Created in God’s Image by Anthony A. Hoekema is more than a theological treatise on biblical anthropology—it is a robust defense of the dignity, nature, and divine purpose of human beings made in the image of God. This book is a thoughtful and reverent exploration of who man is, why man matters, and how man should live in light of divine revelation. It offers an anchor amid a cultural sea adrift in confusion about identity, purpose, and human worth.
In an age when secular anthropology deconstructs man into mere biology, chemistry, or evolutionary accident, Hoekema builds his case on Scripture, highlighting the nobility and moral responsibility of humanity. Yet, he is not naïve about sin or overly sentimental about human potential. Hoekema presents a Reformed understanding of mankind that holds in tension the grandeur of bearing God’s image and the tragic corruption of that image through the Fall. The book also distinguishes the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the true and perfect image of God and explains how believers are being renewed into that image through sanctification.
This article will walk through the key themes of Hoekema’s book while integrating a few clarifications and theological distinctions to situate his work within the broader conversation. Where we reference ideas only mentioned in passing in the book, we will clarify that accordingly.
Meet the Author: Anthony A. Hoekema
Anthony Andrew Hoekema (1913–1988) was a respected Reformed theologian, pastor, and professor of Systematic Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. Born in the Netherlands and immigrated to the United States, he became one of the most influential theological minds within the Dutch Reformed tradition in the 20th century.
Hoekema wrote with clarity and biblical precision. His other major works include The Four Major Cults and The Bible and the Future, the latter being a cornerstone in Reformed eschatology. In Created in God’s Image, Hoekema applies his disciplined approach to the doctrine of man—a topic often assumed but rarely developed in modern theology.
Hoekema writes not merely to engage scholars, but to shape pastors, students, and laypeople. His theology is rich but accessible, pastoral yet doctrinal. His goal in this book is to affirm the uniqueness and dignity of man as God’s image-bearer while guarding against both secular reductionism and theological distortion.
The Core Theme: What Does It Mean to Be Made in God’s Image?
At the heart of the book is the question: What does it mean that man is created in the image of God? This is not merely an academic inquiry. How one answers this question affects ethics, human rights, gender, sexuality, vocation, sanctification, and salvation.
The Three Historic Views
Hoekema surveys the three main interpretations of the “image of God” in the history of Christian theology:
- The Substantive View
This interpretation locates the image in some faculty or quality inherent in man—typically reason, intellect, moral awareness, or spirituality. It goes back to early church fathers and found prominence in medieval theology. According to this view, what distinguishes man from animals is some inner, rational capacity. While this perspective rightly affirms something intrinsic to human nature, it tends to isolate the image to a part of man rather than to man in his entirety. - The Relational View
Championed especially by Karl Barth in the 20th century, this view interprets the image in terms of relationships—particularly the relationship between man and God, or between man and other humans. Man images God because he exists in relational capacity, echoing the Trinity’s communal life. Hoekema appreciates this emphasis but critiques its vagueness and lack of grounding in specific biblical texts. - The Functional View
This view emphasizes man’s role and dominion. Man images God in what he does—ruling over creation as God’s vice-regent. It appeals to Genesis 1:26–28, where God links the image to mankind’s dominion over the earth. While the functional element is clearly biblical, Hoekema notes that it cannot be the whole story, for dominion flows from who man is, not vice versa.
Hoekema’s Integrated View
Hoekema rejects any single-dimension understanding. He proposes a comprehensive view—that man as a whole person, in his substance, relationships, and function, constitutes the image of God. Man is not simply like God in part, but represents God in his total being.
The image of God in man must be seen as something that involves the whole person… not just a part of man, but the whole man in his existence and activity before God. (Hoekema, p. 69)
Thus, Hoekema’s view is holistic. It retains the truths of all three models but avoids their weaknesses. Man bears God’s image in his spiritual nature, in his relational capacity, and in his vocation over creation—but most of all, in his calling to reflect and represent God in the world.
Biblical Anthropology vs Secular Anthropology
One of the most powerful contributions of Created in God’s Image is its insistence that only a biblical anthropology can do justice to the nature and dignity of man.
