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Created in God's Image

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Anthony Hoekema does an admirable job of explaining and defending a biblical view of man by arguing that man is both a creature and a person. Man is a creature in the sense that he is totally dependent on God for everything he has and is, but man is also a person who has freedom and can make choices. Thus in Hoekema's words man is a created person and herein lies the central mystery of biblical anthropology. How can man be both a created person when supporting one aspect of man's being virtually eliminates any support for the other aspect. I think this is the primary concern that drives Hoekema's work and it is one that he think he deals with admirably in the book.

I liked how Hoekema showed from biblical exegesis that the image of God is retained in man, although damaged, and is not destroyed. This is one area of belief where most Reformed theologians are either oppossed to Hoekema or utterly inconsistent. Hoekema argues from Scripture and demonstrates how the view of Berkouwer that God's image in man is gone and is only said to be there as a possibility is wrong. Furthermore, he shows how John Calvin was inconsistent on this question at one point saying the image is destroyed and at another saying the image of God is present in man in some capacity and this is why we should love all men. Moreover, I like how Hoekema dealt with the views of other great Christian thinkers like Ireneaus, Aquinas, and Barth on the question. Furthermore, I really enjoyed Hoekema's argument that man is a psycho-psomatic unity and is composed of both a body and a soul. I think Hoekema illustrates why the view of man as trichotomy of body, soul and spirit is unwarranted. Hoekema argues that soul and spirit are virtual synonyms in the Bible and I believe he is correct. Lastly, I enjoyed Hoekema's treatment of the subject of man's self-image. I think that this was an interesting and stimulation chapter in the book.

The were a few areas where I thought the book was weak, but I think this was caused more by confusing argumentation than by poor reasoning or exegesis. I wish Hoekema would have gone deeper into the question of how God is totally sovereign in salvation, but yet man still must respond in faith. Since Hoekema lies squarely within the traditional Reformed camp and seems to espouse the view that regeneration proceeds faith, I don't see one can argue that it is man's responsibility to respond in faith since this only happens in the spiritually revived. Also, I think the doctrine of common grace is one with little scriptural support. Now, I don't deny that such grace may exist, but I think the Reformed distinction between common and irresistible or sufficient and efficient graces is one that is not directly supported by the Bible. In fact, such a notion seems to be more a necessary construct of Reformed theology than it is a valid component of Scripture.

All in all, Hoekema's book is an excellent discussion on the question of the image of God in mankind. Hoekema states his point by using, Scripture, exegesis, and some Greek word studies. Although there are few elements that detract from the overall quality of this work it is still an excellent piece of literature and an nice defense of modern Reformed scholarship on the issue.

I am a theology/apologetics student and this is one of the books we recently read for our Systematic Theology II class. Hoekema has a great writing style that is suitable for a wide audience. He definitely writes from the Reformed perspective but does not interpret as figuratively as Berkhof for example (but more so than Ladd). He rarely, if ever, cites confessions or creeds to support his position. He does quote other theologians extensively and fairly. Generally sound reasoning from the scriptures with minimal speculating.

The early part of the book has a useful Historical Survey of various theologians (Aquinas, Calvin, Barth, others) and their view on man in the image of God. Hoekema is fair and looks for the good points in various views as well as kindly pointing out errors.
Later in the book he shows he is his own thoelogian by critquing both the trichotomy (soul and spirit distinct) and dichotomy (soul and spirit inseparable) views of the constitution of man. Hoekema argues for man as a whole (body-soul-spirit) integrated person and encourages us to share the gospel of Christ(the perfect image bearer) in a manner respecting this proper view of our fellow man, who, though fallen like all of us, also reflects some aspects of God's image (James 3:9).
Pretty extensive bibliography, subject, name and scripture indexes; what you expect of a true theology text.

A good and edifying read. God blessed us with an excellent teacher in Hoekema (who is now with the Lord). I would like to read another of his works sometime. John 15:5

"Created in God's Image" is the second in a series of doctrinal studies by the late Anthony Hoekema, professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan. This book is a standard work dealing with Christian anthropology, or doctrine about the nature and destiny of human beings from a Biblical perspective. The theological standpoint represented in this book is that of evangelical Christianity from a Reformed or Calvinistic perspective.

I think it is a marvelous book, it is also very readable for the layman. This book gives the reader a very clear and complete view about what the Bible teaches about the image of God, the origin and spread of sin and the restoration of the image of God by the Holy Spirit. One of the strong points of this book is that it follows the Scripture so closely. The explanation of the various texts is balanced and sober.

The author takes classical Reformed positions in matters of the origin of sin (a historical fall, by a historical Adam), total depravity after the fall and the possession of a free will ("Man lost the ability to live in total obedience of God"). I had questions however about certain interpretations, e.g. Romans 7:13-26. The author presumes that Paul is dealing with the unregenerate in this passage, however the interpretation that this passage is dealing with the regenerate is very popular within Reformed Christianity, e.g. Bavinck. It appears to me that the apostle Paul in this passage includes himself in the present tense. The author could have said more about the struggle with sin within the life of the regenerate.

