The Philosophical Background of Gregory of Nyssa’s Treatise De hominis opificio

Abstract

This article examines the philosophical context in which St Gregory of Nyssa composed his treatise De hominis opificio (“On the Making of Man”) and elucidates the manner in which various ancient schools and authors converge within his theological anthropology. It analyzes the structural dependence upon Plato’s Timaeus, the methodological influence of Aristotle’s concept of akolouthia, and the assimilation of Galenic medical theory. The study further traces the role of Philo of Alexandria in harmonizing the biblical Hexaemeron with Hellenic cosmogony, as well as the distinct notions of “image” and “likeness.” It argues that philosophy functions not as a primary source, but rather as a conceptual background—a cultural matrix through which Gregory articulates the revealed doctrine of the human person as the image and likeness of God. In this way, De hominis opificio emerges as a syncretic yet genuinely original work that reframes classical ideas in the service of theology and exerts a lasting influence upon Christian anthropological thought.