Likeness Quote by Lawrence Kushner
““Genesis’ saying that we are made in the likeness of God does not mean that God looks a little like us, with a face and a body, arms and legs, but that at the time of the creation of the first man and woman, human beings did not know or care about a tangible likeness, about the fact that they had bodies. The awareness of them is an invention of the human self, idolatrously preoccupied with wanting something to look at in the mirror.””
About This Quote
The biblical likeness to God is metaphorical, not physical; humans project bodily images onto divine concepts.
In simple terms: God's likeness is symbolic, not literal.
Key Takeaway
Recognize spiritual metaphors over literal images.
Themes
theology
anthropomorphism
human perception
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
theological
When to use this quote
- religious study
- personal reflection
- artistic interpretation
Key Concepts
metaphor
identity
self‑construction
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “likeness” mean to you?
- How do metaphors shape belief?
A Different Perspective
Literal readings can limit spiritual depth.
![“As any good teacher of dreams will tell you, you are all the people in your dream. Fritz Perls taught, "[All] the different parts, any part in the dream-is yourself, is a projection of yourself."22 And to ask why we made our story this way and not that way is to reenter our sacred text once again…” quote by Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da1/lawrence-kushner-14033_dream_as-any-good-teacher-of-dreams-will-tell_694174.jpg)