There are places where the author betrays a Dutch bias in dealing with various theological positions, such as were he deals with synodical discussions in the Netherlands about common grace and the speaking of the snake in Paradise. There is a very strong chapter about a typical American topic: self esteem. The author does not like this term, because satisfaction with himself without God's grace is not the relationship a Christion ought to have with himself. A believer should see himself as a new creation in Jesus Christ.

I think this book is a must-read for every student of theology and can also recommend it to every layperson with an interest in systematic theology.

In my quest to learn more about the Reformed tradition, I have been reading (slowly it seems) books by by Reformed authors dealing with the finer points of theology from a Reformed perspective. My latest literary conquest was Anthony Hoekema's book Created in God's Image (1986 Eerdmans). This is part of a three volume set on Reformed theology by Hoekema (the other two volumes being Saved By Grace and The Bible and the Future dealing respectively with the Reformed position on the doctrines of soteriology and eschatology). This volume treats the doctrine of Biblical anthropology -- or what the Bible says about mankind.

When it comes to Christian doctrines, anthropology does not rank very high on the list. Eschatology probably tops the list due in large part to the fact that is deals with end time events. This doctrine has been so sensationalized of late with Hal Lindsey's Late Great Planet Earth and LaHaye & Jenkin's Left Behind series. People never seem to lose fascination with future events. Following close behind is soteriology, or the doctrine of salvation. This is understandable considering that it deals with the gospel and how one is saved. Anthropology is different because it carries neither the centrality of soteriology nor the appeal of eschatology, but it is an important doctrine nonetheless.

One of the central pillars of Reformed Theology is Total Depravity (the first 'petal' in TULIP, an acronym that serves as a mnemonic for the distinctive features of Reformed Theology. Total Depravity is the doctrine that man is completely incapable of earning salvation based on his good works. Moreover, it is the doctrine that teaches mankind is not even really interested in pursuing a saving relationship with God. Total Depravity is a result of the fall in which the nature of man was irrevocably changed. The image of God in which we were created (Genesis 1:27) was marred beyond recognition so much so that we do not relate to God as we ought, nor do we relate to our fallow man as we ought. Total Depravity is an essential element in a Biblical anthropology. Furthermore, a proper understanding of the perfection of God's holiness and the depth of our sinfulness is also essential to a Biblical anthropology.

In this book, the late Dr. Hoekema lays out in great detail a Biblical anthropology. He spends a bit of time laying the foundation of the importance of anthropology (the doctrine of man). He also talks about man as a created person, and what that means (chapter 2). This isn't trivial as it plays an important role in our relationship with God. The next three chapters (3, 4, & 5) discuss to some length what it means to be created in the image of God. Chapter 3 traces the Biblical teaching of this truth; whereas in chapter 4, Dr. Hoekema gives a brief historical survey of being created in God's image by discussing the views of Irenaeus, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, and G.C. Berkouwer. Chapter 5 closes the section on being created in God's image by giving a theological summary of this teaching.

Dr. Hoekema then spends a considerable amount of space in the book talking about sin: Its origin, spread, nature and restraint. Chapters on the whole person and human freedom round out the books contents.

The book has a copious amount of footnotes which are included on the pages in which they're found (I find this aids in the flow of reading as you can easily check the references without having to turn to the end of the book or chapter). There is also a subjects index, an index of proper names and a Scripture index. This is easily the most thorough treatment on Biblical anthropology that I have read. Dr. Hoekema's writing style is readable, if dry and technical in parts. He brought to light many nuances of this doctrine with which I was not aware. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about Biblical anthropology from a Reformed perspective.

While attending Bible college, I took a class called "Biblical View of Persons." One of the many books we read for this class was "Created In God's Image." From the first to the last chapter I was totally subdued and challenged. It truly gave me many things to think about and study even more. One of the more challenging chapters was chapter 3 that focused on "The Image of God: Biblical Teaching." This caused me to have many questions as far as interpretation of the passages he looks at from the OT. The topic of man losing the image and/or likeness of God was quite reeling and forced mew to think more on the subject than maybe I had previously thought. My second challenge in this book was in chapter 6 with "The Question of the Self-Image." he brought out things that I had thought of before but muffled and I must say I feel he was right on target. His point about the three-fold relationship - to God, others and nature - really being four - to himself - is ideal. I could not agree with Hoekema more when he states that the relationship to himself is not alongside the other three, but underlies the other three. His definition of self-love and self-esteem are right on target and I must agree with him that the term "self-image" is much more suitable.

Anthony Hoekema's works are very well researched and well written. "Made in God's Image" is part of three of his works which fit in well together, "Saved by Grace" and "The Bible and the Future"

Basically these works cover: who we are, how we are saved, what happens in the future.

