Nicholas of Cusa and the Renaissance

This volume brings together Professor Cranz’s published studies on Nicholas of Cusa with a set of seven papers left unpublished at the time of his death. Their subjects are the speculative thought of Cusanus and his relationship with the broader themes of the Renaissance. Particular attention is given to patterns of development in Cusanus’ thought as he wrestled with problems of divine transcendence and the limits of human capacities. Overall, these studies also reveal Professor Cranz’s interest in the larger changes in Western modes of thought during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, which define our ways of thinking as different from those of Antiquity.

Contents: F. Edward Cranz (1914-1998); Introduction: F. Edward Cranz’s conception of Western philosophy, Charles Trinkaus; Part One: Major themes in Nicholas of Cusa; Development in Cusanus?; Reason and beyond reason in Nicholas of Cusa; Reason, intellect and the absolute in Nicholas of Cusa; Part Two: The late works of Nicholas of Cusa; The late works of Nicholas of Cusa; The De aequalitate and De principio of Nicholas of Cusa; Part Three: Nicholas of Cusa, Augustine, Proclus, and pseudo-dionysius; Saint Augustine and Nicholas of Cusa in the tradition of Western Christian thought; The [concept of the] beyond in Proclus, Pseudo-Dionysius and Cusanus; Nicolaus Cusanus and Dionysius Areopagita; Cusanus’ use of Pseudo-Dionysius; Part Four: Nicholas of Cusa and Martin Luther; A common pattern in Petrarch, Nicholas of Cusa and Martin Luther; The transmutation of Platonism in the development of Nicolaus Cusanus and of Martin Luther; Cusanus, Luther and the mystical tradition; Epilogue; Bibliographical background to De visione Dei of Cusanus; Appendix: Sources of articles; Works by Nicholas of Cusa cited; Index of names.

F. Edward Cranz, Thomas M. Izbicki