The "Imago Dei" Once Again: Stanley Grenz's Journey toward a Theological Interpretation of Genesis 1:26–27

Abstract

Abstract While engaged in his own construction of systematic theology, Stanley J. Grenz looked increasingly to the imago Dei as the major motif for his project. Having previously seen the theme carrying some weight for both ethics and theology, as his project progressed in the Matrix of Christian Theology series in the new millennium, Grenz came to understand this biblical motif as a unifying agent. This significant biblical theme, run through the coherence test of the theological loci and sufficiently able to unite the systematic categories, became for Grenz a lens for reading all of Scripture, and for understanding God, humanity, and all reality. Within the imago Dei Grenz found a way to bring a relational model of the Trinity to bear on the systematic discipline, which also gave him a unified approach to reading and interpreting the Bible in light of this Trinitarian framework flowing from the earliest part of the canonical narrative. As such, his approach offers a helpful model for consideration in the ongoing conversation of theological interpretation of Scripture.