Any plausible Christian response to the question of human uniqueness must, of course, account for Genesis 1:26: “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.” The opening chapter of the Bible is clear: God created us, and there is something like God in us.
While Christian theologians generally believe we are uniquely made in the image of God, few agree on the details of what it is that makes humans unique. The topic is rich and complex, requiring us to consider Scripture, theology and science. In an attempt to do this complexity justice, BioLogos has produced six podcast episodes on the imago Dei which at least provide a good opening to the conversation.
It’s hard to wrap our minds around the idea of baby Jesus – fully God and yet with all the limitations inherent to human infancy. Fuller Seminary professor Justin Barrett guest writes our newsletter today, drawing on knowledge from psychology, cognitive science, and evolution to point to the beauty of this dependence and vulnerability.
What is the imago dei? How are humans unique from the rest of life and made special by God? This is an important—and highly contested—topic in the history of theology. And today, it’s best approached in dialogue with science.