The Bulgarian Worldview Mosaic: Literary Paraphrases of the Bible as a Source for the History of Ideas

Abstract The paper raises the question of functioning of Biblical tradition in modern culture in the perspective of the history of ideas. Referring to the postsecular interpretation of the Modernity, the research is based on Biblical paraphrases in Bulgarian literature of the interwar period, which are perceived as a testimony of the search for a worldview. The aim is to show how a situation of ideological turmoil accompanied by experiences of social crisis leads to utilizing a Gnostic worldview. The phenomenon is seen in a broader context as an illustration of transmission of ideas within the Western culture and religious thought.