Page "religion" Paragraph 55

The biblical symbol for this affirmation is expressed in the words: `` So God created man in his own image ; ;

in the similitude of God he created him ''.

There are some passages in the writings of Irenaeus where the image of God and the similitude are sharply distinguished, so most notably in the statement: `` If the ( Holy ) Spirit is absent from the soul, such a man is indeed of an animal nature ; ;

and, being left carnal, he will be an imperfect being, possessing the image ( of God ) in his formation, but not receiving the similitude ( of God ) through the Spirit ''.

Thus the image of God is that which makes a man a man and not an oyster ; ;

the similitude of God, by contrast, is that which makes a man a child of God and not merely a rational creature.

Recent research on Irenaeus, however, makes it evident that he does not consistently maintain this distinction.

He does not mean to say that Adam lost the similitude of God and his immortality through the fall ; ;

for he was created not exactly immortal, nor yet exactly mortal, but capable of immortality as well as of mortality.