Since in Genesis 1, the description of humanity focuses entirely on the image of God, it follows that this is the most essential element of what it means to be human. But this in turn has implications well beyond dominion and stewardship. In particular, it provides the only real foundation for human dignity and human rights.

The Image of God and Stewardship To be human One of the most important statements in Scripture about what it means to be human occurs in the very...