Premium
Responsible Relationship: Imago Dei and the Moral Distinction between Humans and Other Animals
Author(s) -
MILLER DANIEL K.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of systematic theology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.149
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1468-2400
pISSN - 1463-1652
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2400.2011.00561.x
Subject(s) - creatures , imago , philosophy , character (mathematics) , epistemology , theology , biology , natural (archaeology) , ecology , paleontology , geometry , mathematics
In light of modern evolutionary science, some theologians have criticized using the image of God to distinguish humans from other animals. This concept, however, still offers rich theological insight into the natures of both humans and other animals. Following the relational interpretations of Emil Brunner and Karl Barth, this article explores how the imago Dei may be used to distinguish human creatures without necessarily implying a division in kind between humans and other animal creatures. Humans are distinguished not by any superior abilities they might possess, but by the character of their relationship to God and other creatures.