Vladimir Solov'ev in Egypt: The origins of the 'divine sophia' in Russian religious philosophy

Abstract

The Russian religious philosopher Vladimir Sergeevich Solov'ev (1853-1900) visited Egypt twice: first as a student in 1875-76 and again in 1898, by which time he had become a well-known philosopher and public intellectual. After his 1898 visit, Solov'ev published a poem, Tri svidaniia ('Three Meetings'), which revealed the image of the 'Divine Sophia', a mysterious female spirit the philosopher claimed had appeared to him in his youth and led him to Egypt. Solov'ev's poem suggests that much of his spiritual world-view, centred on religious ecumenism and a union of humanity with the divine, derived from his youthful journey and his illuminating final vision of the Divine Sophia, in the desert outside Cairo. Examining Solov'ev's correspondence, first-hand accounts of his visit to Egypt and other studies, this article explores the probable origins of Sophia through the lens of the philosopher's life, thought and work. © 2010 Taylor and Francis.