Imitatio dei
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Imitatio dei (Latin, imitating god) is a religious concept according to which virtue among man is found by resembling God, to which man should aspire. It is found in several religions.
Imitatio dei in Judaism
The concept of imitatio dei - generally taken to be a Mitzvah - in Judaism is derived, in part, from the concept of imagio dei - being made in the shape of god. Not only do people in Hebrew Bible aspire to take on godly virtues, he has aided by the depiction of god as a man - anthropomorphism. The concept is arguably best expressed in the following quote, taken from the Torah:
| Leviticus 19:2: "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.'" |
| ויקרא י"ט, 2: "דבר אל כל עדת בני-ישראל ואמרת אלהם קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלהיכם." |
In later time, this concept was part of the basis of rabbinic Judaism. Jews are exhorted to perform acts of kindness similar to the ones ascribed to God. Examples are burying the dead (as God buried Moses), visiting the sick (as God visited Abraham) and some very similar mitzvot. The Talmud (tractate Shabbat 133b) states: "So as He is merciful, so should you be merciful".
Imitatio dei in Christianity
The Christian believer is told to imitate god on several occasions. On the first, in Ephesians 5, he is told by Paul to: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children". The believer is also advised to follow the ways of Jesus (who, in turn, imitated God), notably in 1 Corinthians 11:1: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."