Karl Barths Relational View of Imago Dei Essay - 1880 Words

â€Å"26 Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.’† Genesis 1:26a, 1:27 The stories which humans tell about their origins are always cherished and held in high regard. In fact, no culture has existed which has not created or attempted to create some story of origins. Every culture has had some means in which to say this is where we came from. Especially in cultures where religion found itself prevalent, the mythology of origins became not only a status or anthropology but also a theology. In which case, we find that Christianity is not alone in this struggle, though our struggle may be unique in kind.†¦show more content†¦We exercise our freedom not in complete isolation but in continuous interaction with others.† But this sort of identity is not individualistic in nature rather it exists in both equal and mut ual forms between the two sexes of humanity. Barth here chooses to use the language of relationship rather than that of the material. For humans do not own this imago rather they reflect it and instead of the image of God being physically present within. â€Å"For it is not God in us but rather we are in relation to God through imago dei.† We tend elude the discussion of imago dei in the material language, and instead lean towards this discussion with relational language, is for several different reasons. The first being that material terms has unfortunate negative connotations, especially within our own society. â€Å"Men and women are seeking, inquiring, expectant beings.† Humans have a sense of infinite within them, whether they wish to acknowledge it or not. An interesting paradox which has shown up within human behavior is the fact that the more materialistic humans become the less satisfied they truly are. A great example from the history of the church would be Augustine’s famous prayer, â€Å"You have made us toward yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you,† which exemplifies the point. This restless is no better than a parasite which eats its carrier alive from the inside out. â€Å"Humans are radically temporal beings,†Show MoreRelatedWord Of God As Written, Incarnate, And Proclaimed1218 Words   |  5 Pagessimply a collection of personal religious intentions, expressions, and understandings. Barth does not view the written Word as religious views, but as an objective event where Christ is the subject of the revelation. â€Å"Scripture is Holy and the Word of God as by the Holy Spirit it became and will become to the church the witness of God’s revelation.† Barth 2. The Word Proclaimed: The Barthian view of the Word of God proclaimed says that: â€Å"We are unprofitable servants, and in no sense are we to imagineRead MoreImage of God in Man Research Paper4644 Words   |  19 PagesGod in man is a doctrine that is fundamental to understanding the soteriological implications of humanity, which is best understood through the examination of Christ’s humanity with regards to various views held. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 1 THE IMAGE ITSELF 1 MAJOR VIEWS TO THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN 3 IMPLICATIONS TO THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN 5 THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST 8 CHRIST AS THE IMAGE OF GOD 12 CONCLUSION 13 BIBLIOGRAPHY †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