Wisdom in Christian Tradition

Reviews / Votes

Marcus Plested's Wisdom in Christian Tradition is not only a historical tour de force in its meticulous tracing of "wisdom" traditions, both East and West, from the Bible onward; but it is itself a highly creative piece of constructive Orthodox theology, opening a way forward between and beyond the modern Russian Sophiologists and their detractors by re-engaging the patristic and medieval sources that underlay their debate. In the process the very concept of "tradition" is richly reconceived. * Sarah Coakley, University of Cambridge * Wisdom in Christian Tradition is an event for modern Orthodox theology. * Mark Roosien, Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies * It is not often in Orthodoxy, renowned for not changing, that you can see in one's lifetime a theological shift and Plested's book marks a turning of the tide .... It is a beautiful and important scholarly monument that manages to be a systematic study of the multiple patristic theologies of wisdom, an unprecedented careful evaluation of Russian Sophiology's claims to be founded on patristic teaching ... and, perhaps most importantly, in its brief constructive final pages a contemporary synthesis of patristic Sophiology that corrects the doctrinal ambiguity of Russian Sophiology. * Brandon Gallaher, Syndicate * There is no better treatment of wisdom in the broad sweep of Christian tradition, and one no less that covers so much, so well, in so short a space. It provides an encyclopaedic overview of East and West, early and medieval; it is tantalizing, yet also substantial, both compendious and frequently edifying. * Alexis Torrance, Syndicate * An outstanding book, which will become a standard reference in all future treatments not only of Russian sophiology but also in broader discussions of wisdom in the Christian tradition .... I expect this brilliant work to be widely read and frequently cited for many years. * Paul Gavrilyuk, University of St. Thomas * [A]n immensely learned book of impeccable scholarship. * Demetrios Bathrellos, Scottish Journal of Theology * This magnificent book, the fruit of many years of research and reflection... * Andrew Louth, Journal of Theological Studies * Plested's elegantly written book is ... a worthy sequel to Evdokimov's L'Orthodoxie. * Norman Russell, Heythrop Journal * Marcus Plested's fine study of wisdom in Christianity is a rescue mission aimed at retrieving sophiology from the outer limits of the Orthodox theological universe to which it has largely been relegated since the mid-twentieth century. * Paul Ladouceur, St Vladimir's Theological Quarterly * I am very pleased with the publication of Plested's book, and I hope that in future we can expect not only historical studies, but also studies on specific philosophical problems within the framework of Sophiology. * Kirill Karpov, The Thomist * Marcus Plested's book entitled Wisdom in Christian Tradition: The Patristic Roots of Modern Russian Sophiology, published by the Oxford University Press offers a rich synthesis of patristics and invites the reader to rediscover important voices from the first centuries of Christianity, including the Apostolic Fathers, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, thanasius of Alexandria, Maximus the Confessor, Macarius, Dyonisius the Areopagite and many others .... It is not only a monograph, but also a tool that invites the reader to reflect, to consider the meanings of an actual problem, and in the same time to discover an area of the theology that has not been the focus of sufficient contemporary research. * Iuliu-Marius Morariu, Recensiones * We can be grateful to the author for shedding light on the extent to which Sophiology does, and does not, live up to its claim to represent the best of the patristic tradition. * David Bradshaw, Theologia Orthodoxa *