Humans in the Image of God and Other Things Genesis Does Not Make Clear

Abstract

Abstract This paper explores the nature and function of the opening chapters of Genesis by way of a focused case study concerning the hermeneutical function of "image of God" language in its canonical setting in Genesis. It pursues a canonically oriented argument that the book of Genesis uses the language of "the image of God" as a relatively under-determined place-holder for something that can only be more clearly defined by seeing how the canonical narrative develops, beyond Genesis, and indeed beyond the OT. The discussion will look first at hermeneutical frameworks for reading the image of God and second at how the language functions canonically as a part of Gen 1–11. A third section explores briefly other substantive issues in Gen 1–11 that might best be understood in this canonical perspective.