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ment. This seems to resonate well with traditio- to judge what God can do, or may already be
nal substantive views of the imago Dei although doing, within that person’s telos?
I am not here suggesting that understanding Some of us will not move eternally on a telos
was the intended meaning of the imago terms that realizes that image. But this side of the es-
in Genesis 1 simpliciter. chaton, what human can separate the wheat
Still, humans are not just enduring spirits who from the tares without risking throwing out the
are coincidentally embodied. As Biblical theo- wheat? It is an act of sinful hubris for Christians
logy and contemporary neuroscience have both to think themselves superior to others in rea-
argued, our conscious mental life is constituted, lizing the image or likeness of God or to view
constrained and made possible to a substantial others as hopelessly having lost the imago Dei
degree by our embodied condition. Our embo- because a particular subset of characteristics
died cognition works in such a way that we are that we have focused on appear lacking. There
unavoidably in relationship to others. We “walk is no warrant for us to make such judgments. By
in others’ shoes” mentally and emotionally to abiding in the life of the Spirit, God has provided
some degree just by observing them. We form the way for the redeemed to be conformed into
our self-understanding and acquire competen- His image. To encounter Jesus in the Gospels
cies in the world by imitating others. Thus, as is to be confronted with just how many areas
constituted, humans are inherently relational that implicates for our needed transformation.
beings. The telos of the embodied Christian this side of
Still humans are not just enduring spirits who in the intermediate and resurrected state is to live
their embodied constitutions are also relational in the body of Christ in a unified community
beings. We were created to represent a supre- realizing the divine image to a sufficient degree
mely relational and morally perfect being. We so that the world may know the Father sent the
serve this function of being God’s icon before Son (John 17:21).
a watching world now with various degrees of
realization, as the indwelling Spirit bears fruit References
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others ahead of us on the pilgrim’s trail (1 Cor bridge: Cambridge University. (original work published 400).
11:1). Because imitation works not as mere mi- Aquinas, T. (2010). Summa Theologica. [Kindle DX version].
Retrieved from www.amazon.com. (Original work published
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come sequences, with the Spirit’s indwelling Aziz-Zadeh, L., & Damsio, A. (2008). Embodied semantics for
and sanctifying presence, we may begin to walk actions: findings from functional brain imaging. Journal of Phy-
as He walked with a renewed mind (Romans siology-Paris, 102 (1-3), 35-39.
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Understanding other minds: Perspectives From social cognitive
If a so positioned integrative understanding of neuroscience (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press
the imago Dei subsumes aspects of all of the Barr, J. (1968). The image of God in Genesis-A study in termino-
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alleged by Kilner (2016)? What of the unrege- Barth, K. (1958). The doctrine of creation. In G.W. Bromley &
nerate who will not move towards a realization T.F. Torrance (Eds), Church dogmatics, 3 (pt 1). Edinburgh: T &
T Clark.
of the perfect image of God seen in Jesus? What Berkouwer, G.C. (1962) Studies in dogmatic. Man: The Image of
of those who have disorders that in some way God. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans.
interfere with the realization of some facets that Bertolero, M. A., Yeo, B. T. T., Bassett, D. S., & D‘Esposito, M.
reflect what God intends us to reflect? All of us (2018). A mechanistic model of connector hubs, modularity and
are imperfect reflectors of the divine radiance cognition. Nature Human Behaviour, 2(10), 765-777.
Boyd, G.A., & Eddy, P.R. (2002). Across the spectrum: Under-
in this pre-glorified and fallen state. But any standing Issues in Evangelical theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.
person may be on the path towards reflecting Bray, G.L. (1991). The significance of God’s image in man. Tyn-
the image of Christ more fully. Even if some dale Bulletin, 42(2), 195-225.
seem so impaired or so marred by the effects of Briggs, R.S. (2010). The image of God and other things Genesis
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present within the earthen vessel, who are we Brueggemann, W. (1982). Genesis: A Bible commentary for

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