Genesis says that God created humankind in his image. The Fathers distinguished the image, given and never lost, from the likeness, to be restored and perfected; Augustine found the image of the Trinity in memory, understanding and will. The mystical path is the restoration of the defaced image.
Image of God
The teaching that human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, the ground of their capacity for union.
Also: imago Dei