Man - ”An Image of Living God”

Abstract

The image of God present in man is the idea which Cyprian Norwid frequently refers to when talking about the essentiality to pay respect to human dignity and to the great historical mission of man. Norwid’s starting-point is strictly biblical and theological; his understanding of „God’s image” implies Christian interpretation: man ought to be respected since God himself has respect for him.

It is characteristic that according to Norwid, the „image of God” is present not only in the spiritual sphere of human Being (which is stressed by the Patristics) but also in the whole person of man thus in some sense present in the sphere of human corporality. Therefore, one must not touch human body or human soul without showing respect to man’s dignity - man’s image of God. These considerations result in establishing of one social-moral datum which facilitates solving the problem of the caste-society. All people are equal by nature, because all are created in God’s own image. With that being true, we all are obliged to respect our neighbour and to constantly regenerate within ourselves the noblest measure of man. Here, we also find the foundations and a guarantee of the persistence of various forms of Communal life (the Church, nation etc.).

In his writings, Norwid inderlines his idea about special dignity of man who is God’s image. This dignity results from „man’s historic service” and his ability to participate in God’s creation. Thus, for Norwid, man is the image of God. Man, being history himself, participates in the process of creating history, where he has his own individual part to play (”Aż uniemowli się w apoteozie / Na tryumfalnym do Królestwa wozie” - „Until he becomes infant in apotheosis, on a triumphant cart to the Kingdom”). This original and functional-dynamic interpretation of the idea of God’s image agrees with the current constructions in theology.