Bavinck, Herman. In the Beginning: Foundations of Creation Theology. John Bolt, Editor. John Vriend, Translator. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1999)

The vestiges of God are present in all of creation but the Image of God is given to man alone. The concept of the image of God has generated a wide range of opinion in the Christian Church and even been acknowledged by history’s seminal thinkers outside the Christian tradition. The root of almost every major historical civilization and religion begins with man in some kind of fellowship with the gods, communing in some way with them before they were distanced by some epic misadventure or by falling out of favor with the gods. It is almost universally agreed that if not in physical likeness then at least the resemblance is accounted for in the soul of man.

Bavinck explores the nature and definition of the Image of God and its relevant application to a number of theological questions regarding the destiny of man, the purpose of humanity, the nature of God’s covenants, and the origin of the soul. Offering accounts of contrasting theologies, Bavinck presents what he calls the ‘essence of true religion’ in his discussion of covenantal relationship between Creator and creature, underscoring the dependence of rational, moral human beings on God.

The creation of Adam marks the beginning, not the ending, of God’s covenantal relationship. Noting what Bavinck calls the ‘infralapsarian’ Adam’s creation was both spiritual and earthly, depending on food and drink, light and air, day and night. His body has not yet been glorified to be sufficient without earthly replenishment and thus calls into question the nature and purpose of his creation. The implication is certainly clear that Adam’s state was not permanent and that there was direction and movement to gain, either to a glorified spiritual body and unity with God or fall to sin and death.

Adam’s nature even before the fall was to be a herald of Christ, being created as the unified head of creation. This purpose is fleshed out in the dominion mandate, which is itself a manifestation of the image of God in man’s dominion over all created world. As Christ is the head of the Church, so Adam is the head of creation. As Christ is the head of redemption, so Adam is the head of the fall. As Bavinck states, “In Adam’s creation, Christ was already in view. From the very beginning, humanity points to the coming of Christ, who is the ultimate End of Man.

What was lost after the fall was not the overall image of God, but rather, a vestige of the image of God. Calvin and Augustine agree that “the natural attributes were corrupted in man by sin, but the supernatural ones were removed”. These qualities are regained through the headship of Christ in the Covenant of Grace that God establishes after the fall. A Prelapsarian covenant was based on works, at the head of which sat Adam. Humanity is never a completed organism until it is unified under one head and since the headship of Adam was lost in the fall, God initiated the covenant of Grace and placed Christ at the head. Crucial to our understanding of God’s covenant though is that the covenant of works of the covenant of grace do not differ in their final goal, only in their means to attain it. This goal serves as the unifying purpose to humanity and to creation, as heralds of a coming Christ, who himself unifies all of creation to its maker; specifically, those who have God’s image.