This study examined the concept of "wisdom" from the perspective of "sophiology"--a current in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Russian religious philosophy--particularly as it was used in the writings of Vladimir Solovyov, Pavel Florensky, and Sergius Bulgakov. The purpose of the study was to examine how the sophiological perspective as developed in these authors could inform an understanding of "wisdom" in the field of adult learning. The nature of "wisdom" has been one of the major themes in both Eastern and Western traditions of philosophical and theological thought for thousands of years. In the mid-nineteenth century, however, the epistemological tendency to approach the world exclusively from the standpoint of observation and experiment reduced "wisdom" to nothing more than technical knowledge verified by experience. The concept/construct of wisdom, however, has been experiencing resurgence in the social sciences, including the field of adult learning. My research did not, however, find an instance in which the sophiological perspective had informed the field's understanding of wisdom. For this reason, the perspective of sophiology and its potential contribution to adult learning offered a unique research opportunity. In this study, I sought to add another dimension to the already multi-faceted nature of wisdom in the field of adult learning. I also hoped to enhance the value of sophiological thought by demonstrating its application to a field with which it had not been previously associated. I sought to accomplish these objectives using the method of hermeneutics, an interpretive mode of inquiry with both reproductive and productive aspects. The reproductive aspect established the historical and philosophical context of the three thinkers and discussed how their sophiological texts aided an understanding of their thought as a whole, and vice versa. The productive aspect explored applications of sophiological thought to the field of adult learning. Since I was the "research instrument" for the study, I also introduced the reader to aspects of my own background and experience that prepared me for this interpretive inquiry. / Ph. D.

This graduation thesis deals with the interpretation of the nature of word and name found in the works of P. Florensky (1882-1937), the Russian philosopher, scientist and poet. The question of word, name and symbol was crucial for P.Florensky and all his works as well as for other important authors of the so called Russian religious and philosophical Renaissance, especially for V. F. Ern, S. N. Bulgakov and A. F. Losev. According to Florensky real cognition can only be achieved by means of word and symbol. To this issue Florensky also linked the question of correlation between a word and a thing, a man and a word, sacral terminology/denomination etc. Thus focus on the nature of word is vital for understanding P.Florensky's philosophy. The goal of this thesis is to outline the basic features of philosophic and theological understanding of name and word in Pavel Florensky's works, and also to define his cognition theory which is based on this way of thinking.

This thesis is a study of the Russian religious philosopher Nikolai Berdiaev (1874-1948). The aim of the thesis is to re-examine the alleged gnostic subtext in Berdiaev’s thought by exploring a number of interrelated motifs in his world outlook, teaching on man and theory of knowledge. The method employed is a close reading of Berdiaev's philosophical and autobiographical writings. In order to establish which motifs should be examined, how they are to be understood and the manner in which they are interconnected, a scrutiny is made of Hans Jonas’s phenomenological elucidation of ancient Gnosticism. A synthetic conception labelled Jonasian Gnosticism is proposed as the interpretive framework, in order to provide a unitary and consistent heuristic tool with which to investigate the topic, and to distinguish the specific proposed representation of Gnosticism from other existing ones. A chapter is devoted to an analysis of the concept of gnosis as employed by Berdiaev. Another key notion taken from the Jonasian framework is that of demundanization, which denotes among other things a rejectionary attitude towards the world grounded in a negative experience of evil and suffering. Varieties of dualism as well as Berdiaev’s doctrine of the human spirit’s otherworldly origin and non-belonging in the world, constitute other issues that are examined. In addition, both Berdiaev’s assessment of historical Gnosticism and his view of a gnostic return in modern times are examined. The study demonstrates the complexity of Berdiaev’s attitude towards the classic Gnostics, and his attempt to denounce Gnosticism while at the same time making a case for a Christian gnosis. The results suggest both affinities and divergences in the relationship between Berdiaev’s thought and Jonasian Gnosticism. Even though the doctrinal standpoints diverge on crucial points, it is argued that a suggestive affinity nevertheless exists in the shared existential attitude towards self and world.