Is the Body Part of the Imago Dei?

At least five reasons can be given in defense of the view that the body and soul, and not just the soul alone, is created in the image of God. First, as discussed in question 2, the mind and body, while not an identity, are a unity. The human person is not complete without a body. Second, God created matter and everything God created is good, reflecting His glory (Gen. 1:31; 1 Tim. 4:4). Third, murder of the body is wrong because it is a crime against the image of God (Gen. 9:6). Fourth, the Incarnate Christ is called the “image of God” (Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15). Fifth, the ultimate glorification of man, which includes the resurrection of the body, reveals that the body is as much the image of God as the soul (Rom. 8:22-25).

But does the view that the body is part of the image of God imply that God has a body? The answer is negative for several reasons. First, solid metaphysical thinking teaches that an infinite, simple, eternal Being must be immaterial. Second, Scripture teaches that God is a Spirit (John 4:4; 2 Cor. 3:17). Third, Scriptural references to God’s “body parts” must be considered anthropomorphic. Otherwise, God would not only resemble a man, but also a bird! (Ps. 91:4) Fourth, if God had a body, then all creatures with bodies would in some way be created in His image. Yet, that is obviously not the case. Instead, man’s body differs from the bodies of all other creatures in that it is specifically created, in unity with the soul, that man might reflect the glory of God. Man, as a soul/body unity, is uniquely qualified above all other creatures to both worship God in the spiritual realm and exercise dominion over His creation in the physical realm.