Human: Made and Remade in the Image of God

by Ros Clarke

Being human is complicated! Our bodies, intellects and emotions are all God-given gifts, but we so often find them in varying states of disorder. How then, can we become the full bearers of God's image that we were made to be?

In response to this profound question, Ros Clarke helpfully outlines what the Bible has to say about the nature of humanity. Addressing our status as created beings; our purpose in God’s world; our nature as body and soul; and our fall away from God, Human unpacks questions around the issues of identity, sexuality and gender. It then turns to Christ's example as the perfect human, and considers Jesus' teaching about each of us being loved, valued and redeemed. A teaching that remains foundational for all discussions around important topics like inclusivity, disability and race.

Written with both humour and pastoral concern, and including a study guide to aid personal reflection and group discussion, this book will help you consider afresh what it means to be a human.

Genres: Christian

168 pages, Paperback

Published June 22, 2023

About the author

Ros Clarke is the Associate Director of Church Society, and runs the Priscilla Program at Union School of Theology. She holds a PhD in Old Testament and has contributed to a number of IVP and Apollos books, including Marriage, Family and Relationships and Old Testament Wisdom.

Reviews

[Thomas Creedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a joy to read for the first time the final version of this new book from Ros. It’s a fantastic primer on what it means to be human - sensitive, winsome and clear. One thing i particularly enjoyed was that it read like she really enjoyed writing it. A gem.

[Ellie Lavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Christian books I’ve read this year! A current and complicated topic but taught so clearly, compassionately and biblically. Loads of little gems of sentences throughout to underline, would definitely recommend!

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great short book on what it means to be human, written with a winning combination of devotional warmth and biblical orthodoxy. The first half looks at what it means to be "made in the image of God" - discussing topics including gender, physicality and sexuality. I particularly appreciated her explorations of what it means to be uniquely, "fearfully and wonderfully made".

The second half of the book looks at what it means to be "remade in the image of God", as new creations in Christ. I especially enjoyed her reflections on the true humanity of Jesus, and how he shows us what it means to be truly human, in the image of God.

The book is short, so everything is inevitably treated quite briefly, but as an introductory book on biblical anthropology, this is to be commended for its comprehensiveness and love of the Creator.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book summarising the nature of human life through the eyes of the Christian faith. I didn't agree with all of it, but a solid dip into this massive topic.

[Chris Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have become increasingly convinced that one of the most pressing theological needs of the contemporary church is in the area of anthropology: What are human beings? What are we for? What is the significance of the fact that we are created image-bearers? And lest anyone think this is a merely academic concern with no impact on our day to day lives, it is worth remembering that our thinking and opinions on most of the hot button topics of our day (abortion, euthanasia, sexuality and gender, poverty, immigration and nationalism etc. etc.) are deeply influenced by our answers to these underlying questions.

Enter Dr. Ros Clarke with an excellent primer on what it means to be human, both made and remade in God's image. As she points out, the confusion I outlined above is not confined to the church but is seen in the world at large: "Reality seems to be rapidly spiralling away from us. It is no surprise that the further society moves away from its Christian heritage and influence, the weaker its grasp becomes on all kinds of other questions. If we have no agreed starting point for ethics, anthropology or sociology, we should expect to find ourselves confused about what is right, how to be human and how to live in community."

The book can be fairly neatly divided into two parts, with the first seven chapters covering topics related to our createdness. In sum, Dr. Clarke shows that we are created male or female, consisting of both body and soul, and are made to be sexual, to work, and to live in community with others. Some of these ideas are more controversial today than others, but all are treated with an even-handed winsomeness that is very appealing. The cumulative effect is to paint a comprehensive picture of the kind of creatures we were designed to be.

The second part deals more closely with how we relate to God as his creatures, and specifically to what it means for our humanity to be a new creation in Christ Jesus. A brilliant chapter on Jesus as the true human is sandwiched between two chapters considering our sinfulness and mortality, and several chapters outlining the implications of our being united to Jesus by faith (redemption, new birth, adoption, communion with others and eternal life).

One of the reasons that books like this one are so important is that the Christian answers to questions of our humanity and purpose are so much better than anything the world has to offer. I find the Christian combination of clarity and warmth to be compelling, and Dr. Clarke does a fantastic job of articulating just that in her writing. She is approaching her subject from a classicly moderate conservative-evangelical perspective, and her blend of rigour and compassion is both welcome and refreshing: "This is where we must begin in our understanding of what it means to be human: we are created beings, made by God, given value by God, given a purpose by God and utterly dependent on God...We can have absolute confidence, therefore, that we are here because God made us. God planned and designed and created you. There are no accidents - happy or otherwise - in God's fertility clinic."

This is a relatively short book, so Dr. Clarke's treatment of each topic is necessarily brief. That said, it is an ideal entry point for a layperson such as me to start to engage with such a deceptively simple question: What does it mean to be human? One thing that comes across strongly is how much Dr. Clarke must have enjoyed writing this, and I enjoyed reading it just as much. Both stimulating and accessible, this is a book that every Christian will benefit from reading and is a valuable contribution to the growing body of work that addresses one of the most important questions facing the church today.