Writer Gonzalo Garcés explores biblical archetypes as humanist foundations

Writer and essayist Gonzalo Garcés explores the Bible as a collection of complex human experiences rather than a strictly religious text.

Garcés, who comes from a Catholic Jewish family, began reading the scripture influenced by authors like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. He discovered that the narratives focus on human figures, including their flaws, ambitions, and political intrigues, rather than solely on the divine. He argues that these stories provide a profound psychological and historical resonance that shaped Western culture.

Garcés views the biblical accounts as deeply realistic. He interprets the story of the flood as a historical parallel to the totalitarisms of the 20th century, where the desire to create a "new man" led to destruction. He notes that figures like Abraham, Jacob, and David were morally imperfect, yet their projects elevated them. He suggests that the Bible reconciles humans with their own imperfections rather than imposing a sense of guilt.

The author also links the role of Jesus to a tradition of rebellion against stagnant institutions, which he believes contributed to the development of democracy and the rule of law. Regarding the current conflict between Israel and Hamás, Garcés defends the state of Israel as a representative of Western civilization and the rule of law.

He argues that the situation in Gaza is a war rather than a genocide, noting that the state of Israel responded to the worst massacre of Jews since World War II.