11. image and likeness
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8/6/2019 11. Image and Likeness
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/11-image-and-likeness 1/18
CreatedintheImageand
AccordingtotheLikenessofGod
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ImageandLikeness
ì Imageisthepoten*alwehavewithinustobecome
likeourprototype
ì Likenessistheresult,thepurpose,theideal
ì afounda*onaldogmaoftheChurchthatALL
humanbeingscreatedso
ì ImageimpliesbeingGod'schildren
ì cf:ScripturalteachinginGal.3:26;1Jn3:1
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BiblicalFoundations
ThenGodsaid,“Letusmakehumankind
inourimage,accordingtoourlikeness;
andletthemhavedominionoverthefish
ofthesea,andoverthebirdsoftheair,
andovertheca<le,andoverallthewild
animalsoftheearth,andoverevery
creepingthingthatcreepsupontheearth.”
(Gen.1:26)
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ImageandLikeness
ì a[nqrwpo" -ἀνω - θρώσκω
ì Thehumanpersonì morethanjustfleshandblood
ì aspecialcreaturewiththecommandmenttobecomelike
God
ì thegrandeuryetfragilityofthehumanperson-compare
organicrela@onshipwithothercreatures
ì Sw'ma and cw'ma
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GeneralMeaning
ì AccordingtoStFathers,ageneralmeaningoftheterm"image"impliesthathumanbeingshavebeencreated
ì byGod'sgrace(katav cavrin)
ì byGod'sgoodpleasure(kat j eujdokivan)
ì byGod'spower(katav duvnamin)
ì byGod'senergies(kat j ejnevrgeian)
ì byGod'swill(katav qevlhma)
ì tobecomeeverythingGodisbynature,bygrace
ì Humanperson-anepiphanyofGod
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Growingtowardslikeness
ì Inrealityhumansinhasresultedinhumanbeingsrefusingtogrowtowardslikeness
ì TheresultofthisisoutlinedinRom.1ì Humanbeingscreatedtogivegloryandthanks
toGod-ej vdovxasan kaiv eujcarivsthsan
ì StPauloutlinestheresultwhenGodbecomesirrelevantinourlives
ì CommunionwithGodislifeandsepara@onisdeath
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Specificmeaningof"image"
ì NoconsensusintheFathersì Fromalltheliteraturewecansafelyconcludethe
following:
ì Imagecanreferto:ì Ourcommunalbeing
ì Imageasgrowth
ì Imageasself-awareness
ì ImageasFreedom
ì Imagereferringtothewholeperson
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Image-Communal
ì SincewearecreatedinGod'simagethisimpliesthatwearerela@onalbeings
ì Rela@onalinthever@calandhorizontalsenseì Etymologyofprovswpon betraysitsrela@onalcharacter
naturaera@onalisindividuasubstan@a(Boethius)
ì Humanbeingscreatedtohavearela@onshipwithGodandwithfellowhumanbeings
ì Descartessaid"cogitoergosum";wewouldsay"amoergosum"
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THEBEAUTYOFTHEPERSON
ì Ho wbeau * fulanduniquehumanpersonsarein
theirabsolu tedi fference to tall yas tonishing
al wa yssurprisingceaselessl ycap * va *ng
endlessl yspon taneouslo vingin freedom,
there foreal wa ysdi fferen t.
Wh yisi t tha t weareno w threa tenedb y the
o therno t wishing theec-s ta *cexperienceo f
beingas tonishedandsurprisedb y tha t whichis
di fferen tin theo ther?
Wh yisi t tha t wecanno tlo ve t
heo ther
no tDESPI TE theirdi fferences
bu tBECAUSEo f thosedi fferences
Since we werecrea tedb yGodno tdi fferen t
fromeacho therbu tdi fferen t foreacho ther
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Image-Growth
ì Createdintheimageofgrowthalsomeanswehavethepoten*alforgrowth
ì Thedynamicaspectofthehumanperson
expressedinthedis*nc*onmadebythetermsimageandlikeness
ì FathersofthePatris*ctradi*onwhichdis*nguishare:
ì Irenaeus,
ì ClementofAlexandriaì Origen
ì StMaximustheConfessor
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Image-Growth
ì “HumanreceivedthehonouroftheimageattheirfirstcreaIon,butthefullperfecIonofGod’slikenesswillbeconferreduponthemonlyattheconsummaIonofallthings”
ì "everyintelligentnatureisintheimageofGod,butonlythegoodandthewiseareinhislikeness".
