Imitatio dei
Encyclopedia
Imitatio dei is a religious
concept by which man finds virtue by attempting to imitate God
. It is found in several world religions. In some branches of Christianity
, however, it plays a key role.
disciple
is told to imitate God on several occasions. Matthew
5:48 states, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father
is perfect." Luke
6:36 states, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." In Ephesians
5, they are told by Paul
to "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children". The believer is also advised to follow the ways of Jesus
, notably in 1 Corinthians
11:1: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
, as well as Eastern Orthodoxy, and Oriental Orthodoxy
(Syriac Orthodoxy, Coptic Orthodoxy, Ethiopian Orthodoxy, and the Armenian Apostolic faith.
The Catholic Church fully endorses the concept of Imitatio Dei/Christi. In Catholicism, it is integrally related to the concept of theosis
.
The general understanding is that a person can become more similar to God over time, a process called theosis in Greek. This doctrine derives from the biblical mandate to be holy as God is Holy (Lev 20.26). It can be achieved by purification (katharsis
) and illumination
(theoria
), the highest point in illumination is the union with God. The best imitation of God is not only the man's effort, but it is mainly achieved by the grace
of God.
In the Roman Catholicism the same concepts have been treated under different names (Via purgativa, via iluminativa and via unitiva) by St. John of the Cross
and St. Theresa of Avila. Via purgativa is the Roman Catholic equivalent to katharsis, and theoria is subdivided between illumination and full mystical union. This three-step scheme is also found in the Eastern categories of prayer; ordinary prayer, prayer with mind and heart, and unceasing prayer.
is described by Thomas Paine
in The Age of Reason
: "The true Deist has but one Deity, and his religion consists in contemplating the power, wisdom, and benignity of the Deity in his works, and in endeavoring to imitate him in everything moral, scientifical, and mechanical." He also explains that the works of the Deity are strictly found in "the Creation we behold" where "God speaketh universally to man." Paine gives an example when he condemns the doctrine of loving the enemy, in which he states, "We imitate the moral character of the Creator by forbearing with each other, for he forbears with all."
- in Judaism
is derived, in part, from the concept of Imago Dei - being made in the image of God. Not only do people in the Torah
aspire to take on godly virtues, they are aided by the depiction of God
as a man - anthropomorphism
. The concept is arguably best expressed in the following quote, taken from the Torah,
This concept was later to become part of the basis of rabbinic Judaism. Jews are exhorted to perform acts of kindness similar to the ones ascribed to God. Examples are burying the dead (as God buried Moses), visiting the sick (as God visited Abraham) and some very similar mitzvot (tractate Sotah 14a). The Talmud
(tractate Shabbat 133b) states: "So as He is merciful, so should you be merciful".
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
concept by which man finds virtue by attempting to imitate God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. It is found in several world religions. In some branches of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, however, it plays a key role.
Christianity
The ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
disciple
Disciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
is told to imitate God on several occasions. Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
5:48 states, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
is perfect." Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
6:36 states, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." In Ephesians
Epistle to the Ephesians
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, often shortened to Ephesians, is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been credited to Paul, but it is considered by some scholars to be "deutero-Pauline," that is, written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by...
5, they are told by Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
to "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children". The believer is also advised to follow the ways of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, notably in 1 Corinthians
First Epistle to the Corinthians
The first epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as First Corinthians , is the seventh book of the New Testament of the Bible...
11:1: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
Catholicism and other ancient Christian traditions
The Imitation of God is one of the core principles in CatholicismCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, as well as Eastern Orthodoxy, and Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
(Syriac Orthodoxy, Coptic Orthodoxy, Ethiopian Orthodoxy, and the Armenian Apostolic faith.
The Catholic Church fully endorses the concept of Imitatio Dei/Christi. In Catholicism, it is integrally related to the concept of theosis
Theosis
In Christian theology, divinization, deification, making divine or theosis is the transforming effect of divine grace. This concept of salvation is historical and fundamental for Christian understanding that is prominent in the Eastern Orthodox Church and also in the Catholic Church, and is a...
.
The general understanding is that a person can become more similar to God over time, a process called theosis in Greek. This doctrine derives from the biblical mandate to be holy as God is Holy (Lev 20.26). It can be achieved by purification (katharsis
Catharsis
Catharsis or katharsis is a Greek word meaning "cleansing" or "purging". It is derived from the verb καθαίρειν, kathairein, "to purify, purge," and it is related to the adjective καθαρός, katharos, "pure or clean."-Dramatic uses:...
) and illumination
Light (theology)
In theology, light or divine light is a term used to refer to an aspect of divine presence, specifically an unknown and mysterious ability of God, angels, or human beings to express themselves communicatively through spiritual means, rather than through physical capacities...
(theoria
Theoria
For other uses of the term "contemplation", see Contemplation Theoria is Greek for contemplation. It corresponds to the Latin word contemplatio, "looking at", "gazing at", "being aware of".- Introduction :...
), the highest point in illumination is the union with God. The best imitation of God is not only the man's effort, but it is mainly achieved by the grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
of God.
In the Roman Catholicism the same concepts have been treated under different names (Via purgativa, via iluminativa and via unitiva) by St. John of the Cross
John of the Cross
John of the Cross , born Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest, born at Fontiveros, Old Castile....
and St. Theresa of Avila. Via purgativa is the Roman Catholic equivalent to katharsis, and theoria is subdivided between illumination and full mystical union. This three-step scheme is also found in the Eastern categories of prayer; ordinary prayer, prayer with mind and heart, and unceasing prayer.
Protestantism
In Protestantism, the picture is different. In the Anglo-Saxon tradition Imitatio dei is widely accepted, whereas the Lutheran tradition prefers to talk of conformitas (in German Nachfolge) instead of Nachahmung (imitation), because Jesus was singular and cannot and need not be imitated, but followed.Deism
Though lacking an official scripture, the practice of DeismDeism
Deism in religious philosophy is the belief that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that the universe is the product of an all-powerful creator. According to deists, the creator does not intervene in human affairs or suspend the...
is described by Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
in The Age of Reason
The Age of Reason
The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology is a deistic pamphlet, written by eighteenth-century British radical and American revolutionary Thomas Paine, that criticizes institutionalized religion and challenges the legitimacy of the Bible, the central sacred text of...
: "The true Deist has but one Deity, and his religion consists in contemplating the power, wisdom, and benignity of the Deity in his works, and in endeavoring to imitate him in everything moral, scientifical, and mechanical." He also explains that the works of the Deity are strictly found in "the Creation we behold" where "God speaketh universally to man." Paine gives an example when he condemns the doctrine of loving the enemy, in which he states, "We imitate the moral character of the Creator by forbearing with each other, for he forbears with all."
Judaism
The concept of imitatio dei - generally taken to be a mitzvahMitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
- in Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
is derived, in part, from the concept of Imago Dei - being made in the image of God. Not only do people in the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
aspire to take on godly virtues, they are aided by the depiction of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
as a man - anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
. The concept is arguably best expressed in the following quote, taken from the Torah,
| Leviticus Leviticus The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah .... 19:2: "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.'" |
| ויקרא י"ט, 2: "דבר אל כל עדת בני-ישראל ואמרת אלהם קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלהיכם." |
This concept was later to become part of the basis of rabbinic Judaism. Jews are exhorted to perform acts of kindness similar to the ones ascribed to God. Examples are burying the dead (as God buried Moses), visiting the sick (as God visited Abraham) and some very similar mitzvot (tractate Sotah 14a). The Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(tractate Shabbat 133b) states: "So as He is merciful, so should you be merciful".