Part I
The Human and Divine Context
Chapter One
Much Is at Stake:
The Liberation and Devastation of Godâs Image
How can something foster both liberation and devastation? The answer lies in the possibility of co-Âopting, for evil, a powerful idea that has the potential to inspire great good. Co-Âopting is much easier if the idea is inadequately formulated in a way that lends itself to misuse. Such has often been the case with the idea that humanity is in Godâs image.
Viewing people in terms of the image of God has fostered magnificent efforts to protect and redeem people. It has also encouraged oppressing and even destroying people. All this has been possible simultaneously because of a common misconception that being in Godâs image is about how people are (actually) âlike Godâ and âunlike animals.â This view understands being in Godâs image in terms of attributes that people have now, most commonly peopleâs ability to reason, rule over (manage) creation, be righteous, or be in relationship. In this view, sin can damage such attributes and thus damage Godâs image. Accordingly, people vary in the extent to which they have these attributes â and are in Godâs image. For many, that means how much people warrant respect and protection varies from person to person. The door to devastation is open as soon as people begin to define being in Godâs image in terms of currently having attributes of God.
The problem here is not that a biblical idea has proven to be destructive, but that an unbiblical idea masquerading as a biblical idea has proven to be destructive. This unbiblical idea is at odds with what the Bibleâs authors mean by being created in Godâs image and how they employ this concept in life situations. So this bookâs primary purpose will be to clarify what the Bible itself teaches about humanity being in Godâs image, with no governing agenda other than that. The widely known concept of humanityâs creation in Godâs image is indeed a concept that has reached the contemporary world largely via the Bible. Accordingly, clarity regarding biblical teaching on this idea is essential before further theological and cultural development of the idea is on sound footing.
Nevertheless, to appreciate the importance of doing this biblical study, it is helpful to note first how much is at stake. The idea of the image of God is quite influential in theology and in everyday life, and it is a huge loss to misunderstand it in a way that undermines its power to liberate. Moreover, misunderstandings of being in Godâs image have contributed to some of the greatest atrocities in history, and it is a great gain to understand it in a way that is not conducive to such devastation. We will consider in this chapter both the potential of humanityâs creation in Godâs image to inspire great good and how, if misunderstood, this idea can foster terrible evil. The chapter will conclude with a consideration of why such disagreement has surrounded this idea through the centuries.
Image-ÂInspired Liberation
Simply the amount of writing devoted to humanityâs creation and renewal in Godâs image through the ages attests eloquently to the potential of these ideas to inspire great good. Biblical scholar Claus Westermann and theologian Stanley Grenz call this literature âlimitless,â while a chronicler of that literature, Gunnlaugur JĂłnsson, describes it as ânearly infinite.â Few biblical ideas have stirred as much interest or prompted as much study.
As Christian theologians have often acknowledged, the impact of the image-Âof-ÂGod idea has reached way beyond the bounds of their own field. Observes Emil Brunner (with later support from Hermann HĂ€ring and George Kelsey), âThe history of this idea is the history of . . . Western understandingâ when it comes to the meaning of being human. âIt is doubtful if there is any one concept more basic for democracy and Western civilization in general,â concurs T. B. Maston. âNot only is theology involved,â echoes Charles Feinberg, âbut reason, law, and civilization as a whole.â Human rights analyst Roger Ruston similarly underscores âthe debt that secular thought owes to theologyâ for the illuminating idea of humanity in Godâs image. In terms of religious thinking, members of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities all consider the image of God concept to be particularly important.
At the same time, Christian theologians are quick to acknowledge how influential the ideas of humanityâs creation and renewal in Godâs image have been in Christian theology and ethics. According to Carl Henry, with a second from Charles Sherlock, the image-Âof-ÂGod concept is âdeterminative for the entire gamut of doctrinal affirmation.â That includes not just humanityâs creation but also humanityâs redemption and eternal destination. The image of God is a âstarting pointâ (Michelle Gonzalez) with âorienting power . . . for Christian theologyâ (J. Wentzel van Huyssteen) â âthe necessary bridging conceptâ (Ben Witherington III), which makes it part of âthe essence of Christianityâ (Vladimir Lossky). Many others concur that Godâs image plays a pivotal role in a Christian understanding of God and all of life.
Humanityâs existence in Godâs image is particularly important for understanding who people are. Theologians Louis Berkhof and Philip Hughes see it as the âessenceâ of humanity. It is Godâs âfinal vocabularyâ (Mark Talbot) for what makes humans human (Millard Erickson) â a view shared by many in theological, biblical, and ministry fields alike. In fact, many see humanityâs creation in Godâs image as âcentral,â âat the heart ofâ â in fact, âthe most important matter inâ â theological anthropology. From this perspective, humanity in Godâs image is this disciplineâs âfoundationâ and âcontrolling concept.â
Many scholars, studying how Christians have viewed human beings through the centuries, have remarked over the âenduringâ and âindestructibleâ influence of the idea of being created in Godâs image. This âcomprehensively normativeâ role is rather surprising to some, primarily because of the huge di...