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Image of God

In short
  • T19.1 Image kept but marred; the ‘similitude’ lost (Irenaeus); re-created by the Word (Athanasius) (high)
  • T19.2 Original holiness as a gift of participation in the Word (Athanasius); likeness as virtue (John of Damascus) (medium)

Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 2 questions each rests on; ⚠ marks coverage more than 10 points below the median, a less certain rank). This doctrine is third-order (tier weight 1). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation

Closeness to Scripture

1 Catholic2/2 cells 92% 2/2 q
2 Orthodox2/2 cells 92% 2/2 q
3 Anglican1/2 cells 75% 1/2 q
4 Presbyterian1/2 cells 75% 1/2 q
5 Reformed Baptist1/2 cells 75% 1/2 q
6 General Baptist1/2 cells 75% 1/2 q
7 Anabaptist1/2 cells 75% 1/2 q
8 Lutheran2/2 cells 58% 2/2 q
9 Oriental Orthodox1/2 cells 50% 1/2 q

Closeness to the fathers

1 Catholic2/2 cells 94% 2/2 q
2 Orthodox2/2 cells 94% 2/2 q
3 Anglican1/2 cells 75% 1/2 q
4 Lutheran2/2 cells 50% 2/2 q
5 Oriental Orthodox1/2 cells 50% 1/2 q
6 Presbyterian1/2 cells 50% 1/2 q
7 Reformed Baptist1/2 cells 50% 1/2 q
8 General Baptist1/2 cells 50% 1/2 q
9 Anabaptist1/2 cells 50% 1/2 q
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
Closeness to the fathers, by question (0–4). Hatched = not assessed in the category file. Click a question for its verdict.
01234Catholic · T19.1: 4/4 — Trent V.1: 'the entire Adam ... was changed, in body and soul, for the worse' (verified), not deprived of nature; VI canon 5 anathematizes saying free will was 'lost and extinguished'4Orthodox · T19.1: 4/4 — Dositheus, decree 14: man fell 'from his perfection and impassibility, yet not to have lost the nature and power which he had received' (verified)4Oriental Orthodox · T19.1: 2/4 — Shenouda III, *Comparative Theology*: in baptism 'we put on God's image (Gen.1: 26) which we lost through the original sin' (verified)2Lutheran · T19.1: 2/4 — FC Solid Declaration I: original sin is 'the lack of the concreated hereditary righteousness in Paradise, or of God's image' (verified): the image in the narrow sense is lost2Anglican · T19.1: not assessedPresbyterian · T19.1: not assessedReformed Baptist · T19.1: not assessedGeneral Baptist · T19.1: not assessedAnabaptist · T19.1: not assessedT19.1conf. highCatholic · T19.2: 3/4 — Trent V.1: Adam 'lost the holiness and justice wherein he had been constituted' (verified); the decree does not use the later 'superadded gift' wording3Orthodox · T19.2: 3/4 — Dositheus, decree 14: fallen 'from his perfection' (verified); no definition of nature and grace3Oriental Orthodox · T19.2: not assessedLutheran · T19.2: 2/4 — FC Solid Declaration I: 'concreated hereditary righteousness ... or ... God's image' (verified)2Anglican · T19.2: 3/4 — Art. IX: man is 'very far gone from original righteousness' (verified), without defining it3Presbyterian · T19.2: 2/4 — WCF IV.2: man created 'endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after his own image' (verified)2Reformed Baptist · T19.2: 2/4 — 1689 4.2: created 'after the image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness' (verified)2General Baptist · T19.2: 2/4 — Orthodox Creed (1679) art. XI: man 'made after the Image of God, in Knowledge, Righteousness, and true Holiness' (verified, reformedontheweb.com transcription)2Anabaptist · T19.2: 2/4 — Dordrecht I: created 'in His own image and likeness, in righteousness and holiness' (verified)2T19.2conf. medium
CatholicOrthodoxOriental OrthodoxLutheranAnglicanPresbyterianReformed BaptistGeneral BaptistAnabaptistnot assessed
When the cited witnesses spoke (approximate dates) and where later traditions fixed their positions. Filled dot = consensus question; hollow orange = a question on which the fathers varied. Each item links to its source note or post-750 note.
1002003004005006007001000125015001700post-750 (compressed)Irenaeus (c. 180) · T19.1Irenaeusc. 180 · T19.1Irenaeus (c. 180) · T19.1Irenaeusc. 180 · T19.1Athanasius (c. 335) · T19.1Athanasiusc. 335 · T19.1Athanasius (c. 335) · T19.2Athanasiusc. 335 · T19.2John of Damascus (c. 730) · T19.2John of Damascusc. 730 · T19.2Westminster Confession (1646) · PresbyterianWestminster Confession1646 · PresbyterianConfession of Dositheus (1672) · OrthodoxConfession of Dositheus1672 · Orthodox
  1. c. 180 Irenaeus T19.1
  2. c. 180 Irenaeus T19.1
  3. c. 335 Athanasius T19.1
  4. c. 335 Athanasius T19.2
  5. c. 730 John of Damascus T19.2
  6. 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
  7. 1672 Confession of Dositheus Orthodox

