In all aspects of our teaching, Sophia Divinity School reflects the Church of Antioch’s position regarding primacy of conscience and freedom of thought and expression. Thus, we value rigorous, reflective, thoughtful written papers which illustrate a firm grasp of the course subject matter as well as present creative viewpoints on the relevance of the material to today’s Christianity. We foster an atmosphere of openness to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit coming through the theological disciplines studied. The role of church teaching is to inform not replace an individual's conscience, and to foster, not stifle their creative expression of their Christian worldview.

The Church of Antioch embraces the communal sacramental life, considers itself part of the sacramental movement, and celebrates all of the 7 sacraments as the visible expression of our inner relationship with the Body of Christ. “Practica” or “Intensives” on the sacraments are held annually at convocation during which a student is expected to demonstrate facility in the reverent performance of the sacramental rubrics as well as convey an in-depth understanding of the mysteries and sacred purpose underlying the rite. In addition, contemplative approaches useful to attaining the state of Christ consciousness necessary to perform a sacrament are practiced and prayerfully discussed. These can include centering prayer, lectio divina, ikon gazing, and psalmody among others.

Walking in the awareness of the constant Presence of God in our lives is the contemplative lifestyle which offers the stance of least resistance to be overtaken by the transformative power of the Divine. "God begins to live in me not only as my creator but as my other and true self". (Thomas Merton).  It is a worldview, a way of life; to be in the world but not of it. It is an honoring of the silent, with the intention of listening to the “whispered voice” of the Holy Spirit who beckons her children toward her son. It is an honoring of active service reflected in the phrase “Ora and Labora” (Pray and work/serve), which many  mystics and monastics living in communities used to prayerfully dispense the love of the spirit out into the world in service to all creation through care and loving kindness.

"The Christian of the future will be a mystic, or he will not exist at all." So said the late Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner and we foster this worldview in our seminary formation. A mystic is one who experiences the unitive power and love of the Divine, undergoes “theosis” or “divine exchange”, often perceived as a death and resurrection, obtains insight into their identity in God, and commits their life to helping others perceive the path to participation in this state of grace that they “know” exists (parrhesia). Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis of Assisi, Meister Eckhart, Hildegarde of Bingen, Julian of Norwich all participated in some mystical “oneing” as Julian called it and sought to convey their experience in art, music, writing, architecture, dance and other forms. Sophia Divinity School’s emphasis on the Mystics and their contemplative practices rekindles an ancient tradition that was the experience of the prophets and particularly of Jesus portrayed in John 17. It is the “Christ-path”, or  “The Way”.

Since its inception, Sophia Divinity School’s teachings have drawn out and called close attention to the role of the feminine elements in the Divine mystery of “coming to be”- the question of “why is there something rather than nothing” a question raised by philosophers and physicists alike as the fundamental question of metaphysics. The seminary’s name indeed indicates our Founder’s commitment to honoring the “Divine Feminine” in all of the perennial wisdom traditions of the world. As the symbol or metaphor for wisdom, Sophia is a charism not a gender, a force not a goddess. It is the charism or gift which “brings together”, brings opposites into harmony. It is representative of the “Covenant of Peace”- the “I shall be with you even unto the end of time”- rather than the “Covenant of the Law”- the “I shall be with you as long as you obey”.    It is the relational and reconciling force which binds, weaves and provides a matrix for the creative energy and a power of the Body of Christ to come forth. She is Teilhard’s noosphere. It is the universal force that holds things together, as in Indra’s net, or the children’s game of cat’s cradle, and in the crafting of the spider’s web.

The thread of the Christian wisdom tradition unspools from our Jewish roots in the wisdom mysticism of the first temple period (Solomons), in which the feminine was regarded as the Mother of the Lord, the fire, the bestower of the oil of anointing, the fountain of life flowing from her wisdom teachings, the Shekinah or pillar of light of the Spirit enshrouded in the cloud as protector and guide, Shaddai. Mariology has inherited many of her titles which we hear in the Orthodox Akathist hymn and reflected in the beloved icons. She is “caught” by the Mystics of all ages and is the teaching which rouses the Prophet to speak forth her voice. Our great treasure.

Both Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas wrote that there are 2 books of sacred scripture: The Book of Nature and the Book of the Word. Our faith tradition says that in ancient times one could see the goodness of the Divine expressed in nature, that the world was created for the glory of God as in Psalm 19.

” The heavens declare the glory of God;

the firmament proclaims the work of his hands;

Day unto day pours forth holy speech;

night unto night whispers knowledge

But gradually through the seduction of empire, creation became a conquest, and the inner sight to see the Divine within was lost: the gift of wisdom was abandoned. It was then that the “Book of the Word” revealed the path to reclaim the ability to read the “first book”, and “to recover their sight”, their wisdom. Laudato Si exemplifies that return and is a way forward for today’s world in the midst of climate vulnerability.

Both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, “flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end"(Dei Verbum, 1965, #10). Paul referred to it as “paratheke”, a deposit of faith… or “things consigned to one’s faithful keeping as in 1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim. 1:14. The seminary also holds an openness to new scholarly findings, archeological discoveries, biblical translations, interpretations and texts further revealing the Christian Mystical tradition and take into discernment these as to their relevance to our faith. We are guided by the statements of the 7 Ecumenical Councils and the BEM document from World Council of Churches at its plenary commission meeting in Lima, Peru in 1982.  The BEM Document explores the growing agreement and remaining differences in fundamental areas of the churches’ faith and life especially as it pertains to Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry (BEM). It is the most widely distributed and studied ecumenical document and has been the basis for many mutual recognition agreements among churches. The BEM document is central to our tradition. See the Statement on the 7 Ecumenical Councils and the BEM Document found on the Chuch of Antioch Website.

In today’s culture, any teaching aid which help to recall our common charism and shared relationship as the body of Christ is grounding. We hold the Cross of Antioch to be our central ikon with powerful teaching symbols, coalescing various elements of our faith, honoring our wisdom tradition expressed in the Jewish mystical tradition, our apostolic roots as branches of the one vine, and our devotion to the feminine elements of the Divine.

We consider all creation as a blessing and a gift, taking to heart the words in Genesis “and it was very good…” . This is especially true of our own human bodies which house the Presence of the Divine and are temples of the Holy Spirit. It is from this concept that our Church's policies are formed: to make it a safe place for all to dwell, a sanctuary for the seeker and questioner and safe harbor for the spiritually shipwrecked. Jesus' message was "Fear not little flock" and we seek to bear witness to this adage in our teachings and seminarian formation program. As in Matthew 5:14-16:

14 You are the light of the world.

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither does one light a candle, and put it under a bushel,

 but on a candlestick;

and it gives light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before mankind,

that they may see your good works,

 and glorify your Father which is in heaven.