Imago Dei: Exploring the Image of God

Imago Dei (Image of God)

• God created man in His image, signifying our real identity.
• "Imago Dei" translates to the image of God.
• Humans are uniquely created in God's image, sharing a privileged gift unlike other creatures.
• Genesis 1:27 suggests humans possess moral, spiritual, and intellectual natures reflective of God, rather than a physical form.
• Humans mirror God's divinity through unique abilities, distinguishing them via soul, higher-order reasoning, self-consciousness, and consciousness of God.

Truths and Moral Implications of Imago Dei

• There are three truths regarding Imago Dei: our infinite worth from God, our appearance's irrelevance to our value, and Christ's proof of our worth on the cross.
• The phrase "image of God" emphasizes humanity's unique role as God's representative in creation.
• Moral implications of Imago Dei include loving others as expressions of God.
• Contrasting humans with beings lacking self-consciousness and spiritual/moral growth helps understand human likeness to God.
• Humans are distinct from other creatures due to rational structure, deliberation, and decision-making capacity.

Stewardship

• Stewardship involves carefully managing what God entrusts to us.
• Man and woman have the role of subduing the earth as stewards (CCC 373).

Human Dignity

• "Dignity" comes from the Latin "Dignitas" meaning "worthiness" - unearned and irremovable.
• CCC states human life must be respected and protected absolutely from conception, recognizing a human’s rights from their first moment of existence.
• Human beings possess inherent, inviolable and inalienable dignity

Aspects of Human Dignity

• Human dignity is essential; one cannot be human without it, dignity is inherited as a worthwhile being chosen by God.
• Divine revelation and natural law indicate something special about human life, made in God's image, also protection of human life and dignity is a natural instinct.
• A person's dignity cannot be violated; no one has right to profane it. It is holy and is not damaged even by sin.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states recognition of inherent dignity and equal rights is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace.

Human Dignity as Inalienable

• Dignity cannot be taken away by anyone, regardless of social position or actions.
• Because it comes from God, human dignity cannot be taken away from another person, thus is intrinsic to existence.
• Respect for human dignity forms the basis of relationships and reflects God's divine nature.
• Human dignity makes everyone a someone, not a something and is the same regardless of social status.
• Exploiting, manipulating, humiliating, or harassing a human being is disrespecting human dignity.
• CCC 357 says a human possesses the dignity of a person, capable of self-knowledge, self-possession, and communion with others.
• Human dignity is rooted in the fact that each human is not a mere animal or thing.

Violations of Human Dignity

• Human dignity can be violated in multiple ways.
• Main categories of violations are humiliation, instrumentalization/objectification, degradation, and dehumanization.

Theology of the Body (TOB)

• Theology is the mystery of God's inmost life within the Blessed Trinity.
• The human body includes the physical structure and material substance.
• TOB reveals God through the human body, examining male and female before and after the Fall, and contemplating sexual complementarity plus the nature of marriage, celibacy, and virginity.
• Pope John Paul II is known for catechetical homilies on marriage and sexuality.
• JPII: "The body alone makes visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine ... created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden since time immemorial in God, and thus to be a sign of it."
• TOB: A bold reconfiguration of Catholic theology.

Understanding the Theology of the Body

• There are five important factors in understanding the theology of the body
• God made the world on purpose and out of divine love offering a divine plan
• God made humanity in His image.
• Man cannot be understood solely in worldly terms, rather is defined by his relationship with God.
• Man is unity of body and soul, more than just matter, composed of spiritual elements determining man's dignity and worth.
• Culture often views the body as a source of pleasure and lust.

What you do with Your Body Matters

• Culture of Death is the destruction of marriage and family.
• Sexual Revolution is a social movement challenging traditional behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships from the 1960s-1980s.
• The mystery of incarnation and the Body of Jesus, assumed our humanity and became truly man, therefore God has fully revealed Himself

Lessons from St. Augustine on Body and Soul

• Care for your body as if you were going to live forever, and care for your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.

Love and Sexuality

• "Love" and "sexuality" are distinct: Love is a deep emotional connection, while sexuality involves physical desires.
• Sexual connection is vital in romantic relationships for pleasure, self-esteem, closeness, and pleasing one’s partner.
• Over time, couple’s sexuality faces challenges and couples must talk honestly to be closer.
• More than love is needed to stay together, like emotional safety, plus passion and intimacy.

God's Plan for Love and Sexuality

• Male and female are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27).
• God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God (1 Jn 4:16).
• Men and Women are Made for Love in God's Image

Catholic Teachings on Love and Sexuality

• God's plan for love/sexuality is good news, with family love reflecting the Church's joy (Amoris Laetitia, 1).
• Catholic teachings state all people are created in God's image to share and reflect love.
• Jesus reveals God as a love communion, showing who we are called to be, makes love and sexuality bound up in noble truth.
• Catholic teachings on love and sexuality are founded on:
  • God's revelation in Christ Jesus through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
  • The nature of the human person and natural moral law, accessible via faith and reason.

Man is Made in God's Image

• Book of Genesis - man and woman are the unique crown of God’s creation constructed in God’s image.
• Men and women can be in relationship with God, also with each other.
• The Christian family can be fully understood only in light of Christ's love.
• Everyone is created in God's image, therefore having great dignity.
• God gave us the power to create new life and we are a unity of body and soul with sexuality being essential to being made in the Imago Dei.

Sexual Difference

• Human body has great dignity and human sexuality is a great good (CCC, 355-373).
• "Learning to accept our body, to care for it and to respect its fullest meaning, is an essential element of any genuine human ecology" (Laudato si, 155).
• Male and female are the twofold expression of human nature willed by God (Gn 1:27).
• The relationship between the sexes affects every part of who we are as people (CCC, 2332).
• Masculinity and femininity are necessary to recognize myself when encountering others.

