My two cents: the "image" does not refer to anything corporeal, in space/time, flesh or blood - nor does it refer to a simple soul (nephesh) as in animal life.
Rather it refers to the "neshama" - the breath of God - which made Adam a living soul. The English word for it is "spirit". Man is unlike all other living creations in that respect, and he is an image of God in that same respect because God is Spirit (John 4).
Neshama "the breath of God", which is obviously a metaphor.. by its implication.. One could spend days considering the impact of this one metaphor.. even years.. if you're not too bright like me..
Consider the clean crisp clarity of that metaphor.. describing a "spirit" like no other could (that I can think of). The breath of God washing over an object appreciating it, and even transforming it.. if needed.. A spirit like smoke, like a breath of wind, as a personality, even a force..
Its winter here in Alaska.. Betcha KNOW what I'll be thinking about as I go about my daily rounds.. Observing MY BREATH as a cloud every time I breathe today.. However its quite mild today.. lower twentys(high).. low enough to do the "breath" thing as I breathe.. Within MY BODY is a spirit as surely as God has one.. And the words I breath out can have some impact..
Thanks for reminding me of this metaphor.. I will take it with me today on my rounds.. " and God breathed on him the breath of life".. Heavy stuff.. After additional prayer this morning, I plan on doing a little of that myself.. Not just breathing but releasing the spirit within me.. in my breathe'ings.. (must not forget mouthwash) I'm on a quest..
This matter has been batted about at length by theologians. My take from a layman's point of view: The form God took in order to redeem all of creation, coupled with numerous biblical texts denoting God as having anthropological features, leads me to understand that corporeal and incorporeal realities are not separate but coterminous, just like science and theology. One reason among many the Christ was rejected is His claim: "Before Abraham was, I AM." All that science has to explore is a corporeal manifestation of God and/or His handiwork.
Much has been written as to whether the Christ's human nature was assumed only at the point of incarnation, or whether to some degree His human nature was present in the pre-incarnate Christ, who is often understood to be the Rock from which the Israelites drank in the desert; the Angel of the Lord; the one with whom Jacob wrestled. The Apostle Paul bluntly writes of Christ by the Spirit: "Who is the image of the invisible God." Even more pointed the words of Christ: "He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me."
From this it is keenly apparent that the designer of the universe takes an intimate interest in humankind. Those instances where the essence of God is most clearly revealed are those where He divests Himself of all that separates humankind from Himself, and accommodates Himself out of pure goodness and mercy.
If the scientific world were totally separate from the theological world and was intended to be as such from the beginning, then the chasm would be inapproachable. As it stands, God is as scientific and theological as it gets, with the distinction between the two being a humanly developed means of forcing a separation - for whatever personal reasons a particular observer, or group of observers, might harbor.
One can hardly be so biased as to state and assume from the outset that God is beyond the purview of science. Such a bias may prove helpful for short term gains in knowledge, but the bigger picture - the longer lasting and more reasonable picture - is one with a single creator bringing about a universe that demonstrates organized matter behaving according to laws, and a universe in which He is willing and able to intervene much as humans are able intervene on a smaller scale in matters where they, too, have "created" things.