The Bible's most revolutionary concept wasn't monotheism - it was something far more profound.

What if the most revolutionary idea in human history wasn’t freedom, democracy, or even monotheism — but a single verse from Genesis?

This week on Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Dr. Tomer Persico, author of In God’s Image: How Western Civilization Was Shaped by a Revolutionary Idea. Together, they explore how the Torah’s concept of tzelem Elohim — the image of God — was originally understood not as a metaphor, but as something startlingly literal: humanity as the actual analog of the divine.

The conversation also traces how Christianity, more than Judaism, adopted and amplified this idea — translating it into the language of conscience, equality, and individual dignity. Does that history diminish the Jewish claim to tzelem Elohim or, paradoxically, confirm its enduring power?

Finally, the discussion turns inward: once God’s mind becomes internalized within the human mind, religion itself becomes a human sense — like music or beauty — embedded in the architecture of our consciousness. Studying religion, then, is not just the study of the divine, but the study of what makes us most profoundly human.

Dr Tomers Biography

Dr. Tomer Persico is a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, Chief Editor of the 'Challenges of Democracy' book series for the Rubinstein Center at Reichman University, and a Senior Research Scholar at the UC Berkeley Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Persico was the Koret Visiting Assistant Professor at the UC Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies for three years and has taught for eight years in Tel Aviv University. His fields of expertise include cultural history, the liberal order, Jewish modern identity, Contemporary Spirituality and Jewish fundamentalism. His books include The Jewish Meditative Tradition (Hebrew, Tel Aviv University Press, 2016), Liberalism: its Roots, Values and Crises (Hebrew, Dvir, 2024 and German, NZZ Libro, 2025) and In God's Image: How Western Civilization Was Shaped by a Revolutionary Idea (Hebrew, Yedioth,2021, English, NYU Press,2025). Persico is an activist for freedom of religion in Israel, is frequently interviewed by local and international media and has written hundreds of articles for the legacy media, including Haaretz and the Washington Post. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Yael and two sons, Ivri and Shilo.

Key Takeaways

1. The concept of humans being created in God's image was revolutionary because it applied to everyone, not just rulers or heroes.
2. Taking the idea of God's image literally led to profound implications for human rights and dignity.
3. The "image of God" concept evolved through Christianity and ultimately influenced secularization and the emancipation of the Jews

Timestamps

• [00:00:27] — Opening narration begins: “What if one of the most radical ideas in human intellectual history…”
• [00:01:42] — Host commentary: Jeffrey connects the “image of God” to the modern idea of dignity and introduces the hope for the hostages.
• [00:02:34] — Guest introduction: Dr. Tomer Persico is welcomed; he explains his research journey and the origins of his book.
• [00:05:19] — Defining the radical idea: Persico explains how “in God’s image” reframed power, privilege, and ethics in Western culture.
• [00:07:45] — Literal God debate: Discussion turns to the ancient Israelite belief that God had a visible, bodily form.
• [00:10:12] — Reframing idolatry: Persico redefines idolatry as failing to see the divine in people, not in statues.
• [00:14:18] — Birth of human rights: Conversation about Genesis 9:6 and how individuality replaced collective punishment.
• [00:18:47] — The Christian turn: How Christianity internalized the “image of God” into conscience and reason—laying foundations for science.
• [00:25:26] — Secular autonomy and modernity: How reverence for human autonomy led to the rise of secularism and liberal rights.
• [00:31:38] — Closing reflection: The innate “hunch” or instinct toward the sacred—“we do God” naturally—and the episode’s farewell prayer for hostages.

Links & Learnings

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Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Dr Tomer’s book - https://a.co/d/biMkA6b