Love and Communion

• The human person is made for inter-relatedness with their partners (Mulieris Dignitatem, 7; CCC, 371-372).
• Men and women manifest God's image who create communion with each other and together (CCC, 371-372).
• Human sexuality is woven into the fabric of each man and woman which implies the capacity of persons to give love to one another.
• We are all called to a life of love and communion.
• Gender and biological sex should be distinguished but not separated. (Amoris Laetitia, 56).

Called to Love and Communion

• "It is not good for the man to be alone" (Gn 2:18).
• "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
• A unique form occurs in marriage between husband and wife: "Marriage is the icon of God's love for us" (Amoris Laetitia, 121).
• God desires to grow each of us in holiness and give of ourselves to receive.
• "It is in giving that we receive."
• The couple should express their sexuality to build the relationship and each has different ways to show each other; whether friendship or marriage, it's a sacred bond worthy of keeping.

On Marriage

• Of the "communions of persons" people create, marriage is the fundamentally unique relationship (check out Church Teaching on Marriage; Church Teaching and NFP; and Marriage: Unique For A Reason).
• It is intended to be affectionate ,spiritual and sacrificial.
• "[Conjugal love] is an 'affective union,' spiritual and sacrificial, which combines the warmth of friendship and erotic passion, and endures long after emotions and passion subside" (Amoris Laetitia, 120).
• God willed that marriage be the unique communion of persons and that the well-being of husband and wife, be the "begetting and educating of children." (Gaudium et Spes, 50).
• Marriage, as willed by God, builds the family!

Power Dynamics in Relationships

• Loving relationships are a matter of life and death.
• Having supportive relationships is more predictive of warding off mortality.
• A toxic relationship is more damaging than no relationship at all.
• Love is always reciprocal, honest, grateful, and communicative.
• Support in the relationship should be asked for.
• Troubles should not be kept from one’s partner. Intimacy, commitment, and passion all play key elements in keeping the relationship connected and secure.

Talking About Sex

• Even generally successful couples struggle with conversations about sex.
• Great sex requires conversation, instead of stale encounters.
• Talking about sexual insecurities can result in a happier marriage.

Marriage

• Marriage is a unique communion of persons basis it on becoming a community of persons.
• Marriage is made so man and woman can grow in holiness nurture new life in their sacred relationship while building family.
• Marriage, with father and mother, are a couple/story of love.
• Primordial divine plan clearly by Christ himself: 'Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female?' (Mt 19:4)” (Amoris Laetitia, 9).

Husband and Wife as Communion of Persons

• God calls husband and wife to be an image of his own love, faithfulness, permanence, and openness to life in the world.
• Two baptized Christians exchange their marital consent rooted in love, the marital bond is taken up into christ's love.
• The "intimate partnership of life and the love" is designed for marriage. (Gaudium et Spes, 48).
• First, husband and wife are permanent communion of persons and second are stewards of the gift of life.
• This brings "image", visible sign of [God's] creative act" (Amoris Laetitia, 10").
• Scripture has much to stay about marriage.
• Adam's happy cry upon seeing Eve that this one is flesh (Gn 2:23) which confirms love: "The man in the marriage leaves leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body” (Gn 2:24).

Marriage and Creation

• Sex is designed from God which is to be expressed between a man and woman.
• Purposes for procreation and intimacy that reflect humanity.

God's Plan for Love and Sexuality

• God's plan for human love and sexuality is good news!
• "The joy of love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church" (Amoris Laetitia, 1).
• Catholic teaching: Love is created in God's image
  • Made to love like god and created in the image of God w/ great dignity and every life is valued. Man/ women were given power to create new life.
  • Made for relationship, communion and be responsible.
  • Body and soul human essential part of God.
  • Essential and integral to imago dei by male/ female created equal.
• According to genesis god created humans as male and female.
• 1:27 made.

Marital Aspects

• Sexual intimacy enriches marriage because God intended pleasure.
• Intimacy involves giving
• It should be regular
• Not should be a weapon
• Limits around sexuality needs protect
• Intended boundaries in the martial relationship with one another.
• Adultery should be avoided.

The Catholic Family

• Family values are the moral and ethical principles that include honesty, respect, and responsibility.
• They affect the concept of family values which may reflect familial relationships.
• What make up the Filipino values
  • The Filipino puts emphasis closeness to one's family.

Filipino Values

• Filipino values:
  • Respect, family ties, hard work, etc

One of the Catholic family Values

• One of the Catholic family Values
  • Respect is a care, concern, and tolerance
  • Also you want to have one of the most important putting more value upon your family.

Religion

• Religion is significant in shaping the values and influence and shaping religion by family.
  • Focus/ ethics family events community elders.
  • Influences includes islanm and other faiths as well upon family life family values.

Marriage

• Matrimony: From God and it's is a divine commitment between the two.
• Sacred bond and should remain
• This is a bond with Jesus as well.

Impediments to Marriage

• Reasons it’s not valid until those are fixed
  • 13 obstacles on which it
    • Could be dispensed by the church
• Age
  • Woman 14 and man 16 valid
  • At Philippines need 18 yo must parents should give consent when 21.
  • Impotence has to be sex or invalid is needed
  • Can’t get sealed has previous relationship before
  • Marriage with disparity of cult
  • Also cannot have sex when kidnapped

Restrictions on Relationship

• Crime or threat invalidates the relation with the two parties

Types of marriage/family:

• On the basis of inheritance:
• Patrilineal and Matrilineal
• Basis of authority:
• Matriarchal and Patriarchal
• Basis of family values:
• Traditional and Joint family