Hierdie artikel fokus op relevante konfessionele standpunte oor die tema van imago Dei
in die reformatoriese en voor-reformatoriese teologie wat as historiese en sistematiese
kontekstualisering dien vir die daaropvolgende uitleg van die tema soos wat dit in die
Heidelbergse Kategismus hanteer word. ’n Bondige bespreking van die histories-kritiese
uitleg van Genesis 1:26–27 word aan die orde gestel om as oorgang te dien tot ’n kritiese
waardering van die Kategismus vanuit die perspektief van die eietydse teologie. Die uitleg
van Genesis 1:26–27 dien as die vernaamste impuls om die tema in die eietydse teologie
onbevange en los van die uitsluitende dwang van tradisionele konfessionele geskille aan die
orde te stel, maar met inagneming van ’n ryke teologiese tradisie. In wese is die betoog dat die
mens as beeld van God geroepe is om God se heerlikheid en eer op aarde uit te dra en hierdie
opvatting word ook in die Heidelbergse Kategismus teruggevind.
This article focuses on the
relevant confessional statements about the theme imago Dei in reformed- and pre-reformed
theology that served as the historical and systematic contextualisation of the subsequent
interpretation of the theme as it is treated in the Heidelberg Catechism. A concise discussion of
the historical-critical interpretation of Genesis 1:26–27 follows in order to serve as a transition
to the critical appreciation of the Catechism from the perspective of contemporary theology.
The interpretation of Genesis 1:26–27 served as the main impetus for the open-minded
discussion of the theme in contemporary theology, apart from the exclusive constraints of the
traditional confessional disputes, but with appreciative consideration for our rich theological
tradition. In essence, the author argues that all people, because they are created in the image
of God, are called upon to glorify God on earth and that this belief is already formulated in the
Heidelberg Catechism.
