The Western perception of Islam between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance : the work of Nicholas of Cusa / Marica Costigliolo ; foreword by Cary J. Nederman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Costigliolo, Marica, author.

Contributor:

Nederman, Cary J., editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nicholas, of Cusa, Cardinal, 1401-1464.

Nicholas.

Christianity and other religions--Islam.

Christianity and other religions.

Islam.

Islam--Relations--Christianity--Early works to 1800.

Relations.

Christianity.

Interfaith relations.

Genre:

Early works.

Physical Description:

xv, 163 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Eugene, OR : Pickwick Publications, 2017.

Summary:

In the Middle Ages, as Christian sources on the Islamic world show, Muslim culture was perceived as extremely threatening: there were many defenses of Christianity, like the treatise on the "mistakes" of the followers of Allah. This book shows, through an analysis of the works of Nicholas of Cusa and of other authors, that in the course of time this textual attitude was modified, as European authors aimed to point out the Christian truth in comparison with the "falsity" of Islamic theology, in order to reinforce Christian identity through the presupposition of its own absolute truth. The apologetic aim was gradually replaced by a systematic comparison based on partial translations of the Qur'an. The comparison with the "other" was also the basis for reinforcing identity, in order to demonstrate the truth and consequently the supremacy of one's own theoretical position. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Method and Theories 1

1 Introduction 1

2 Notes on Dialogue as a Genre in the Middle Ages 1

3 Methodology 4

4 The Theory of Jan Assmann 6

5 Comparative Political Theory 7

6 The Metaphor 9

7 Division of the Book 11

Chapter 2 De concordantia catholica, Metaphor of Body 16

1 Introduction 16

2 Context 16

3 Hierarchy 19

4 Church as Corpus Mysticum 23

5 Defense of Body 24

6 Relations between King and Emperor 25

7 Relations between Emperor and Pope 25

8 Emperor as Physician 27

9 Conclusions 28

Chapter 3 De docta ignorantia, Identity and Difference 30

1 Introduction 30

2 The Model of De docta ignorantia 31

3 Identity (Sameness), Difference and Diversity 34

4 The Metaphor of the Sphere: The Perspective 38

5 Interreligious Dialogue in De docta ignorantia 40

6 Conclusions 42

Chapter 4 De pace fidei and the Interreligious Dialogue 43

1 Introduction 43

2 Sources of De pace fidei 44

3 Difference and Diversity 54

4 Wisdom 57

5 Equality and Unity 59

6 The Metaphor of the King 62

7 The Psychological Foundations of Faith 64

8 Rituality: The Different and the Ridiculous 66

9 Tolerance 70

10 Peace 73

11 Identity, Difference, Unity 76

12 Freedom 80

13 Conclusions 82

Chapter 5 Cribratio Alkorani, The Change of the Perception of Islam 84

1 Introduction 84

2 Sources of the Cribratio Alkorani 85

3 Structure of Cribratio Alkorani 91

4 Manuductio and pia interpretation 93

5 The Metaphor of Glass 94

6 The Nestorian Heresy 96

7 Textual Differences: The Quran and the Gospel 99

8 Unity, Difference, and Equality 103

9 Sin 106

10 Heaven 108

11 Difference and Diversity 110

12 Method of Cusanus 111

13 Kalam 113

14 Happiness 115

15 Muhammad's Persecution of Christians 116

16 The Theme of War 117

17 The Speech to Muhammad II 121

18 Conclusions 124

Chapter 6 Cusanus and others: the Western Perception of Islam 125

1 Introduction 125

2 The Contra Legem Sarracenorum 126

3 Fazio degli Uberti 127

4 Byzantine Authors: Demetrius Kydones and George Trebizond 129

5 Use of Praesuppositio: Marsilio Ficino 135

6 Enea Silvio Piccolomini 137

7 Conclusions 141

Chapter 7 General Conclusions 143.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 151-164).

ISBN:

9781498208192

1498208215

9781498208215

1498208193

OCLC:

1005126049

Publisher Number:

99975372217