Jörg Ulrich: The Peculiar Merit of the Human Body. Exegesis of Gen 1,27f. and Gen 2,7 in 1Clem, Justin and (Ps?)Justin

In some second century Christian texts, a combined exegesis of Gen 1,26f. and Gen 2,7 argues for the peculiar merit of the human body. These authors connect the “imago Dei” not just with the soul, but with the formation of the human body from the dust of the earth. This may reflect an anti-'Gnostic' agenda and/or an effort to counteract theories of embodiment which reject the flesh.This paper will examine evidence from 1Clem, Justin’s Dialogue and (Ps.?)Justin’s De resurrectione. It will show how this exegetical labor reflects ongoing negotiations around problems of embodiment which would have lasting implications for Christian theories of incarnation, asceticism, and the resurrection.