Because of a few very kind e-mails and the blog there seems to be some reason to discuss the meaning of Image of God.

First, I like to use “Eikon of God” instead of Imago dei or Image of God. Eikon is the Greek translation of Tselem and Demut, the two Hebrew terms.

Second, there are at least four directions to take: we can look to Theology (we are like God) and we can look to Creaturehood (how do we differ and how are we like the rest of creation; the history of this discussion centers almost completely on how humans are different from creation, and by this is meant how are we “superior” to creation). Third, we can look to the World and speak here of how humans are called to govern the world. And, what I think no Christian theologian disputes, we can look to Christ as the perfect Eikon of God.

So, we can be theological, anthropological, cosmological, and christological.

The impact of this understanding of humans and human nature is awesome, and any responsible understanding of the gospel must put on the table how to understand humans as Eikons of God.