Wisdom of Solomon, Canon and Authority

Abstract

The book known as the Wisdom of Solomon seems to have been held in high enough regard for it to come to the aid of many in the Early Church, at least from the time of Origen until that of Theodoret. A consideration of how the book was used in Augustine, drawing principally on the work of A.-M. La Bonnadière is then followed by an investigation of how theologians other than Augustine understood and used one particular verse: Wisdom 13:5. The diversity of translation and interpretation encourages one to think that this text was viewed as one that had to be taken seriously in giving an account of ‘religious epistemology’ from a Christian viewpoint. It was a powerful text, and is suggestive of a wider conclusion that the Book as a whole in many of its parts was held to have an authoritative message.