Many people assume that if contemporary art deals with biblical themes, the artist must be a believer or a religious person. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible is in fact an essential point of reference for anyone working with the language of abstraction—not because of religion itself, but because of its unique role as a record of the evolution of abstract thought. It is one of the few texts that documents the development of human reasoning through abstract concepts, symbols, and metaphors.
The Bible is not only a collection of wisdom narratives and religious commandments. It is a fascinating intellectual document in which concrete human experiences are transformed into universal ideas. Abstract thinking, after all, means operating with concepts detached from direct experience, creating symbols and general principles that reach beyond everyday reality.
A striking example of the evolution of abstract thought is the portrayal of God in the Bible. In the earliest religious traditions, God was often presented as a desert force—dangerous, unpredictable, demanding sacrifices and submission. In pre-biblical literature and in the oldest layers of the Torah, YHWH appears as a local power associated with natural elements and warfare, not yet identified with absolute goodness or moral justice. Over time, YHWH becomes one of the many gods in the region. The Israelites lived among polytheistic peoples such as the Canaanites and Egyptians. During this period, Yahweh is already the “God of Israel,” but still functions in a polytheistic context, and biblical texts repeatedly warn against worshiping foreign deities. In the next stage of religious development, Yahweh rises to the position of the supreme god of the pantheon. Prophets and literary books emphasize His superiority in power, justice, and control over the world. This sets the stage for a fully monotheistic worldview, in which God is the only, omnipresent, and universal being.
At the same time, the Bible makes extensive use of symbolism and metaphor, which allow the reader to transcend the concrete and enter the realm of abstract ideas. “A light to the nations” in the Book of Isaiah symbolizes hope and justice, while the “darkness of sin” conveys evil and separation from God. Abstract thought in the Bible is also revealed in moral and ethical concepts. Terminology concerning sin, justice, mercy, and faithfulness requires the reader to generalize—these are not tied to singular events but to universal principles.
Equally important are the philosophical and theological reflections found in the Bible. The Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Paul’s Letters analyze the meaning of life, suffering, morality, and human destiny. This represents the highest level of abstract thought, operating with elusive concepts and prompting reflection on the universal laws of existence.
Another crucial dimension of the Bible is its philosophical and wisdom debate with surrounding civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Babylonians. What is striking is that this debate unfolds precisely on the level of abstract concepts. A good example is the Enuma Elish, the Sumerian creation epic, which shows striking parallels with the Book of Genesis, but also a clear polemic with the religious ideas of the Fertile Crescent. The Bible does not merely borrow from this heritage—it transforms it into an entirely new vision of the relationship between humanity and God.
Another testimony to this intellectual exchange is the Egyptian treatise Amenemope, a text written for the officials of Pharaoh. Scholars have noted that its passages were almost literally incorporated into the biblical Decalogue, though their meaning was profoundly reinterpreted. A similar polemic can be found between the Egyptian Book of the Dead and the Mosaic tablets of the Law kept in the Ark of the Covenant.
Here the difference is fundamental. In Egypt, the laws and spells of the Book of the Dead had a ritual function—they were magical formulas meant to be known and recited in the afterlife, without shaping moral conduct in everyday life. In Mosaic law, however, these words became a concrete code of behavior, binding here and now, in social reality. This evolution demonstrates how the Bible transformed the traditions of its neighbors into a universal system of moral and legal norms, becoming a record of humanity’s growing capacity for abstract reflection on ethics and responsibility.
In conclusion, the Bible is far more than a religious or philosophical text. It is a chronicle of the development of human abstract thought, documenting our ability to translate concrete experiences into universal ideas that remain relevant to this day. This is why every artist who wishes to work with the language of abstraction should explore the intellectual history contained in the Bible—and it is also the reason why my own journey with “Conscious Abstraction” began with biblical themes.