NULL
Illustration
Object:
The book of Proverbs begins with wisdom personified as a woman, and it ends with a canticle of praise to the excellent wife. Throughout the ages and across religious traditions, the feminine has been a vital principle through which to perceive the full character of God. In Taoism, the feminine is the yin to the masculine yang; this generates and structures the interrelatedness of all of life. In the Hebrew creation story of Genesis 2, Adam is not complete until Eve stands by his side. In agrarian cultures throughout the ages, it is often a goddess who is responsible for the fertility of the fields and the herds. To honor woman, who is created in the image of God (Genesis 1), is to honor God. Woman -- Sophia, the excellent wife, who fears the Lord -- is worthy of praise and guides our sense of what is worthy to pursue, namely our relationship with God.
