Origen for instance viewed the image of God as something given at creation, while the likeness of God as something bestowed upon a person at a later time. Theologians have examined the difference between the concepts of the "image of God" and the "likeness of God" in human nature. James 3:9 Interpretation of the Biblical texts Image vs Likeness The doctrine is also related to conversations about the human body. The doctrine of the image of God provides important grounding for the development of human rights and the dignity of each human life regardless of class, race, gender, or disability. These three views are not strictly competitive and can each offer insight into how humankind resembles God.
A Functional view interprets the image of God as a role or function whereby humans act on God’s behalf and serve to represent God in the created order. A Relational understanding argues that the image is found in human relationships with God and each other. The Substantive view locates the image of God in shared characteristics between God and humanity such as rationality or morality. The history of interpretation of the image of God has included three common lines of understanding. It stems from the primary text in Genesis 1:27, which reads: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him male and female he created them." The exact meaning of the phrase has been debated for millennia.įollowing Jewish tradition, scholars such as Saadia Gaon and Philo argued that being made in the image of God does not mean that God possesses human-like features, but rather the reverse: that the statement is figurative language for God bestowing special honor unto humankind, which he did not confer unto the rest of creation. This concept is a foundational aspect of Christian and Jewish understandings of human nature.
The image of God ( Hebrew: צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים, romanized: tzelem elohim Ancient Greek: εἰκών τοῦ Θεοῦ Latin: imago dei) is a concept and theological doctrine in Christianity, Islam, as well as in Judaism.
0 kommentar(er)
