Distinguishing the Imago Dei from the Soul

This article contends that the ‘structural’ view of the imago Dei , which identifies the image of God with (or as being a property of ) the human soul, requires revision in light of exegesis of Genesis 1, and that philosophical reflection following after such exegesis reveals that the imago Dei needs to be distinguished conceptually from the soul. In dialogue with, and (grateful) response to, Joshua Farris ‐ the most recent proponent of the (or ‘a’) structural view, the article counters the position, arguing that instead of the image of God being (a property of) the human soul (entailing a human having a body contingently), the emphasis of Scripture is that the image of God is a human in their entirety (a view entailing their having an immaterial soul).