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how might acknowledging creation's origin influence our view of environmental stewardship today?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Genesis 1:26-28

“26 And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

This passage is from the opening chapter of Genesis, part of the creation narrative. It describes the creation of humanity on the sixth day, uniquely made in the 'image of God,' and given a specific role in relation to the rest of creation.

What responsibilities come with being created in the image of something greater than ourselves, especially regarding the non-human world?

Then — the setting

This passage is part of the Priestly account of creation (P source), likely compiled during or after the Babylonian exile (6th-5th centuries BCE). It was written for an audience, perhaps dispossessed and exiled, to affirm the goodness of creation, the unique dignity of humanity, and their divinely ordained role within that creation. The terms 'dominion' and 'subdue' (כבשׁ, *kabash*; רדה, *radah*) would have been understood in an ancient Near Eastern context where kings exercised power and stewardship over their lands and subjects. For ancient Israelites, this likely implied responsible management and ordering of creation, reflecting divine wisdom, rather than destructive exploitation. The 'image of God' concept elevated humanity above other creatures, granting them a representational role for God on earth.

Across the Testaments

In the Old Testament, humanity's role as stewards is established from creation, with responsibilities for the land and its creatures. While the New Testament doesn't often explicitly revisit 'dominion' from Genesis 1, it significantly develops the concept of Christ as the 'image of God' (Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3). Through Christ, humanity's broken relationship with God and creation is to be reconciled. This implies that true 'dominion' or stewardship is now to be exercised in a Christ-like manner – characterized by self-giving love, service, and restoration, rather than exploitative power. The New Testament calls believers to participate in the 'new creation,' linking humanity's redemption to the renewal of all creation (Romans 8:19-22), thereby re-centering environmental responsibility within a larger redemptive framework.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 8:4-8
This psalm echoes the theme of human dignity and dominion over creation, reflecting on humanity's place in the created order.
Genesis 2:15
This verse from the second creation account adds the idea of 'tending and keeping' the garden, offering a complementary view of human responsibility.
Romans 8:19-22
Paul speaks of creation groaning and waiting for humanity's redemption, suggesting a deep connection between human destiny and the fate of the natural world.

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