Is the Whole Being of Man Created in the Image of God?

Abstract

This article attempts to answer the question «is the whole being of man created in the image of God?» in the light of some biblical and theological aspects of the ecclesiastical tradition. There are contradictory judgments in patristic exegesis as to what exactly in man corresponds to the image of God. In this regard, patristic judgments can be divided into two main positions: 1) the image of God is enclosed in the human soul and its forces; 2) the image of God is enclosed in the entire being of man. The second position is more problematic. However, the first position also contains a problem. The purpose of research is to find out what patristic position is the most reasonable. To this end, the author refers to the narrative of Genesis about the creation of man, some passages in the New Testament that say in what relation to God a person should be, to patristic interpretations, as well as to the dogmas of the Orthodox Church. Аccording to the results of this comprehensive study, the author came to two main conclusions: 1) the image of God is enclosed in the whole being of man, however, the whole being of man contains the image of the world; 2) the image of God is extremely similar to the original Image.