Man Created in the Image of God and Nursing

Genesis 1:27 has huge implications for the nursing profession, creating an attitude of respect and social justice that permeates our practice and impacts all our interactions with patients and coworkers. Through a Biblical lens, we are able to make ethical decisions with clarity, grace, and ease. The truth of man being created in the image of God essentially implies that to offend a human being in any way is to offend God. The authority of God is implicit and explicit in the work of nursing, guiding personal philosophy and easily coexist with evidence-based practice. Theology and nursing practice both offer systematic methods of treating patients with revealed knowledge.

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them," (Genesis 1:27). This seminal passage is one of the underpinnings of Judeo-Christian thought. For example, we learn that God does not discriminate according to the diversity in the human species. When faced with patients whose backgrounds, values, and beliefs differ from our own, we simultaneously see that those differences are relatively superficial in light of the binding truth exposed in Genesis and throughout the Bible. "Male and female he created them," showing that gender does not impact quality of care delivery in any situation, while also implying that race and other superficial factors should never interfere with care delivery. The patient provides the nurse with the ongoing opportunity for self-reflection on bias, prejudice, and impacts on quality of care. Moreover, the patient becomes like a mirror for the divine, for being in the "image" of God implies a reflection thereof. Lossy (1974) calls the philosophy of man being in the image of God a specific theological vision called the "theology of the image," (p. 1). As a cohesive theology, the theology of the image provides clear guidelines for nursing practice.

Another example of how the theology of the image plays itself out in my practice is outlined in 1 Corinthians 11:7, in which we learn specifically how Jesus intended His new covenant with mankind to express itself in terms of gender differentiation. "A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man." The passage directly mentions the doing away with ancient Jewish customs like the donning of the head cover in houses of worship or throughout daily life, while also drawing attention to the importance of patriarchal structures. If woman is heretofore perceived of as the "glory of man," then indeed the role of women in nursing is a special one. For example, the profession of nursing has traditionally been dominated by female labor. The gender issues in nursing that we encounter are reflections of Biblical truth and wisdom, as outlined in passages like 1 Corinthians 11:7. The passage does not imply that women are lesser than men, but simply that their intended roles on earth are different, as evidenced by different biological compositions. Both men and women are created in the image of God, and by God. Yet that does not mean that nurses should gloss over the significant and meaningful needs of patients according to their gender.

The theological implications of image theology include also a recognition that all persons have the capacity to strive for, and possibly reach perfection and godliness. When treating patients, nurses can keep in mind passages like "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," (Matthew 5:48). God created men and women in His likeness in order to prove that divine perfection in the human species is possible through specific action including unwavering faith and prayer. When incorporated into nursing practice, this means praying with patients when necessary, involving patients more closely with their spiritual communities, and helping patients to understand their conditions from within a Biblical worldview. When possible, a Christian counselor can assume a leadership role as part of the healthcare team, to help a patient contend with struggles and challenges on the path toward perfection. It may help, as Feinberg (1972) suggests, to invoke the esoteric or supernatural dimensions with patients as "theologians have so occupied themselves with the study of man, that they have left little or no time" for the discussion of God (p. 1). It is up to the nurse to re-introduce God to the healing process. Health should not be defined narrowly, either. When nurses are able to convey the essential perfection of every moment, and show patients that God's will is evident in each and every cell of their body, the patient can learn to cope with challenges better as they arise.