Comments on: Sophia’s repentance: The Apocryphon of John (NT Apocrypha 20) http://www.philipharland.com/Blog/2005/11/12/sophias-repentance-the-apocryphon-of-john-nt-apocrypha-20/ Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean houses my podcast, websites, blog, and publications, providing an entryway into social and religious life among Greeks, Romans, Jews, Christians, and others in the Roman empire. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:14:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Asher http://www.philipharland.com/Blog/2005/11/12/sophias-repentance-the-apocryphon-of-john-nt-apocrypha-20/comment-page-1/#comment-37889 Asher Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:27:24 +0000 http://www.philipharland.com/Blog/?p=14#comment-37889 Her "mistake" wasn't a mistake at all, when viewed by Neoplatonic and Pythagoric eyes. Sophia, being the emanation on the Monad, naturally becomes the Dyad. The Dyad, by nature, includes gender, polarization, and opposition. She is Wisdom, however with wisdom comes the potential for ignorance. With love come the possibility of hate, with light, darkness, with perfection, flaw, etc,etc,..etc. Her “mistake” wasn’t a mistake at all, when viewed by Neoplatonic and Pythagoric eyes.

Sophia, being the emanation on the Monad, naturally becomes the Dyad. The Dyad, by nature, includes gender, polarization, and opposition. She is Wisdom, however with wisdom comes the potential for ignorance.
With love come the possibility of hate, with light, darkness, with perfection, flaw, etc,etc,..etc.

]]> By: Phil Harland http://www.philipharland.com/Blog/2005/11/12/sophias-repentance-the-apocryphon-of-john-nt-apocrypha-20/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Phil Harland Tue, 13 Dec 2005 19:35:42 +0000 http://www.philipharland.com/Blog/?p=14#comment-43 glaserildiko said... Maybe I read too much into the Apocyphon (or not enough), but I never got the idea that Sophia made a mistake. It was her choice, she wanted to bring forth an image of herself without her consort, and by doing so, knowingly broke the rules. Therefore why wasn't she punished (after all, she did set forth in motion the creation of the imperfect physical world and evil and etc.) or was shame enough? 11:17 PM Phil Harland Phil Harland said... Thanks, Ildiko. When I spoke of this as a mistake, I was meaning a mistake from the perspective of the author of this document and (by extension) from the perspective of the monad from which all perfect spiritual beings emerged (as understood by the author). It was a mistake, from this perspective, since it introduced an inferior physical world which encased some aspects of the perfect spiritual realm. The narrative does seem to imply that Sophia needs to make up for (rectify) what she has done; you could interpret the passages in question as implying "punishment" of a sort but it is not spelled out in full. Phil 9:50 AM Laura said... I'm reading parts of the Pistis Sophia right now for my research paper and the same thing happens in this text: Sophia is fallen but repentant and has faith in her salvation. For this reason, the title pistis sophia has been translated (by some) as 'the faithful wisdom'. But it's still a contested issue over what the title really means. All this to say that I can see where the confusion comes from in the apocryphon of john also. In both texts the 'mistake'and/or punishment of sophia is not really spelled out. All we really know is that she feels bad wants to make it up. 3:15 PM Angela said... It seems that in the texts we have read were another world is create as a "mistake", it is always done so by a type of female deity. I am wondering if there are any texts that refer to a male deity doing such an act. 8:33 AM glaserildiko said…

Maybe I read too much into the Apocyphon (or not enough), but I never got the idea that Sophia made a mistake. It was her choice, she wanted to bring forth an image of herself without her consort, and by doing so, knowingly broke the rules. Therefore why wasn’t she punished (after all, she did set forth in motion the creation of the imperfect physical world and evil and etc.) or was shame enough?

11:17 PM
Phil Harland
Phil Harland said…

Thanks, Ildiko. When I spoke of this as a mistake, I was meaning a mistake from the perspective of the author of this document and (by extension) from the perspective of the monad from which all perfect spiritual beings emerged (as understood by the author). It was a mistake, from this perspective, since it introduced an inferior physical world which encased some aspects of the perfect spiritual realm. The narrative does seem to imply that Sophia needs to make up for (rectify) what she has done; you could interpret the passages in question as implying “punishment” of a sort but it is not spelled out in full. Phil

9:50 AM
Laura said…

I’m reading parts of the Pistis Sophia right now for my research paper and the same thing happens in this text: Sophia is fallen but repentant and has faith in her salvation. For this reason, the title pistis sophia has been translated (by some) as ‘the faithful wisdom’.
But it’s still a contested issue over what the title really means.
All this to say that I can see where the confusion comes from in the apocryphon of john also. In both texts the ‘mistake’and/or punishment of sophia is not really spelled out.
All we really know is that she feels bad wants to make it up.

3:15 PM
Angela said…

It seems that in the texts we have read were another world is create as a “mistake”, it is always done so by a type of female deity. I am wondering if there are any texts that refer to a male deity doing such an act.

8:33 AM

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