The Crisis of Secular Anthropology
Secular anthropology sees man as a product of blind evolutionary forces. Man is merely a highly developed animal, driven by instincts, subject to material determinism, and without transcendent value or purpose. In secularism, concepts like “human rights,” “dignity,” or “personhood” are ultimately arbitrary or sociological.
Hoekema counters this with a biblical foundation that grants humanity inherent value—not because of usefulness or achievement, but because man was created by God, for God, and in the likeness of God.
Theological Anthropology: A Foundation for Life
Biblical anthropology affirms:
- Man is not autonomous but accountable.
- Man is spiritual and physical.
- Man is relational—made for communion with God and others.
- Man is morally responsible.
- Man has dominion over creation under God’s authority.
- Man’s ultimate purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
This perspective leads to humility (we are creatures), dignity (we bear His image), and mission (we are His representatives).
As Hoekema states:
To know what man is, we must start not with man, but with God. (p. 13)
Christ as the True Image of God
Though Hoekema focuses mostly on anthropology, he does not neglect Christology—especially the relationship between man as made in God’s image and Christ as the perfect image of God.
Image of God in Man vs. in Christ
There is a distinction to be made:
- Man was made in the image of God (imago Dei)—a derivative reflection.
- Christ is the image of God—the exact representation (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15).
Christ does not bear the image; He is the image. He reveals the Father perfectly because He shares the divine nature. Man reflects; Christ radiates.
Hoekema points out that Christ, as the perfect man, not only reveals what God is like but also what man was meant to be. In this way, Christ is both the origin and the goal of human nature. The Incarnation affirms man’s dignity, and the resurrection promises its restoration.
The Image of Christ in the Believer
Although this is not the primary focus of Hoekema’s book, he does mention that through salvation, believers are being renewed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Sanctification is, therefore, the progressive recovery of the image marred by sin and reshaped into Christlikeness.
This distinction is important:
- Man was created in God’s image.
- That image was distorted in the Fall.
- Christ, the true image, came to restore it.
- Believers are being conformed to His image.
This theological progression shapes our understanding of identity, salvation, and destiny.
The Fall of Man and the Distortion of the Image
Any true biblical anthropology must wrestle with Genesis 3—the Fall of man into sin. Hoekema devotes careful attention to this turning point in human history because it determines everything that follows. To understand who we are today, we must understand who we were in Adam, and what was lost when sin entered the world.
Created Good, But Now Corrupted
In Genesis 1:31, God declared all that He had made—including man—very good. Adam and Eve were created in righteousness, holiness, and truth. But in Genesis 3, through disobedience, they fell from that original state.
Hoekema does not embrace the notion that man lost the image of God altogether. This is a crucial distinction. Some theological traditions in the past, especially within Roman Catholic and Lutheran frameworks, suggested that the image was entirely erased. Hoekema disagrees.
It would be wrong to say that man lost the image of God in the Fall. The image was not lost, but it was seriously marred. (p. 76)
The Fall affected all aspects of humanity: mind, heart, will, relationships, and vocation. Man still bears God’s image in a broad sense—he is still a spiritual, rational, moral creature—but he no longer reflects that image in the way he was created to. In the narrower sense of righteousness and holiness, the image was corrupted.
The Impact of Sin on Anthropology
The Fall led to:
- Moral disintegration: Man now chooses evil instead of good.
- Relational alienation: Man is estranged from God, others, and even himself.
- Vocational frustration: Dominion is now marked by futility and conflict (Genesis 3:17–19).
- Spiritual death: Man is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).
Yet even post-Fall, God affirms the image of God in man (Genesis 9:6; James 3:9). This serves as the basis for human dignity, justice, and ethical obligation—even in a fallen world.
Thus, Hoekema distinguishes between:
- The Structural Image: What man is by nature (rational, moral, relational, spiritual).
- The Functional Image: How man acts in light of that nature (righteous, obedient, holy).
The structural image remains; the functional image is distorted.
Restoration Through Christ: Renewal in the Image
If man is corrupted but not lost, what is God’s solution? Hoekema devotes an entire chapter to this question, showing how redemption in Christ involves the restoration of the image of God in man.
