The Making of Man
379–380
| Name and Summary | Pages |
|---|---|
This introduction outlines the purpose and scope of Gregory of Nyssa's treatise "The Making of Man," emphasizing the importance of understanding human creation in relation to divine wisdom. | 3 |
This point explains that the creation of heaven and earth, established by divine wisdom, serves as the foundational structure of the universe, with each element assigned a specific role and order. | 4 |
This point explains that humanity was created last and introduced into the world only after the divine preparation of the environment, much like a king arriving after his palace is fully adorned. | 2 |
This point emphasizes that the creation of humanity involved divine counsel and forethought, unlike the rest of creation, which was brought into existence through divine power alone. | 2 |
This point emphasizes that human nature was intentionally designed by the divine Artificer to be inherently regal and noble. | 2 |
This point emphasizes that God's beauty is not characterized by physical form, but by virtues such as purity, freedom from passion, and blessedness, which reflect His divine nature in us. | 2 |
This point argues that God's operations are unified and simple, unlike human faculties that are diverse and complex, emphasizing the divine unity. | 2 |
This point explains that humanity's apparent physical deficiencies and lack of natural defenses are actually purposeful mechanisms that establish our dominance over other creatures. | 3 |
This point emphasizes that man's upright posture and the structure of his limbs, particularly the hands, are designed to reflect and support his rational nature and sovereignty. | 6 |
This point explains that God's gift to humanity includes a divine likeness that is complemented by the proper organization of the human body to express the mind’s thoughts. | 2 |
This point explains the intricate organization of the human mind and sensory faculties, illustrating how our rational nature is enabled by the proper functioning of our senses. | 3 |
This point argues that the human mind is a distinct and simpler being apart from the senses, capable of perceiving things beyond sensory variation and diversity. | 2 |
This point asserts that the seat of the intellectual and ruling principle in humans cannot be confined to any single bodily organ, such as the heart or brain, because true understanding extends beyond physical locations. | 9 |
This point emphasizes that common dreams are a natural outcome of the body's and soul's residual impressions and conditions, rather than direct divine influence, and are shaped by individual character and bodily states. | 9 |
This point explains that the mind is not confined to a specific part of the body but operates throughout it, guiding impulses and responses. | 2 |
This point asserts that the soul's true nature is rooted in rational and intellectual qualities, and other vital energies are only mistakenly labeled as souls. | 3 |
This point explains that human beings are created in the divine image, reflecting God's goodness and participation in all good qualities, rather than being merely a miniature version of the material universe. | 8 |
This point discusses how the existence of marriage, procreation, and human souls is understood in relation to paradise, sin, and the angelic order, emphasizing that human life and its multiplicity originated after the fall. | 4 |
This point explains that human passions originate from the earthly and animal aspects of human nature, which are inherited from brute life, and are not part of the divine likeness. | 4 |
This point emphasizes that the nourishment in Paradise was not merely physical but also spiritual, representing the enjoyment of divine wisdom and goodness. | 2 |
This point explains that the knowledge of good and evil, as described in Scripture, involves a mixture of both, often masked by appearances of pleasure and beauty. | 3 |
This point asserts that good is ultimately more powerful and enduring than evil, which is limited and finite. | 2 |
This point emphasizes that the delay in entering the perfect, divine state is governed by divine wisdom and purpose, rather than randomness or injustice. | 6 |
This point emphasizes that faith in God's power is essential to accept the divine origin and ultimate cessation of the world's material things, despite human reasoning doubts. | 3 |
This point asserts that matter and the physical world derive their existence from an intelligent, immaterial divine source. | 2 |
This point asserts that the truth of the resurrection can be validated through the reliable testimony of prophetic predictions and the observable facts of miraculous recoveries. | 9 |
This point asserts that God's power is not limited by human understanding or reasoning, and therefore, it is possible for God to restore a person even after the complete dissolution of the body. | 2 |
This point argues that the resurrection of the body is entirely plausible because the essential parts of our being remain identifiable and return to us, much like how individual animals are distinguished by marks upon them. | 4 |
This point asserts that both the doctrine of pre-existent souls and that of souls created after the body are incorrect. | 5 |
This point asserts that the human being is created as a unified whole, with the soul and body originating simultaneously through God's foreknowledge, rather than one preceding the other. | 6 |
This point compares the process of shaping the human soul to the work of a stone-carver, emphasizing that perfection is achieved gradually through a deliberate and artistic process. | 16 |