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Jesus Sophia: Returning to Woman Wisdom in the Bible, Practice, and Prayer
In this groundbreaking book, Sally Douglas excavates biblical and early Christian understandings of Jesus as the female divine. Drawing from her expertise as a New Testament scholar and theologian, Douglas accessibly sets out the evidence for Jesus Sophia and then explores its practical implications, both for the church--often suffocated by God-as-male imagery--and for our day-to-day lives. Questions about discipleship, biblical interpretation, and theology are investigated in relation to Jesus Sophia's hospitality, friendship, anger, non-retaliation, and care for all things. In this process understandings of the cross are revisited, female imagery for God is reclaimed and celebrated, fresh and ancient practices of faith are offered, and inclusive, exquisite liturgies are shared. With dynamism, humor, faithfulness, and creativity, Douglas encourages, unsettles, and supports readers, as they discover Jesus Sophia for themselves.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 17, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 14, 2024
This book is an excellent addition to understanding women’s places in faith. It deals with the breadth of Christian scripture to uncover what has to often been hidden by those who wish to limit the inclusion of women. It is a fascinating exploration of the wholeness of God through wisdom and the female character of wisdom. There are some gaps and questions that remain and need to be given greater clarity in the writing, but it is a must read to develop a fuller understanding of the nature and being of God.
March 30, 2025
This book has me looking into other books about Wisdom Christology & Jesus as the embodiment of Sophia. I particularly appreciated the chapters that had me back in my Bible, looking through a different lens in the gospels and the Epistles and noticing Sophia.
April 7, 2023
An Awesome Read!
This is a unique and spectacular book! I’ve been aware of the “Jesus as Lady Wisdom” theme for some time, but this book brought in more biblical passages than I was aware of, and really brought the theme together with intertestamental thoughts and expectations. The first half is perhaps more focused on the scholarly content, and the second half is perhaps more pastoral in nature. At times, the second half feels a little disconnected from the main theme, but Douglas always has a way of bringing it back around. And in those moments, all the points are solid and needed to be said to the church, so it makes for a fantastic read. Check it out!
This is a unique and spectacular book! I’ve been aware of the “Jesus as Lady Wisdom” theme for some time, but this book brought in more biblical passages than I was aware of, and really brought the theme together with intertestamental thoughts and expectations. The first half is perhaps more focused on the scholarly content, and the second half is perhaps more pastoral in nature. At times, the second half feels a little disconnected from the main theme, but Douglas always has a way of bringing it back around. And in those moments, all the points are solid and needed to be said to the church, so it makes for a fantastic read. Check it out!
January 15, 2024
This was a helpful read as I was working on a sermon about Jesus and Wisdom.
May 30, 2025
Intriguing, challenging, prayful.
February 8, 2024
A great book for a study group, and for personal reflection.
In the mid 1990s, I was part of a small church congregation that read and discussed In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins and She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse. Those ideas blew my mind back then, but it means I read this book as someone who has lived most of her Christian life with the images of Christ Sophia and Woman Wisdom. This means that much of the content in the first few chapters was familiar, and the author's oft-repeated suggestions to slow down and consider such mind-blowing "new ideas" were unneccessary. Having said that, I still found plentiful new inspiration to mull over.
I very much liked: images of Christ offering herself as food to us in communion, the call to be like newborn babies in our faith (in terms of being disruptively hungry for nourishment and comfort), Jesus as a friend who challenges our weaknesses and biases rather than a "sky bestie" who constantly affirms us regardless of our poor choices, the challenge to name injustice while still embodying mercy, a reminder of the horror of the cross, and the presence of Christ "in all things" including in all beings and in Australian Aboriginal stories since before colonisation.
I like the way that Douglas contemporises the imagery of Sophia Christ while reminding us of the power of this image in the early church, and challenging us to a deeper, more authentic, faith.
I think this would be a very powerful resource for a study group to read together, discuss, and grow in faith.
In the mid 1990s, I was part of a small church congregation that read and discussed In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins and She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse. Those ideas blew my mind back then, but it means I read this book as someone who has lived most of her Christian life with the images of Christ Sophia and Woman Wisdom. This means that much of the content in the first few chapters was familiar, and the author's oft-repeated suggestions to slow down and consider such mind-blowing "new ideas" were unneccessary. Having said that, I still found plentiful new inspiration to mull over.
I very much liked: images of Christ offering herself as food to us in communion, the call to be like newborn babies in our faith (in terms of being disruptively hungry for nourishment and comfort), Jesus as a friend who challenges our weaknesses and biases rather than a "sky bestie" who constantly affirms us regardless of our poor choices, the challenge to name injustice while still embodying mercy, a reminder of the horror of the cross, and the presence of Christ "in all things" including in all beings and in Australian Aboriginal stories since before colonisation.
I like the way that Douglas contemporises the imagery of Sophia Christ while reminding us of the power of this image in the early church, and challenging us to a deeper, more authentic, faith.
I think this would be a very powerful resource for a study group to read together, discuss, and grow in faith.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews