Neutering Dehumanization: The Liberative Potential of Theology that Softens Human-Animal Divisions

Behind every horror of genocide, war, or other similar acts of shocking violence are the mental and social frameworks that justify such actions. Among the most potent of these justifications is the language and logic of dehumanization. This paper incorporates social psychological research over the last decade which has demonstrated strong links between perceived Human-Animal division and dehumanizing beliefs towards human out-groups. Critically, this research finds that education about animal-human similarities reduces belief in a strong Human-Animal divide, while also providing the knock-on effect of reducing out-group dehumanization. These insights introduce a key litmus test for theologians: to what degree does the theology under question reinforce rigid (and hierarchical) categorizations between human and animal? This paper concludes by applying this test to common interpretations of the imago Dei, suggesting that even well-intentioned anthropocentric definitions may mistakenly cause harm to all animals, including Homo sapiens.