Creating a World Out of Words

Born in Argentina, the son of a diplomat, Alberto Manguel started out in the literary world as a reader—first, of course, for himself, like all of us, but most famously, as a reader for the blind Argentinian writer Jorge Luiz Borges. For four years in his teens, Alberto Manguel would read books to the great man. Alberto Manguel’s career as a writer, and his many books, all arguably revolve around the same theme—what books, libraries and the act of reading signify.

Alberto Manguel describes God as a poet, like a writer, who created a world out of words. In the Jewish tradition, it is the letters of the alphabet that present themselves to Jehovah, as instruments for the creation of the world. The most modest one is Alef, and because of its modesty, God places Alef at the beginning of the alphabet. Behind these ideas is the notion that language and words can create the world. Without language, without words, we would not be able to conceive of this world.

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Author: Paul Kennedy

Keywords: Logos, Logos of John's Gospel, Jesus was the Logos, Christ was the Logos, beginning was the word, word logos, Creation of the world, creation, god spoke, beginning, alphabet, words, John's logos

Bible reference(s): Genesis 1:3, Genesis 1:6, Genesis 1:9, Genesis 1:11, Genesis 1:14, Genesis 1:20, Genesis 1:24, Genesis 1:26, Genesis 1:28, Genesis 1:29, John 1:1-4

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