Sedes Sapientiae: A Mariological Metaphor According to Church Fathers and Medieval Theologians and Liturgical Hymnographers
Sedes Sapientiae: A Mariological Metaphor According to Church Fathers and Medieval Theologians and Liturgical Hymnographers

Summary/Abstract: This article seeks to shed light on the theological meanings underlying the Marian metaphor Sedes Sapientiae, one of the invocations of the Litany of Loreto. Inspired by the sentence in Proverbs, “Wisdom has built her house,” this metaphor was taken into consideration and interpreted by many Church Fathers, medieval theologians, and liturgical hymnographers from both East and West. So, we will analyze numerous texts by these masters of Christian doctrine regarding this metaphor. Our article will be structured in three sections: first, we will study the theological interpretations given by some Greek-Eastern Church Fathers; second, we will present those of some Latin Fathers and medieval theologians; third, we will present an abundant series of fragments of medieval Latin liturgical hymns that develop poetically this metaphorical feature. In the conclusions we will summarize the Mariological and Christological meanings deciphered by the Church Fathers, and medieval theologians and liturgical hymnographers when interpreting the metaphor under scrutiny.

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