Category: Imagio Dei
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What Does “Image of God” Mean? Part 3
Science and the Sacred: What Does “Image of God” Mean? Part 3 (This is the third of a three part series by OT scholar Peter Enns.) One of the portraits the New Testament paints of Jesus is that of ultimate image-bearer of God. Jesus fully reflects God’s image; he is the true representative of God…
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What Does “Image of God” Mean? Part 2
Science and the Sacred: What Does “Image of God” Mean? Part 2 by Peter Enns Last week we saw that “image of God” in Genesis 1:26-27 means being God’s representative rulers in his creation. This is similar to two ancient practices: kings placing images of themselves in distant parts of their kingdom and the use…
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The Imago Dei and God the Worker
Vanguard Church (Bob Robinson): The Imago Dei and God the Worker A Christian Perspective on Work, Part 1 According to Genesis 2:2, God is resting (“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”) However, according to John 5:17, God…
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Prosperity: Respect for the Individual
We hear much today about the destructiveness of individualism. It no doubt is a significant cultural issue. But only recently has such excessive focus on the individual emerged. Throughout history, individuals were considered subordinate to society or rulers. An individual's existence and liberty were maintained primarily at the pleasure of the societal elite. Elaborate religious…
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Living Simply in Abundance (24)
I've suggested that we need to get in touch with the forces within us that distort our sense of need and be intentional in our financial management. Beyond this, I want to suggest that we must also become disillusioned. Isn't it interesting that the word "disillusion" has a negative connotation? After all, if we are…
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Living Simply in Abundance (13)
The Bible's recurring economic theme is that God owns all that exists. We were created to be stewards (corporately and individually) of God's resources, and God intends for stewards to live in community-wide abundance. Human rebellion entered the equation, and that intention has been terribly marred. Part of the Good News of the coming shalom…
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Economic Fallacies: “Work is Instrumental”
The "Work is Instrumental" fallacy views human economic labor as purely instrumental in service to higher pursuits of spirituality and intellect. Humanity was created in the image of God. The image of God has primarily been understood through substantive categories throughout much of Western Church history. The substantive view is expressed in two ways: ontological…
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Imago Dei and the Material World (Part 4)
I closed my last post with the question, "How then does our work in this time of the Kingdom "already but not yet" have an eschatological impact?" The first way our work has an eschatological impact is through our daily work. Through our work, we are formed and transformed. We come into the world with…
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Imago Dei and the Material World (Part 3)
Throughout most of history, the Church has taken an instrumental view of human work and economic activity. There is no question that work has such value. Through our labors, we provide food, clothing, and shelter. Work sustains us so we can do those distinctly human activities like worship God, meditate on who God is, educate…