Reading De pace fidei Christologically: Nicholas of Cusa’s Verbum Dialectic of Religious Concordance

Abstract

This chapter considers a sapiential and Christological reading of De pace fidei . By reading De pace fidei through a dialectical Wisdom-Word theological lens, Cusanus's complex Christocentric universal and exclusivist approach to Islam comes into focus. Cusanus transmits the intrinsic tension between the exclusivity and inclusivity of orthodox Christology to address his understanding of the intricate relationship between Christianity and Islam. In order to examine the centrality of Christ in De pace fidei , the chapter begins with the text itself and first read the dialogue theologically through the locus of the Logos, or the Word of God (Verbum). This close read then unfolds through a contextualization of the Logos-Verbum Christology of De pace fidei within the greater Western Christian tradition. Finally, the chapter concludes with considering what Cusanus's philosophical and theological conversation on the Word and Wisdom of God might contribute to current dialogues between Christians and Muslims. Keywords: Christians; Cusanus; De pace fidei ; Islam; Logos-Verbum Christology; Muslims