Each of these works does a very good job of explaining the biblical foundations of specific areas of theology. I recommend them for anyone seeking a deeper understand of God from a theological perspective. They are not light reading, but are quite readable.

This 220 page book deals primarily with the doctrine of anthropology, or rather the position and place of man in God's creation. The language is not heavily technical, so its suitable for the average reader, and not just for those who are steeped in theological thought.

Dr. Hoekema begins his book with an explanation of why the doctrine of man is important. He cites the focus on self centered, or man centered, questions being asked in our culture, and that studying the doctrine of man can bring us to God through the door of self. While older cultures focused on more ultimate questions, and hence could approach God through those avenues, today's inward focus on the state of man provides us with another approach.

The author then moves into the doctrine of man itself, dealing first with man's status as a created person. In the next chapter, he shows how man goes beyond created person, and into the image and likeness of God. He focuses first on the question of whether or not man still bears the image of God. By surveying the Tanakh and the New Testament, he comes to the conclusion that man does, in fact, still bear the image of God.

Once past this point, Dr. Hoekema begins to come to grips with what the image of God means. He provides a historical survey of the idea, working through Irenaeus, John Calvin, Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, and various others. The author then works through a theological summary of the image of God, dealing with structural and functional aspects, Christ as the true image of God, man's threefold relationship, the original image, the perverted image, the restored image, and the perfected image. The result of this investigation is that this image is a holistic attribute, rather than being centered in any particular part of faculty of man, or even men and women.

The most helpful chapter in the book follows, a chapter on the relationship between the self-image and the image of God. This is followed by several chapters on sin, including the origin of sin, the spread of sin, the nature of sin, and the restraint of sin. The book concludes with one chapter titled The Whole Person, followed by a chapter on The Question of Freedom.

There are some points where the logic falls through. For instance, the author claims the current age is uniquely man centered, but seems to miss the entire episode of Diogenes using his lantern to search for a human being, showing the Greeks were often just as man-centered as we are. Dr. Hoekema uses Romans 9 for the common proof of predestination, although its easily shown this particular Scripture has nothing to do with salvation. The section on the unpardonable sin is completely missing the Hebrew cultural context.

Anthony Hoekema is an excellent writer who is very clear and often presents the finest exegesis of theological topics. This work (part of 3 related volumes of theology) approaches the nature of humanity from the perspective of Imago Dei (the image of God), explaining how God's image has been given to every human and has not been lost in the fall of mankind. The image has been corrupted by sin, and it is therefore abused by mankind, but it is not some spiritual accessory that is lost and regained. God's redemption in Christ is explained here as the renewal of God's image in His people.

Hoekema is very strong in this discussion about God's image, and he is also very strong in later presenting the unity of mankind as a whole individual rather than the sum of body, soul, and spirit. In the middle, however, his presentation on Original Sin seems to be based more on Reformed tradition than on solid exegesis, which is somewhat disappointing since his exegesis shines in many other places. Specifically, he accepts without much question that our sinful nature inherited from Adam is by nature "guilty" from birth (which is an inference from Rom 5:18 that misses Paul's comparison between the destiny of the descendents of Adam and the destiny of those who are in Christ).

I have read all three books in this series ("Created in God's Image," "Saved by Grace," and "The Bible and the Future") and they are all great reading. Personally, I think that that "The Bible and the Future" is the best. Readers who are in the Reformed tradition will find much that they will agree with and yet be stretched some, too. Other readers will also find great riches, because Hoekema has a fine way of helping us think through these deep subjects.

I had to read this book for a seminary class, and I really enjoyed it. It was not a difficult read, and there were many details of man being created in God's image that I had not known. Would highly recommend the book.

Hoekema is a careful and thorough theologian. Here he takes on a difficult, yet more pivotal doctrine that many take far too much for granted: imago Dei, human sin, grace, etc.

His survey of doctrinal history is adequate, however concentrates as it should on Hoekema's Reformed heritage.

He comes out with a position that appears to be untenably suspended between soverignty of God and man's freedom, while all the time upholding total depravity. This is part of the Reformed dillemma, which focuses not on Christology but on soverignty. There is no issue with soverignty if primarily tied to Christology and soteriology.

In this reviewer's analysis, the tensions left are not Biblical tensions, due somewhat to this faulty anthropology.

For a different look, try and locate a magnificent treatment: "The Doctrine of Man in Classical Lutheran Theology" by Chemnitz and Gerhard. Here anthropology jives with Christology and soteriology, as what is central to imago Dei is lost righteousness before God, restored in justification in the "now and not yet" of proper eschatology. Original sin has its way, thus freedom in spiritual matters is gone with Christology and means of grace working.

Hoekema is certainly worth the reading and careful attention to his opinions, and this volume certainly delivers such.