What are theological implications of being created in God's image?

Answer 1

It is in the first creation story that man (both male and female) is made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), in other words they are god-like. One of the theological implications of this is that both male and female are equally god-like and therefore neither can be subordinate to the other. This is something often forgotten by the institutional churches as they look for biblical precedents to support the subordination of women.

In the second creation story, Adam is made out of dirt and not god-like. He only becomes god-like at the end - "now the man is become like one of us (Genesis 3:22)" and only because of his disobedience. The physical appearance of Adam and Eve is not at issue, because this story already had God walking and talking in the Garden of Eden just like a man, yet it was only after they ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that Adam and Eve became like "one of us (the gods)."

For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/theology/the-story-of-creation

Answer 2

Being created in God's image teaches us the sanctity of life and the dignity of human beings. To give just one example of the implications of this: The Greeks and Romans, who did not possess this tradition, allowed widespread cruelty. Aristotle, who was among the greatest of the Greeks, and Seneca, the famous Roman, both write that killing one's young babies is perfectly acceptable. Professor and former President of the American Historical Association, William L. Langer (in The History of Childhood): "Children, being physically unable to resist aggression, were the victims of forces over which they had no control, and they were abused in almost unimaginable ways."

According to tradition, there is only one Genesis creation-narrative, with ch.2 serving as an expansion of the brevity of ch.1, not a separate set of events (Rashi commentary, Gen.2:8). In ch.1, God created the universe from nothing (Exodus 20:11, Isaiah 40:28; Maimonides' "Guide," 2:30; Targum and Nachmanides on Gen. 1:1; Rashi commentary, Gen.1:14), and in ch.2, God performed specific acts within the broader picture.While Judaism has always seen the Torah as an intricate tapestry that nonetheless had one Divine source, some modern authors such as Wellhausen (the father of modern Biblical-criticism, 1844-1918) have suggested artificially chopping up the narrative and attributing it to various authors, despite the Torah's explicit statement as to its provenance (Exodus 24:12, Deuteronomy 31:24). This need not concern believers, since his claims have been debunked one by one, as Archaeology and other disciplines have demonstrated the integrity of the Torah. No fragments have ever been found that would support his Documentary Hypothesis, which remains nothing more than an arbitrary claim:

http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=1131(a Christian author)

http://www.whoreallywrotethebible.com/excerpts/chapter4-1.php

http://www.pearlmancta.com/BiblicalcriticswrongRShlomoCohen.htm

And see also the wider picture:

http://judaism.answers.com/hebrew/does-archaeology-support-the-hebrew-bible

Answer 3

Being created in God's image suggests that humans share in divine characteristics such as reason, creativity, and moral agency. This grounding in divine likeness can lead to the belief in human dignity, value, and potential for relationship with God. It also implies a responsibility for stewardship of the earth and care for fellow human beings.