Imago Dei: Anchor for the Soul
What follows is an excerpt from Hannah Conroy’s piece “How the Doctrine of the Image of God Changed My Life.” The piece is being hosted in full at Late Night Theology.
As humans, we are image-bearers, but we are not just image-bearers. We are also sinners, both in our nature and in our behavior. This has marred, though not erased, God's image in us. Some humans, in addition to being image-bearers and sinners, are also saints; this is how the New Testament writers describe all those who are in Christ by faith. Saints, by the power of new life through the Spirit, are empowered to grow in Christlikeness, progressively growing in reflecting God's original design for image-bearers. As Romans 8:29 says, "For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son." (See also Colossians 3:10.)
Meditating on the doctrine of the image of God has shaped many of my beliefs, convictions, passions, and behaviors over the past few years. It gave theological validation for calling out and grieving the profound evil of race-based chattel slavery, rape, and murder. It buttressed my calls for justice to be done in the face of evil done to other image-bearers (because evil done to those who bear God's image is very serious). However, in my pursuit of justice, believing in the image of God also undercut thoughts of revenge, because even humans who perpetrate great evil deserve to have their humanity respected.
This doctrine impacted me in other ways too. It gave words to my concerns about how some New Calvinists emphasize the sinfulness of humans almost to the exclusion of acknowledging the image of God in humans. It gave me joy in seeing how much humans can achieve. It assured me that though my health struggles limited my productivity, my value as a human was not diminished. It encouraged me to have an accurate view of myself, one that was neither too high nor too low. It gave me the clarity to say that one of the reasons pornography and abortion are wrong is that they both exploit image bearers for the sake of another's sexual gratification. It made me more compassionate towards animals, feeling responsible to care for them as I am able. It made me passionate in proclaiming that more important than people respecting a leader's authority is leaders respecting other people's humanity. It meant that all human life has value, even if young, old, or disabled. It gave me a framework for learning from, honoring the accomplishments of, and seeing the good in those who hold differing beliefs than I do. It renewed my belief that the Christian's roles in work, society, and culture are good because they reflect aspects of who God is and how he works in the universe. It provided a litmus test for myself as I sought to think of each person first as an image-bearer, whatever else they might also be.
I continue to suffer from health struggles and to grieve over many things, but most days, I feel more at peace with myself, with God, with his church, and in society. Correctly understanding doctrines such as the image of God has made a practical difference in my life. It has provided a foundation and guidebook for navigating the complexities, evils, joys, and sorrows of life. It is so often a weary and weighty task, yet I am immensely thankful for God's truth as an anchor for my soul.
