Bulgakov’s Sophiology as a Faithful Expression of Byzantine Tradition

Abstract

This paper carefully unpacks Orthodox theologian Sergei Bulgakov’s conception of Sophia and contends by way of conclusion that Bulgakov’s writings about the figure of divine Wisdom are consistent with the ideas and practices of Byzantine theology. The paper’s description of Bulgakov’s Sophia is productively situated in relation to several theological traditions and draws on an impressive array of texts, which include (but are not limited to) Proverbs, the Wisdom of Solomon, Clement of Alexandria’s Exhortation to the Greeks, and the “Novgorod icon” of St. Sophia. Ultimately, the paper presents a lucid and well-contextualized synopsis of Bulgakov’s arguments about Sophia, and the paper’s conclusion—which claims that “Bulgakov’s thought  effectively overcomes the perennial dualisms and disciplinary divisions of the post-Kantian West”—leaves readers eager for more.