The human being created in the image of God : Luther’s exegesis of Imago Dei

Abstract

The interpretation of imago Dei is a central element in Luther’s theology and is well suited as an example for illustrating the tendencies of his entire anthropology. Today, I will be presenting an outline of Luther’s ideas about imago Dei and referring to a few important texts on the subject. In his Disputatio de homine (Disputation concerning man) from the year 1536, Luther voices his concept of the nature, destiny, and qualities of human beings. This is a very remarkable text which has often been cited in theological research, in part because it encompasses much more than just a definition of man. The Disputatio de homine is also a reflection on whether faith-based theology or reason-based philosophy would be more able to capture the nature of human beings and it is not surprising that the theologian Luther believed the ultimate interpretation to be on the side of theology.