Ferdinand Ebner: In the Beginning Was the Word

Abstract

In the article the author presents a few events, from the past and today, the actual and literary stories, related to the use of language and proposes their dialogical interpretation. The basis for the interpretation is Ferdinand Ebner’s thought, and particularly his concept of the word as a force enabling the development of the human being. In the entire text there are clear theological references, first of all to Saint John’s Gospel and its idea of Logos. The author points out that any encounter between human persons contains in itself a certain spiritual potential, which may be actualized only thanks to love stemming from God. Thus the word reveals its profound religious and therapeutic power.