ì Adam"wasbutsmall,forhewasachild;anditwas
necessarythatheshouldgrowandsocometohis perfecIon."
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Image-Selfawareness
ì CreatedintheimageofGodimplieswedonotactoutofins*nctbutcanthink.
ì Responsibilitytogivecrea*onavoice
ì Includesthewholeperson:StIrenaeus
ì "BythehandsoftheFather,thatis,bytheSonandtheSpirit,
thehumanpersonwascreatedinthelikenessofGod.The
personwassocreated,notjustapartoftheperson.Nowsoul
andspiritarecertainlyapartoftheperson,buttheyarenot
thepersonassuch.Forthecompletepersonconsistsinthe
comminglingandunionofthesoulthatreceivesthespirit[or
breath]oftheFather,togetherwiththeflesh[orphysical
nature]thatisfashionedaccordingtoGod'simage." ì AgainsttheHeresies5,6,1.
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Image-includingthebody
ì NiketasChoniatesì §"The term human being is applied not to the soul
alone or to the body alone, but to both of themtogether;andsoitiswithreferencetobothtogether
thatGodissaidtohavecreatedthehumanpersoninhisimage."
ì Prosopopeiai,PG150:1361C
ì CarlJungì "Spirit is the living body seen from within, and the
bodytheoutermanifestaIonofthelivingspirit–thetwobeingreallyone.”
ì ModernManinSearchofaSoul,(London:RoutledgeArkPaperbacks,1984),253.
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Image-freedom
ì Imagereflectedinourfreedom
ì StCyrilofAlexandria
ì "Humanbeingswerecreatedinthebeginningwithcontrolover
theirowndecisions,andwerefreetodirecttheirwillastheychose.FortheywereformedinGod'simage,andGodisfree."
ì GlafyeraonGenesis,1,4.PG69:24C.
ì StMaximustheConfessor
ì "ifthehumanpersoniscreatedintheimageoftheblessedandsuperessenIalGodhead,then–sincetheGodheadisfreebynature–thissignifiesthatasGod'simagethehumanpersonalsoisfreebynature."
ì DisputewithPyrrhus,PG91:304C.
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Image-freedom
The Macarian Homilies (4th century) pointout:
ì § "Heaven, sun, moon and earth have no free
wi ll, but you are in the image and likeness ofGod;andthismeansthat,justasGodisHisownmaster and can do what He wishes and, if Hewishes, He can send the righteous to hell andsinnerstotheKingdom,butHedoesnotchoose
todothis…so,inlikemanner,youalsoareyourownmasterand,ifyouchoose,youcandestroyyourself ."
ì Homilies,15,23.
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Responsibility
ì Namingtheanimalsì Gen.2:19–20:“SooutofthegroundtheLORDGodformedevery
animalofthefieldandeverybirdoftheair,andbroughtthemtothe
mantoseewhathewouldcallthem;andwhateverthemancalled
everylivingcreature,thatwasitsname.Themangavenamestoall
cale,andtothebirdsoftheair,andtoeveryanimalofthefield;but
forthemantherewasnotfoundahelperashispartner.”
ì BetrayshighestesteemthatGodhastowardshumanity
ì Nomenisomen
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ì Mul@plyingupontheearthì Gen.1:28Godblessedthem,andGodsaid
tothem,“Befruiulandmul*ply,andfilltheearthandsubdue[κατακυριεύσατε]it;andhavedominionoverthefishofthesea
andoverthebirdsoftheairandovereverylivingthingthatmovesupontheearth.”
ì Notunderstoodintermsofconqueringì Cf:rela@onshipbetweenhusbandandwife
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TheParadoxoftheHumanPerson
ì earthly,yetheavenly….Midwaybetweenmajestyandlowliness…both
spiritandflesh (StGregorytheTheologian)
ì “Forthisisthesafestwaytoprotectthegoodthingsyouenjoy;byrealizing
howmuchyourCreatorhashonouredyouaboveallothercreatures,Hedid
notmaketheheavensinHisimage,northemoon,northesun,northe
beautyofthestars,noranythingelsewhichsurpassesallunderstanding.
YoualoneareaniconofEternalBeauty,andifyoulookatHim,youwill
becomewhatHeis,imita*ngHimWhoshineswithinyou,whosegloryis
reflectedinyourpurity.Nothinginallcrea*oncanequalyourgrandeur.All
theheavenscanfitinthepalmofGod'shand...andthoughHeissogreat...
youcanwhollyembraceHim.Hedwellswithinyou...Hepervadesyour
en*rebeing”(StGregoryofNyssa)
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