In God's Image: How Western Civilization Was Shaped by a Revolutionary Idea

ISBN: 1479835714

Author: Persico, Tomer

Condition: New

The idea that all human beings were created in Gods image was core to the creation of the modern WestIn Gods Image examines the central role that the idea that all people were created in the image of God played in the development of Western civilization. Focusing on five themes-selfhood, freedom, conscience, equality, and meaning-the book guides the reader through a cultural history of the West, from ancient times through modernity. It explains how each of these ideals was profoundly influenced by the central biblical conception of humanitys creation in Gods image, embracing an essential equality among all people, while also emphasizing each human lifes singularity and significance.The book argues that the West, and particularly Protestant Christianity, grew out of ideas rooted deeply in this notion, and that it played a core role in the development of individualism, liberalism, human rights discourse, and indeed the secularization process. Making the case for a cultural understanding of history, the volume focuses on ideas as agents of change and challenges the common scholarly emphasis on material conditions. Offering an innovative perspective on the shaping of global modernity, In Gods Image examines the relationship between faith and society and posits the fundamental role of the idea of the image of God in the making of the moral ideals and social institutions we hold dear today.