“There is one part of the created order that seems more glorious and precious than all the rest, and that is the human race.” So asserts Dr Stephen McQuoid, General Director of Gospel Literature Outreach, in his opening chapter of this wonderfully accessible book, as he goes on to explain that we are all image bearers of God. At the heart of the ethical war that rages in our society, asserts the author, are issues of human identity and sexuality, and nowhere is the fallenness of humanity more evident than with these issues. Abortion is the silent genocide. There is an assault on marriage, an institution given by God to bring stability and cohesion to the family, and on the issue of gender – the distinctive and dignified identity that God has given each one of us so that we can be men and women made in the image of God. Each of these areas is an ethical battleground, he claims, as he engages with each area in a clear and uncompromising way, but also with compassion. McQuoid acknowledges that we all have feet of clay and must therefore walk humbly in this life. Yet we do need to be salt and light and to stand up for Christian truth. This book is his attempt, he says, to do just that in the context of a culture that is turning its back on the Creator’s instructions, which bring health and wholeness. In His Image will be of value to Christians and to non-Christians. It will also surely come to be seen as a valuable church resource. Author Dr Stephen McQuoid is the General Director of Gospel Literature Outreach, a missionary organisation based in Europe. He has an extensive training and preaching ministry that takes him throughout the UK and abroad. He has a Diploma in Theology from Belfast Bible College, a BA in Biblical Studies from Trinity College, an MTh from the University of Wales, and an MA and a PhD in Theology from Trinity Theological Seminary. Stephen grew up in Ethiopia where his parents were missionaries. He then lived in Ireland where he qualified as a nurse before going on to study theology.
