The Imago Dei: A Bridge to Faith-Infused Reconciliation Ecology

Other authors have made a compelling case for the Christian practice of Faith-Infused Reconciliation Ecology (FIRE) as an important aspect of Christian faithfulness. However, the ecological reasoning that has birthed this idea may not be convincing (or particularly cogent) to the average North American churchgoer. We suggest that the doctrine of the image of God (imago Dei) can be used to bring people to understand faith-infused reconciliation ecology as part of their Christian vocation. In particular, we argue that the imago Dei includes the vocation to a specific (loving and responsible) relationship with nonhuman creation, which leads naturally to the requirement for reconciliation with that creation when we fail in our vocation. While this interpretation of the imago Dei is not widespread in North American churches, it uses concepts and language that are readily accessible to most churchgoers, making it an approachable way to engage the subject. Our goal is to show how the imago Dei doctrine can lead to a faith-infused reconciliation ecology paradigm.