I think one thing we are seeing here is the difference between Lutheran and Reformed views of what happened to the imago Dei at the Fall. Luther held that the "image of God" in man was basically the knowledge of God and holiness of will--what one might call "original righteousness". In other words, the imago Dei was held to be spiritual in nature. Hence it would have been completely lost at the Fall.

On the other hand, many Reformed theologians would say that the imago Dei is to be found in the whole moral and rational nature of man and Calvin wrote "that the image of God extends to everything in which the nature of man surpasses that of all other species of animals." (as Berkhof says, on page 206-207) Hence, in the Reformed view, at the Fall, the imago Dei would not have been completely lost at the fall--but drastically marred and deformed.

Just thought I'd add my two cents. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Theo