Lady Wisdom

Author: Tina Ostrander
Publisher: CBE International

In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, God’s infinite wisdom is personified as a woman. The association of divine wisdom with the feminine is not accidental. Social relationships in Israel reflected spiritual relationships between Israel and Yahweh. As a result of this basic analogy between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm, one can look to the feminine images of Hebrew scriptures to better understand personified wisdom. The Law and the Prophets provided the writer(s) of Proverbs with many feminine images (including home-maker, counselor and wise woman, and lover) that influenced their use of female imagery for divine wisdom. By better understanding the images of women portrayed in the Old Testament, one can gain insight into the nature of God’s wisdom.

Avtorica diplomskega dela raziskuje pomen abecedne pesmi Pohvala vrli ženi (Prg 31,10-31) za razumevanje starozavezne poosebljene modrosti. Lik poosebljene modrosti se v Stari zavezi preučuje na osnovi ustaljenih svetopisemskih mest (Prg 1–9; Mdr 1,46; 6,12–11,1; Sir 1,1-30; 24,1-34; 51,13-30; Bar 3,9–4,4), za katere avtorica meni, da ne razkrivajo vsega, kar nam Stara zaveza lahko pove o liku poosebljene modrosti. Zato avtorica svoje zanimanje usmeri predvsem na vprašanje identitete vrle žene v Prg 31,1031. Pri tem skuša čim jasneje odgovoriti, »če« in »v kolikšni meri« je vrla žena izenačena z likom starozavezne poosebljene modrosti. Poleg tega pa tudi, kaj nam lik vrle žene lahko pove novega o poosebljeni modrosti.
Diplomsko delo temelji na metodi literarne analize (sinhrona metoda), preko katere avtorica dokazuje svojo tezo o tesni povezanosti oz. izenačenju likov vrle žene in poosebljene modrosti. Avtorica s tem namenom najprej predstavi dve vrsti branja (dobesedno in alegorično) odlomka Prg 31,10-31, zatem odlomek primerja z modrostnimi pesmimi v Prg 1–9, nenazadnje pa še z drugimi starozaveznimi odlomki, v katerih nastopa lik poosebljene modrosti. Na koncu je opisano judovsko in zgodnjekrščansko razumevanje odlomka Prg 31,10-31 ter razvoj poosebljene modrosti v nesvetopisemski judovski literaturi. Avtorica prav tako pojasni, kako je Jezus Kristus presegel starozavezno poosebljeno modrost. 
Avtorica pričujočega dela meni, da je za trditev, da je lik vrle žene le drugačen opis poosebljene modrosti, predstavljenih dovolj povezav in podobnosti med starozavezno poosebljeno modrostjo in vrlo ženo. Izenačenje omenjenih likov omogoča globlje razumevanje starozavezne poosebljene modrosti in odlomku Prg 31,10-31 v knjigi Pregovorov daje večjo težo.

This paper is unpublished final submission for credit, typos intact. It considers the influence of the Holy Spirit in history and the world; in personal life and liturgy. It threads together four intersecting themes of the Holy Spirit’s action in salvation history, with consideration of an example of their continued pertinence now. The author draws upon his own diverse spiritual and religious experience as foundational to his understanding of the issues, but not as evidence for his arguments.

The first theme includes an uncommon synthesis of Evolutionary Paradigm with the Genesis account of Creation as it relates to the Incarnation, Pneumatology and Mariology.

The second considers the Book of Sirach and its implications with regards to diverse religious practices and the emergence of Israel's traditions, focusing on Chapter 24.

The third considers the advance of Liturgy in scripture and history, culminating with a unique Pneumatology regarding the relationship between Vatican I and Vatican II, and a perspective on the role of the permanent Diaconate in the 21st century.

The fourth considers the origins and purposes of liturgical music.

It ends with an application of the concepts developed in each section to the significance "Hallelujah" in liturgy and culture. It presents the creation and popularity of the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah!" and Kelly Mooney's liturgical adaptation of it by in this context.

Appendices include lyrics to each version of Cohen's masterpiece, as well as Mooney's Easter version. It also includes links to video files of each.

For sections considering Hebrew root words it utilizes Strongs Numbers. Scripture references are from New American Bible, Revised Edition, unless otherwise specified.

Present paper is dedicated to the reconstruction of the Q-sayings that are traditionally associated with the personified Wisdom. Further every text is supplied by the short commentary that discusses the aspects of the personified Wisdom found in these texts. Analysis of the redactional work of Matthew and Luke with these sayings shows that, since the evangelists are very faithful to the original extent of Q, the ideas associated with personified Wisdom played very important role in the theology of the very first followers of Jesus.

Lady Wisdom usually refers to the figure of wisdom personified in some biblical texts. If personification is a relatively common literary device, that of wisdom is more striking, as it develops to the point of giving to the figure a unique identity in relation to God. The question is no longer literary, and concepts of immanence, transcendence and even hypostasis have been proposed to define her, as well as diverse identifications with some known or now forgotten ancient divinity. The contributions in this volume seek first to consider the context of each witness of the representations of wisdom in Antiquity, they trace possible influences within Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Levantine and Greek traditions, and finally demonstrate how wisdom personified is a fluid figure, in constant evolution, according to certain religious milieux and their interrogations.

Par « Dame Sagesse » on désigne généralement la figure de la sagesse telle qu'elle apparaît dans quelques passages bibliques. Si la personnification littéraire est un phénomène relativement courant, celle de la sagesse est plus étonnante, puisqu'elle se développe au point de donner à cette figure une identité unique en relation avec Dieu. La question n'est donc plus seulement littéraire, au point que les concepts d'immanence, de transcendance ou même d'hypostase ont pu être proposés pour la définir, sans oublier les nombreuses tentatives qui l'assimilent à quelque divinité antique connue ou aujourd'hui oubliée. Les diverses études réunies dans ce volume considèrent d'abord les époques et les milieux d'émergence des diverses représentations de la sagesse dans l'Antiquité, elles creusent les influences possibles voire évidentes au sein des traditions mésopotamiennes, égyptiennes, levantines et grecques et démontrent finalement comment la figure de la sagesse personnifiée est une figure fluide, en constante évolution, au gré de certains milieux religieux et de leurs interrogations.

CARBAJOSA, I., “‘Ho cercato di prendermela come sposa, mi sono innamorato della sua bellezza’ (Sap 8,2). La bellezza della sapienza nella Bibbia”, en ROVETTA, A. – DESJATOVA, M. (eds.), Il destino della Bellezza. La Bellezza nella prospettiva delle scienze umanistiche (Edizione di pagina; Bari 2013) 111-121