Book Review for Ostūreh-ye Sophia: Tajallī-ye Zanāneh-ye Hekmat-e Elāhī (The Myth of Sophia: The Feminine Manifestation of Divine Wisdom),

written by Maryamalsadat Siahpoosh; originally published in Persian, Tehran, Pileh Publishing, 2nd ed., 2021, 152 pp., price not provided (paperback), ISBN 978-622-7620-04-7.

Abstract

The Myth of Sophia: The Feminine Manifestation of Divine Wisdom by Maryamalsadat Siahpoosh offers a sustained inquiry into Sophia as a theological symbol of feminine divine wisdom. Situated within feminist theology and the subfield of Sophialogy, the book examines how the figure of Sophia emerges in Jewish and Christian sources, particularly Gnostic texts, and how she intersects with Mary Magdalene as both historical character and symbolic embodiment of wisdom. Using a comparative–analytical method, Siahpoosh expands the discussion beyond the Judeo-Christian corpus to trace analogous forms of feminine divine wisdom in Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Mandaeism. Through this intercultural lens, the work challenges androcentric theological traditions and proposes Sophia as a framework for recovering women’s roles in religious discourse and imagination. By engaging neglected textual traditions and emphasizing female embodiment, the study contributes to ongoing feminist efforts to rearticulate theological models and reassess the gendered history of religions.