TEOLOGIA IMAGO DEI LA AUGUSTIN ÎN CONTEXTUL DEZBATERII NICEENE

Abstract

Augustine’s Theology of the Imago Dei within the Context of the Nicene Debate. This article explores Augustine’s theology of the imago dei, his concept that Christ and the human person are considered “the image of God.” It highlights the scholarly insights of Gerald Boersma, who distinguishes Augustine’s views from those of earlier pro-Nicene Latin theologians, such as Hilary of Poitiers, Marius Victorinus, and Ambrose of Milan. This distinction is crucial for understanding the relationship between human and divine images. While earlier theologians often hesitated to connect Christ—the imago dei—with the human person, created ad imaginem dei (in the image of God), Augustine’s Neoplatonic influences allowed him to suggest varying degrees of likeness to an image. This perspective enabled him to confidently assert that both Christ and the human person are imago dei. A central theme in Augustine’s philosophy is that finite goods reflect God and should inspire rational beings to seek a return to Him. However, the fulfilment of human nature as a created image relies on the prior descent of the divine image, which restores the created image to its original state.

Cuvinte-cheie: imago dei, teologia imaginii, ad imagine dei, cristologii niceene, doctrina homoousios, imagine și asemănare, ascensiunea imaginii, omul interior, omul exterior, unitatea trup-suflet.