Made in His Image

Made in His Image

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin in the 1850s with a singular theological conviction: enslaved people were made in the image of God. To own, abuse, or commodify them was to violate the image of God — which was not incidental to morality but foundational to it. The book's influence on public opinion about slavery was extraordinary. Lincoln reportedly met Stowe and said, 'So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.' Her theological starting point — Genesis 1:27 — produced one of the most consequential works of social advocacy in American history.

Genesis 1:27 is the theological foundation of human dignity. The imago Dei — the image of God — is not a quality earned, achieved, or possessed in degrees. It is given by creation to every human being, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, ability, or status. The implications are far-reaching: every human being you encounter today bears the image of God. The homeless person, the opponent, the annoying colleague, the distant enemy. Made in His image. This is not a sentimental claim; it is a hard theological demand. The way you treat any human being is the way you treat the image-bearer of God. This changes ethics at the most fundamental level.