Divine Sophia: The Wisdom Writings of Vladimir Solovyov
"An extremely interesting and valuable book . . . . In post-Soviet Russia, there is renewed interest in Solovyov's philosophy and, among some theologians, in sophiology, which is no longer seen as a threat to doctrinal orthodoxy. Given current interest in the subject in the West as well, Judith Deutsch Kornblatt has provided a timely and valuable resource for the study of Solovyov's concept of Divine Sophia."—Hugh Wybrew,Times Literary Supplement, 21 & 28 August 2009"The present volume is not only striking for its manifest erudition, but also for its utter handiness. . . . For specialist and non-specialist alike, the author has performed an invaluable service, making research available, especially to those not conversant in Russian. In one handy volume, every contribution Solovyov ever put to ink on the subject of Divine Wisdom is found: from the purely exploratory . . . to his formal, philosophical expositions."—R. Slesinski,Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies(2011)"Judith Deutsch Kornblatt's remarkable and erudite study of the Sophia in Vladimir Solov'ev's life and writings offers a comprehensive presentation of the origins of the wisdom principle of Sophia in religious thought and its evolution in Solov'ev's identity. . . . The book's unusual structure of two distinctively different parts—the first an intellectual tour-de-force analyzing the myriad facets of Sophia and her influence on Solov'ev, and the second a collection of annotated translations of the philosopher-poet's wisdom writings, with a reading guide preceding each group of translations—will appeal to both scholars and educators."—Valeria Z. Nollan,Slavic Review(Winter 2010)"Divine Sophiais an appealingly readable and accessible summary of Vladimir Solovyov's life, a presentation of the social, intellectual, and historical context in which he lived and thought, and an examination of the various sources of his Sophiology. Judith Deutsch Kornblatt reveals Solovyov the eccentric, the man, and the philosopher. This comprehensive collection of Solovyov's sophiological writings, carefully translated (by Kornblatt, Boris Jakim, and Laury Magnus) and thoroughly annotated, offers something for both scholars and seekers. The intellectual impact of this volume is far greater than the sum of its individual parts"—Maria Carlson, Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Kansas"Divine Sophiaoffers a thorough and nuanced analysis of Solovyov's writings on the subject and makes them available in a translation that reads well in English. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Russian thought and culture."—Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal, Fordham University"By gathering Solovyov's variegated writings on Divine Wisdom into one volume and outfitting them with extensive but never intrusive commentary, Judith Deutsch Kornblatt has provided a unique resource for the study of modern Russian thought. If few areas of Russian intellectual life escaped Solovyov's influence, even fewer areas of Solovyov's own creativity escaped the lure of Divine Sophia, his theo-philosophical Muse. In her exposition, Kornblatt shows a remarkable talent for bringing clarity to complicated material without oversimplifying it. Solovyov's religious and intellectual world emerges from her analysis as radiant as ever, except that we understand it better. Kornblatt also opens up dimensions of Solovyov's sensibility that have been sorely underestimated by previous scholars, especially Solovyov's love of laughter, pranks, travesty and self-parody. She shows that Solovyov's powerful sense of humor was not an incidental personality trait but stood at the heart of his moral and mystical universe. This wonderful insight sets the whole of Solovyov's work into a new register, challenging us to read and evaluate this Russian philosopher, poet and prophet in ways that measure up to his stunning originality."—Paul Valliere, McGregor Professor in the Humanities, Butler University"Judith Deutsch Kornblatt has provided an invaluable service to all of us who love and study Solovyov and who find the Sophiological tradition a source of fascination and delight. The choice of texts is impeccable, and the accompanying exposition is comprehensive and profoundly illuminating."—David Hart, Providence College