Regeneration and Sanctification
The image of God is not merely an ontological status; it is a moral and spiritual calling. In regeneration, God begins to re-create the image in believers. Through sanctification, we are progressively renewed in righteousness, holiness, and knowledge (cf. Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).
The renewing work of the Spirit in the life of the believer is precisely the work of renewing the image of God in man. (p. 99)
In this way, salvation is not only rescue from hell, but also the reclamation of what was lost in Eden. We are not only justified—we are restored into true humanity.
Eschatological Fulfillment
Hoekema also hints at the eschatological dimension. The image will not be fully restored until the resurrection and glorification of the body. When we see Christ, we will be like Him (1 John 3:2). The destiny of man is not simply to be saved, but to be made perfect in the image of Christ.
This is important because it keeps Christian anthropology from becoming overly individualistic or moralistic. The image of God is not just about personal piety—it is about humanity being refashioned into its original purpose for the glory of God.
Theological Distinctions: Clarifying the Image Language
While Hoekema does touch on the distinctions between man made in God’s image, Christ as the image of God, and the believer being conformed to Christ, this is worth briefly expanding for clarity.
1. Man Made in the Image of God (Genesis 1:26–27)
This is the original creation reality. Man is made to reflect God’s character and rule under His authority.
2. Christ as the Image of God (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3)
Christ is not made in the image—He is the image. He is the eternal Son, the exact imprint of the Father’s nature.
3. Believers Conformed to the Image of Christ (Romans 8:29)
Salvation involves transformation into the image of Christ. We are being renewed into the image of God through union with Christ, the true image.
This threefold framework helps guard against confusion and centers the entire doctrine of man in Christology.
Why Biblical Anthropology Matters
In the final chapter, Hoekema turns from theology to practice, arguing that biblical anthropology is not abstract theology—it is the foundation for Christian living.
Dignity and Ethics
Because man is made in God’s image, every person—regardless of race, age, ability, or background—has inherent dignity. This affirms the sanctity of life from the womb to the grave, opposes racism and classism, and establishes a basis for justice.
This doctrine undergirds Christian positions on:
- Abortion: Every unborn child is an image-bearer.
- Euthanasia: The elderly and infirm bear God’s image.
- Gender and sexuality: God created man male and female in His image, with roles and distinctions that reflect divine order.
- Human rights: True rights flow from creation, not the state.
Vocation and Work
Because man is made to exercise dominion, work has dignity. Hoekema reminds us that even after the Fall, vocation remains a vital part of our image-bearing purpose. Christians should see their work not merely as a means of survival but as a way of reflecting God’s creativity, order, and stewardship.
Sanctification and Hope
Biblical anthropology is crucial for sanctification. We are not merely trying to be better people—we are being conformed to the image of Christ. Knowing this gives purpose to suffering and hope in struggle. God is shaping us into what we were always meant to be.
Hoekema writes:
The goal of the Christian life is not just to avoid sin, but to become truly human—reflecting the image of God as it was meant to be.(p. 101)
Apologetics and Worldview
Finally, a biblical view of man equips the believer to confront secular ideologies. Whether facing Marxist materialism, Freudian reductionism, or Darwinian naturalism, the Christian can say: “Man is more than matter.” Only the gospel explains what we are, why we’re broken, and how we can be made whole.
Conclusion: A Vital and Enduring Work
Anthony Hoekema’s Created in God’s Image remains one of the most balanced, biblically sound, and pastorally useful treatments of Christian anthropology available today. It avoids speculation, keeps Christ central, and honors Scripture at every turn. His holistic view of the image of God protects against reductionist errors and grounds the Christian life in rich theological soil.
For those who want to understand what it means to be human, how sin has distorted that identity, and how Christ restores it, this book is an indispensable guide. Its insights are not only doctrinal but devotional, giving the believer a clearer view of God, man, and the marvelous plan of redemption.
If the church is to stand firm in a world confused about identity and purpose, it must recover a biblical anthropology. Created in God’s Image helps us do exactly that.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
MMXXV
christiannewsjunkie@gmail.com
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