T19 · Image of God

Is the image lost or marred; original righteousness.

Tier: Third-order (scoring weight 1). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Method: conventions. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.

In short

Is God’s image lost in sinful people? Scripture says no: even after the fall people are made in God’s image (Genesis 9:6). Irenaeus said the image remains but the ’likeness’ was lost, and Athanasius said Christ came to re-create it. Lutheran confessions call the image (in a narrow sense) lost; Catholic and Orthodox texts say human nature was damaged, not destroyed.

Plan

Questions: T19.1 does fallen humanity still bear God’s image, or was it lost?; T19.2 was original righteousness part of human nature as created, or a grace given beyond nature? Scripture: Gen 1:26–27; 5:1–3; 9:6; Eccl 7:29; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10; Jas 3:9. Fathers: Irenaeus, Against Heresies V.6.1, V.16.2; Athanasius, On the Incarnation 3, 13; John of Damascus, Exact Exposition II.12.

Questions

  • T19.1 Is the image lost or only marred by the fall?
  • T19.2 Original righteousness: created nature, or a gift beyond nature?

Verdicts and trace

Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father eras I–IV.

T19.1 · Is the image lost or only marred by the fall?

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
T19.1Image kept but marred; the ‘similitude’ lost (Irenaeus); re-created by the Word (Athanasius)HighT19.1.1 · T19.1.3 weighingirenaeus-t19-s1 · irenaeus-t19-s2 · athanasius-t19-s1T19.1.4: high

T19.2 · Original righteousness: created nature, or a gift beyond nature?

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
T19.2Original holiness as a gift of participation in the Word (Athanasius); likeness as virtue (John of Damascus)MediumT19.2.1 · T19.2.3 weighingathanasius-t19-s2 · john-of-damascus-t19-s1T19.2.4: medium

Post-750 development

Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes; exact scores and bases are in the reasoning.

TraditionClosest to the fathers onDeparts or sharpens on
CatholicT19.1, partly T19.2—
OrthodoxT19.1, partly T19.2—
Oriental OrthodoxT19.1partly T19.1
LutheranT19.1, T19.2partly T19.1, partly T19.2
Anglicanpartly T19.2—
PresbyterianT19.2partly T19.2
Reformed BaptistT19.2partly T19.2
General BaptistT19.2partly T19.2
AnabaptistT19.2partly T19.2

Overall verdict

T19.1: the image is marred, not lost; Scripture (Gen 9:6; Jas 3:9) and the fathers agree. T19.2: the fathers frame original holiness as a gift of participation in God; Protestant confessions call it part of the created image, which fits Eph 4:24.

Verification status

Trent V, Dositheus 14, FC SD I, Art. IX, WCF IV.2 and VI.2, 1689 4.2 and 6.2, and Dordrecht I are verified. The Oriental Orthodox T19.1 cell rests on Shenouda III; General Baptist T19.2 on the Orthodox Creed art. XI; several Protestant cells on T19.1 are ’not addressed’.