I feel I owe an immense debt of gratitude to Sofia. That may sound a rather oddly phrased sentence: after all, we are talking about a magazine, aren’t we? Well, for me at least, it is more than that. In this case, the pages are but the portal to a great creative, matriarchal presence that has been their inspiration: Dinah.
I became aware of the Sea of Faith magazine at a time when Dinah had just taken over as editor (2004). It was a time in my life of floundering around not so much in a sea of faith as a sea of cultural confusion that is the modern world. Reading of others grappling with similar issues, I found that they “spoke to my soul.”
Those words were the conclusion of a letter I wrote to Dinah after reading her first edition (No 68) – I have just found a copy of the letter tucked into that edition. It was the beginning of a rewarding correspondence in which, together with her articles, I came to realize what a capable and inimitable person she is. With not only a formidably critical mind and theological background but multi-lingual talent – in both modern and classical languages, being professionally engaged as a translator – but also deeply engaged in social movements related to feminism and justice, particularly in Latin America on which she is a considerable expert.
Much of this was already apparent on the cover of that No 68 edition. With its cover picture of Nezahualcoyotl, the poet philosopher of Texcoco, and with the theme ‘Against Human Sacrifice,’ which also included its modern iteration in the appalling injustice so many are forced to live with and featuring Dorothee Solle and Dom Helder Camara, it was a taste of things to come: challenging ideas, poetry, dramatic graphics, and comment, all of which reflected something of the editor. That she was able to keep this up for twenty years is an amazing achievement.
Looking back over those twenty years and 86 editions, there are subtle changes that also seem to me to express something of the femininity of the editor. Early on this was reflected in her inspired decision to give the magazine a name, Sofia – a rendition of the feminine Greek noun for wisdom. This was not only a clever pun on the SoF logo but an indication we were moving to something with a more feminine identity. The magazine would not just be another quasi-academic or religious journal for densely argued ideas or ideology but a celebration of creativity and the human spirit in an embracive presentation of reflection, insight, poetry, comment, and reviews, all in colourfully illustrated and beautifully printed editions.
I am grateful to Dinah not just for the space she gave to my reflections in Sofia but also for the critical engagement that goes on behind the scenes, correcting my more wayward or ill-considered statements. In this, the breadth of her erudition was always apparent. A highlight for me was when she proposed that I write a book, which she edited and even suggested the title, From Monk to Modernity, provided the cover design, and promoted.
Over the years Dinah has sent me numerous copies of her own books of poetry – printed at her press, Katabasis – and works she has translated, particularly from the radical social movements of Central America. She has definitely been an inimitable matriarchal presence for me that has been one of the most fortunate and formative influences of my life. I shall miss her sophia in Sofia.
