The Influence of Plato’s Timaeus on Cappadocian Thought

Abstract This essay directs readers’ attention to two features of John Behr’s edition of Gregory of Nyssa : On the Human Image of God , namely, Behr’s critical insight into how Gregory of Nyssa follows the train of thought of Plato’s Timaeus. as he structures his own account of the creation of the human being, along with Behr’s commitment to reading the text as a whole literary unit. After summarising Behr’s argument, I will show how these two features can be used to interpret On the Lights , an oration in the corpus of Gregory of Nyssa’s fellow Cappadocian, Gregory of Nazianzus. By responding thus, I hope to show the significance of Behr’s insight and approach for patristic studies more broadly.