‘HE IS THE IMAGE AND GLORY OF GOD, BUT WOMAN ...’ (1 COR 11:7): ‘UNVEILING’ THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMAGO DEI

The reference to the imago Dei in 1 Corinthians 11:7 has been largely ignored, probably because what it seems to say is hardly popular. Can it be that women are not in the image of God? Nevertheless, if the passage is taken seriously, it provides a fresh understanding of the meaning of the image, complementing the preferred interpretations of the meaning of the image in the ideas of dominion and interpersonal relations. It may be suggested that its focus must fall on the difference in creation of men and women in Genesis. The image of God resides in the direct bestowal of life from God. Notably, the New Testament locates the image only in Christ, which is consistent with this view. Emphatically, if a person, man or woman, accepts the offer of new life, he or she then becomes in the image. In this case, there is total sexual equality. doi: 10.7833/108-1-5