ABSTRACT
Traditionally, when the question of human uniqueness is raised in theological discussion, the answer has centered on two theological loci, human creation in the divine image and human possession of a soul. 1 The importance of the soul in this respect is more widely shared, as evidenced, for example, in the mid-twentieth century work of self-proclaimed agnostic-cum-atheist Isaac Asimov, whose book, I, Robot, portrayed robots with qualities that others might have reserved for humans. Robbie the robot practices love and kindness, we are told, and his young companion, Gloria, regards Robbie as her friend. Gloria’s mother is unimpressed, noting that Robbie is “nothing more than a mess of steel and copper in the form of sheets and wires with electricity”; it lacks humanity for “it has no soul.” 2 Readers of scripture want to say more, of course, taking their point of departure from the celebrated if contested phrase, “Let us make humanity in our image” (Genesis 1:27). 3 According to long-held views among Christian theologians, human creation in the divine image is realized in the human possession of a soul, that is, these two theological loci are often reduced to one, with the soul understood as the particular consequence of creation in God’s image. Here is proof that humans are unique among God’s creatures, and, for many, the basis of theological-ethical views concerning human dignity and the sacredness of human life as well as the necessary ground for the human’s capacity to enter into and enjoy a relationship with God.
