The Human Person as Imago Dei: Christian and Jewish Perspectives t , A /> T -p rj f TO’JILARY Brigid Curtin '" “ 'f ' ^ tT ZT C o a lu s jiicac!* . A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD Supervisor: Dr Ethna Regan School of Theology Mater Dei Institute of Education August 2014 DECLARATION I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of PhD is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Signed: _ (Candidate) ID No.: <rq 7 2 5 Date: 6 o^j /o _____ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Ethna Regan, for her support and kindness over the past five years and for the hard work and energy that has gone into seeing this project to completion. I would also like to gratefully acknowledge the help that I received with particular aspects of my research from staff within the School of Theology in Mater Dei and beyond. Thank you to Dr Brad Anderson for the enjoyable biblical Hebrew module and for his input in the early stages of my work on the Hebrew Scriptures. This part of my thesis also greatly benefited from the help of Professor Joel Kaminsky, to whom I am very grateful. For help with my study of Aquinas and Maimonides, I would like to thank Dr Fainche Ryan, Fr Liam Walsh OP and Dr Daniel Davies. I am also grateful to Dr Yazid Said and Dr Joseph Rivera for reading my chapter on Karl Barth and to Dr John Murray for reading the chapter on David Novak. Thanks also to Dr Alan Kearns for taking the time to read my finished thesis and for helping me to prepare for the viva. I would also like to thank Dr Gabriel Flynn for help and encouragement throughout the process. Finally, I am very thankful for the continuous support that I received from family, friends and especially from my husband Kenneth. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE THE CONCEPT OF IMAGO DEL BIBLICAL ROOTS AND FORMATIVE INTERPRETATIONS..............................................................................................................5 1.1 The Near Eastern Context of the Biblical Idea of Imago D e i........................ 6 1.2 The Biblical Context of Imago Dei ...................................................................7 1.3 References to Imago Dei in the Hebrew Bible................................................. 9 1.3.1 Interpretations of the Phrase ‘Let us Make5.................................... 11 1.3.2 The Climax of Creation? ...................................................................12 1.3.3 Creation as Male and Female ........................................................... 15 1.4 Theological and Halakhic Appropriation in Tannaitic Literature ...............17 1.5 Imago Dei in the Letters of P a u l..................................................................... 23 1.6 Irenaeus of Lyons .............................................................................................26 1.6.1 Irenaeus’ Distinction between Image and Likeness ......................28 1.6.2 Growth in Likeness............................................................................29 1.7 Augustine of Hippo...........................................................................................32 1.7.1 The Fall from Perfection...................................................................34 1.7.2 Augustine’s Interpretation of Male and Female Creation ............36 1.7.3 The Image of the Triune God .......................................................... 38 1.8 Conclusion.........................................................................................................41 CHAPTER TWO IMA GO D E I AND THE HUMAN INTELLECT: MOSES MAIMONIDES AND THOMAS AQUINAS .........................................................................................................44 2.1 Aristotle’s Idea of Human Perfection............................................................ 45 2.2 The Interpretation of Moses Maimonides......................................................46 2.2.1 Maimonides’ Aversion to Literalism .............................................. 48 2.2.2 The Imago Dei as the Intellect in Actu ........................................... 49 2.2.3 The Necessity for the Commandments........................................... 52 2.2.4 Maimonides’ Conception of the Nature of Human Perfection 54 2.2.5 The Attainment of the Id eal............................................................. 57 2.2.6 Prophecy as a Cognitive P o w er.......................................................60 2.3 Imago Dei in the Writings of Thomas Aquinas............................................... 63 2.3.1 Nature, Grace and G lory...................................................................64 2.3.2 The Exclusive Realisation of the Image .... 67 2.3.3 Imaging God through Word and Love ............................................ 70 2.3.4 Differing Rational Capacities .......................................................... 72 2.3.5 Likeness in Virtue..............................................................................74 2.3.6 Departures from Aristotle and Maimonides on Intellectual Perfection...........................................................................................................76 2.4 Conclusion......................................................................................................... 78 CHAPTER THREE THE IMA GO D E I AS CORRESPONDENCE: THE RELATIONAL INTERPRETATION OF KARL BARTH ......................................................................81 3.1 Barth’s Relational Exegesis of Genesis 1:27................................................. 83 3.2 From Deification to Justification: The Barthian Idea of Correspondence 88 3.3 Saved Yet Fallen: A Pessimistic Theology of Assurance?...........................92 3.4 Ethical Implications of Barth’s Idea of Imago D e i....................................... 97 3.5 Conclusion....................................................................................................... 102 CHAPTER FOUR BETWEEN REVEALED WISDOM AND NATURAL LAW: THE CONCEPT OF IMAGO DEIIN THE THEOLOGY OF DAVID NOVAK.................................105 4.1 Theological Retrieval, Philosophical Imagination and Political Prudence 105 4.2 The Imago Dei as Active Mutuality ............................................................107 4.3 The Content of the Imago Dei ....................................................................... 110 4.4 Judaism and the Religious Other...................................................................I l l 4.5 Natural Law ......................................................................................................114 4.6 The Sanctity of Human Life ...........................................................................117 4.7 Revealed Wisdom in the Public Square........................................................ 120 4.8 Novak’s Opposition to Foundational Autonomy.........................................125 4.9 The Individual and the Covenantal Community........................................... 128 4.10 Conclusion....................................................................................................... 130 CHAPTER FIVE IM AGO D E I AND SEXUAL DIFFERENCE: BETWEEN DETERMINISM AND APOPHATICISM .............................................................................................................133 5.1 Contemporary Approaches to Gender .......................................................... 135 5.2 Creation as Male and Female ................................................... 138 5.3 Halakhic Feminism..........................................................................................140 5.4 Ontologically Determined: Complementarity in the Roman Catholic Tradition...........................................................................................................145 5.5 Reflecting the Mystery of God....................................................................... 155 5.6 Conclusion: Imaging God as Male and Female............................................ 162 CHAPTER SIX CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS: THE ENDURING RELEVANCE OF THE CONCEPT OF IM AGO D EI .............................................................................................. 167 6.1 Survey of Findings...........................................................................................167 6.2 The Whole Person as the Image of God .......................................................171 6.3 Articulating a Theocentric Distinctiveness.................................................. 174 6.4 The Corruption of the Image ......................................................................... 179 6.5 Christological Appropriation: Jewish Reflections.......................................186 6.6 Imago Dei and Human Dignity: Seeking a Broader Application 190 6.7 Final Reflection ...............................................................................................193 BIBLIOGRAPHY 195 THE HUMAN PERSON AS IM AGODEI: CHRISTIAN AND JEWISH PERSPECTIVES ABSTRACT This thesis explores the evolution of the biblical concept of imago Dei. Written from the perspective of Christian theology, the thesis engages select Jewish and Christian voices