tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11511673.post9012825537592514549..comments2024-01-08T11:08:42.530-05:00Comments on in-fraction: the imago Dei and the Happy Lifetchittomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15603445266088083067noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11511673.post-59951402580352358692007-09-21T11:00:00.000-04:002007-09-21T11:00:00.000-04:00J R Middleton, The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei...J R Middleton, <I>The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1</I> (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2005)304pp.<BR/> <BR/>A good argument may be made that Genesis 1 is the most important chapter in the Bible, and another good one that it might well be the least understood. So this superb discussion of the image of God in Genesis 1 is to be warmly welcomed, especially since it’s also an excellent introduction to how to read Genesis 1–11 in its biblical and Near Eastern context. The latter is all important according to Middleton (and I think he’s right), because at the heart of this section is a radical, liberating and transformative critique of the royal ideology that dominated Mesopotamian culture in particular. It is the king who was above all called the image of God, but in Genesis 1 it is humanity that is summoned to be God’s representative and intermediary of his power and blessing one earth. In other words, it is a powerful critique of all empires, whether political, economic or spiritual, that forget who has created us and for what. This is an entirely inadequate summary of a book that taught me new things on practically every page. It is unfortunate that it is published by a little-known press and does not seem widely known. But these days nothing is hidden that cannot be revealed, at least when it comes to books. This gets a five star recommendation from me, albeit a couple of years late.<BR/><BR/>Philip Jenson, Ridley Halltchittomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15603445266088083067noreply@blogger.com