Customer Reviews

The Sophia Teachings

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very good introduction to the Sophianic tradition, which has transcended many faiths and cultures since the dawn of mankind. Powell does a good job of integrating different historical sources and experiences to provide us a compelling account of the role of The Divine Sophia in human history, despite the historical attempts to suppress Her influence.

If you are like me you have always felt there was something missing in modern religion...the feminine side of God. This book helps explain what happened to that aspect of the divinity when the Catholic Church gained control of Christianity and made it completely male-oriented, condemning any sign of femininity to silence and dishonor.

This is a fascinating book for anyone interested in Christian mysticism and interested in enhancing the Western (European/American) approach to Christianity by considering the Eastern (Greek/Russian Orthodox, Coptic, etc.) approach. I read this book in conjunction with "The Wisdom Jesus." The two books go well together. For the reader who has been studying the Christian mystics (St. John of the Cross, Theresa of Avila, etc.) this book is a fascinating look at the feminine side of God, which has been ignored, at best, or totally lost, at worst, in the Western Christian emphasis on Jesus Christ as Savior only, while ignoring His teachings on the development of the soul and the process of sanctification through the individual's Christian walk. This book argues convincingly that Christianity can only benefit by taking God out of the cultural "box" we have put Him/Her in, and recognizing the Biblical imagery of God as BOTH/AND--masculine and feminine, protective and nurturing, head and heart.