophia with the proto-Eucharist. She in- nurse of the whole universe.8 vited the townspeople to her feast, saying: “Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine Sophia in Gnostic which I have mingled.”4 Christianity By the late biblical era Sophia’s rise to divine ophia was greatly revered among Gnostic status had gained considerable momentum. In SChristians in the early centuries of the Wisdom of Solomon, probably written in the Common Era. Gnosticism’s relationship with second century BCE, she—now Sophia, be- nascent mainstream Christianity has been dis- cause the book was written in Greek—had be- cussed at length elsewhere.9 Suffice it to say come an object of desire, even worship: “Wis- that Gnosticism thrived for some three centu- dom is bright and unfading… she is easily seen ries before succumbing to its own organiza- by those who love her, and found by those who tional weaknesses and relentless repression by 5 search for her.” Perhaps the most significant the mainstream church. passage from the same book is: Like Philo, Gnostics affirmed Sophia’s status I loved her and sought after her from my as a divine personage and her role in creation. youth up, The author of Eugnostos the Blessed, one of And I undertook to make her my bride, the Nag Hammadi texts, called her “Mother of And I fell in love with her beauty. the Universe, whom some call ‘Love.’”10 She She glorifies her high birth in living is also mentioned in the Book of Enoch (1 with God, Enoch) and the Book of the Secrets of Enoch (2 For the Lord of all loves her. Enoch).11 The latter presents a creation story For she is initiated into the knowledge in which God proclaimed: “On the sixth day I of God, ordered My Wisdom to make man of seven And is a searcher of his works. substances… and I made [Sophia] a ruler to 30 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2009 Fall 2009 rule upon the earth, and to have My wis- “repentances” to appease the archons. The dom.”12 In 1 Enoch, Sophia sought “to make archons ignored her, but her plight eventually her dwelling among the children of men;” but, came to the notice of Christ, and he sent the rejected by sinful humanity, she “found no archangels Michael and Gabriel to rescue her. dwelling-place” and “returned to her place and Their first attempt failed, but Christ sent them took her seat among the back, charging the archan- angels.”13 gels to “guide the Sophia in Valentinus also identified all the places of the chaos The Sophia of 1 Enoch the Holy Spirit as God the until they bring her up, and may have been able to [to] raise her upon their return to “her place” by Mother and sought to re- hands, lest her feet touch choice, but in other ac- late the virgin birth to a the darkness below, and counts Sophia fell from those of the darkness seize grace and was rescued feminine Holy Spirit her.”19 When Sophia was only after much suffer- rather than to Mary. Un- finally escorted back to the ing. According to the fortunately, when the New heaven-world “she rejoiced Apocryphon of John, with a great joy.” “I will Sophia’s fall stemmed Testament was compiled in give thanks to thee, O from her desire “to Greek, “Holy Spirit” was Light,” she exclaimed, “for bring forth a likeness rendered by the neuter thou art a Savior… I will out of herself without speak this song of praise to the consent of the noun Pneuma. the Light, for he has saved Spirit… without her me from the height and consort, and without his consideration.” She depth of the chaos; and from the eons of the bore a son, Yaldabaoth, who “was imperfect archons of the sphere.”20 and different from her appearance.”14 In due course the misshapen Yaldabaoth—usually In the Pistis Sophia, the story of Sophia’s fall assumed to have been the Hellenic Demi- and rescue emerges from a long series of alle- urge—was tricked into breathing life into man.