Liberating Image : The Imago Dei in Genesis 1

by Middleton, J. Richard

• ISBN13: 9781587431104
• ISBN10: 1587431106
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-01
• Publisher: Brazos Pr

Summary

For two thousand years, Christians have been intrigued by the somewhat enigmatic "Imago Dei references in the book of Genesis. Much theological ink has been spilled mulling over the significance and meaning of these words: "Let us make humanity in our image, according to our likeness..." In "The Liberating Image, J. Richard Middleton takes on anew the challenge of interpreting the "Imago Dei. Reflecting on the potential of the "Imago Dei texts for developing an ethics of power rooted in compassion, he relates its significance to the Christian community's distinct calling in an increasingly violent world. "The Liberating Image introduces a relevant, scholarly take on an important Christian doctrine. It will appeal to all Christians seeking to better understand what it means to be made in God's image.

Author Biography

J. Richard Middleton (PhD, Free University of Amsterdam) is professor of biblical studies at Roberts Wesleyan College and professor of Bible and culture at Northeastern Seminary, both in Rochester, New York. He is the coauthor of Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be and The Transforming Vision.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	6	(1)
Figures	7	(2)
Preface	9	(6)
Part 1: The Meaning of the Image
The Challenge of Interpreting the Imago Dei	15	(28)
The Imago Dei in the Symbolic World of Genesis 1	43	(50)
Part 2: The Social Context of the Image
An Ancient Near Eastern Background for the Imago Dei	93	(54)
The Matrix of Mesopotamian Ideology	147	(38)
Genesis 1-11 as Ideology Critique	185	(50)
Part 3: The Ethics of the Image
Created in the Image of a Violent God?	235	(36)
Imaging God's Primal Generosity	271	(28)
Index	299