Genesis; the most influential book of all time?

Sep 19, 2016

I think it is fair to say that by now, almost every human being knows the story of Adam and Eve. The first thing Christians learn is this book as it is the first book of the Bible. So how do people who are not Christians know about this Christian story? The answer may or may not surprise you.

Throughout the years, many authors such as Philip Pullman, John Milton and CS Lewis have found inspiration from reading the Bible, in specific the Genesis book, and have used many of its ideas to write their own books. Some authors even take inspiration from reading a fellow authors book which is full of ideas and themes from the Genesis book and use that to write their own text. Using other books as inspiration for one’s own work is very common in the World of writers also known as intertextuality. A prime example of an intertextual text would be The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman which took ideas from both the book of Genesis and John Milton’s Paradise Lost, which had also taken inspiration from the book of Genesis making Paradise Lost an intertextual book too.

These books are sold and read worldwide and this is how the story of Genesis spreads to those who are and are not Christians. Moreover, movies are made on these books which have prime themes that coincide with the Genesis story and this causes the Genesis story to spread to the World even more. Famous paintings have also sprung from the book of Genesis. One the greatest and most renowned works in the art World is The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, one of the greatest painters of all time. As one can see, Genesis is everywhere and has had an impact on all sorts of different forms of media such as arts, book and movies World which leaves us with one question; is Genesis the most influential book of all time?

3 responses to “Genesis; the most influential book of all time?”

Francess Dunbar

September 22, 2016 at 6:58 am

I’m not sure if Genesis is the most influential book of all time, but the bible as a whole in my opinion most certainly is. It has begun and ended lives, shaped the world, and most of our greatest works of literature draw on themes and tropes from it. Genesis is particularly special however because it is the creation story for all of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

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johnzbaracki

September 25, 2016 at 7:34 pm

It actually is a very interesting perspective if you look at it from a more worldly perspective. The bible itself has inspired many men to do great things – some terrible, some wonderful – but all great in size and impact. One thought that was provoked by your post, is the idea of interpretation of the bible in its impact. Ones interpretation of the works shapes their actions. It would be interesting, if it was possible, to compare the interpretations of the persons involved and how they derived their motivations from it.

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gabigryc

September 27, 2016 at 1:32 am

I have to agree with you, Genesis has made an impact on the world today, whether that be in the form of a painting, a novel, or even a movie. It’s interesting to see how widespread the story of Adam and Eve has branched out. Like you said, even people who aren’t religious can tell you that they have heard of these two. The Bible has definitely played a role in impacting many works, especially for Pullman. In terms of being the most influential book, I believe that depends on the perspective of the individual reading the Bible. Each book has its own story to tell, own characters to highlight, and own lessons to teach. I believe that these books play a huge role in influencing multiple different works, not just one; rather, inspiration and impact may derive from different parts of the Bible. That is what makes the Bible such a widespread work that has influenced many.

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