Note: This is the first part of a series focused on Imago Dei and how it affects our view of humanity. This is not intended to be a theological exposition. It’s just some thoughts I’ve had as I learn and grow as a Christian.
Imago Dei is a term I grew up hearing explained in bits and pieces. For example, Imago Dei is the part of us that is different from animals. Or it’s the way we can explain many of our attributes, the way we were created for relationship. But as I considered what Imago Dei means for our identity as people, I realized that there’s so much more I’m missing.
So what is Imago Dei? It’s Latin for “the image of God,” and it comes from Genesis 1:27. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; make and female he created them.”
I want to point out that this is not really referring to our physical appearance. This was very confusing to my child brain, so I want to clarify that it’s not so literal as that. Of course, all of God’s tangible creations speak to who he is, but that’s not what Imago Dei is getting at necessarily.
In my mind, Imago Dei means that everything that makes us who we are comes from God. There is nothing in us that was not created after God’s likeness.
If we start with Genesis 1, ignoring for now the complication of sin, this means every characteristic that makes us unique individual humans is specifically designed by God and is therefore, good. This applies to our emotions, our sexuality, our talents, our passions, and so on.
This was a big realization for me, to my own surprise. It’s crazy to look back and remember feeling like certain talents were frivolous and useless, that my emotions were not there for my benefit, that any kind of sex is impure, and that I would need to cut out whole parts of my identity to become more like Jesus.
Because here’s the thing. Sin doesn’t add evil things to us; it twists and misuses what’s already there.
This is a wild truth, to me: our goal as Christians, to become more like Christ, is not distancing ourselves from who we are. It’s actually bringing us closer to who God created us to be, because we are Imago Dei. Created in his image, after his likeness. We are the reflection of God. A finite one, to be sure. But his reflection all the same.
This is what Augustine of Hippo (a theologian from early Christianity) is getting at when he says, “Grant, Lord, that I may know myself that I may know thee.” (Note: from what I could find, it’s unclear if this is a direct quote or a paraphrase).
So here’s where we land. Imago Dei is where we start the conversation of who we are as people, while we simultaneously learn more about who God is.
My next post will be exploring the effects sin has on us (the doctrine of total depravity) in light of Imago Dei, so stay tuned!