Preaching the Imago Dei: Robert Rypon's Sermon for Trinity Sunday

abstract:That man was created in the image of a triune God has been the subject of much theological speculation. It was posited that this image is reflected within the human mind in the Augustinian triad of memory, understanding, and will. For a medieval preacher the challenge is to make this theological notion a lived reality for his audience. This article explores one preacher's approach to this challenge. In a lengthy sermon for Trinity Sunday, the English Benedictine monk-preacher Robert Rypon (ca. 1350–1421/22) elucidates the complex way the human mind was created to reflect the image of God and offers a retelling of biblical history as the deformation of this image. Rypon then presents a solution for restoring this image, which involves a radical reformation of the memory from which right understanding and a will for behaving virtuously inevitably follow. This article includes an edition of several sections of the sermon.