In God's Image
eBook - ePub

In God's Image

How Western Civilization Was Shaped by a Revolutionary Idea

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

In God's Image

How Western Civilization Was Shaped by a Revolutionary Idea

About this book

The idea that all human beings were created in God's image was core to the creation of the modern West

In God's Image examines the central role that the idea that all people were created in the image of God played in the development of Western civilization. Focusing on five themes—selfhood, freedom, conscience, equality, and meaning—the book guides the reader through a cultural history of the West, from ancient times through modernity. It explains how each of these ideals was profoundly influenced by the central biblical conception of humanity's creation in God's image, embracing an essential equality among all people, while also emphasizing each human life's singularity and significance.

The book argues that the West, and particularly Protestant Christianity, grew out of ideas rooted deeply in this notion, and that it played a core role in the development of individualism, liberalism, human rights discourse, and indeed the secularization process. Making the case for a cultural understanding of history, the volume focuses on ideas as agents of change and challenges the common scholarly emphasis on material conditions. Offering an innovative perspective on the shaping of global modernity, In God's Image examines the relationship between faith and society and posits the fundamental role of the idea of the image of God in the making of the moral ideals and social institutions we hold dear today.

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Yes, you can access In God's Image by Tomer Persico in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & World History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Publisher
NYU Press
Year
2025
Print ISBN
9781479835713
eBook ISBN
9781479835720
Topic
History
Index
History

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Introduction: The Big Question
  7. 1. Selfhood
  8. 2. Freedom
  9. 3. Conscience
  10. 4. Equality
  11. 5. Meaning
  12. Afterword
  13. Acknowledgments
  14. Notes
  15. Index
  16. About the Author