Imago Dei: la perspectiva de Ibn ʻArabī a la luz de la tradición judeocristiana

Abstract

The concept of the divine form of human being has been mentioned in various descriptions in the three largest Abrahamic religions. The Judeo-Christian traditional approach to Imago Dei (The Image of God) holds three major perspectives: substantive, functional , and relational . Ibn ‘Arabī, as a Muslim thinker and mystic, explained this concept through the concept of mirror and two other concepts, namely the ‘Perfect Man’ and God’s vicegerency. He considered the divine form of human being as a mirror through which God manifests Himself. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of Ibn ‘Arabī’s interpretation in light of Judeo-Christian approaches. Ibn ‘Arabī’s explanation includes three approaches. Through the concept of perfect man, Ibn ‘Arabī’s explanation approaches the substantive interpretation, and through the concept of vicegerency, he reveals the functional interpretation. The paper recognizes a relational interpretation of the divine form through some contradictory explanations which can be found in his books. This survey of his explanation also sheds much light on aspects of his anthropological perspective.