Nicholas of Cusa and Muhammad : A Critical Revisit

Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464), thinker, polymath, and cardinal, had a long-standing interest in Islam. To date, however, no work has satisfactorily dealt with his volatile attitude towards the Islamic faith and the Ottoman Turks. This book revisits Nicholas of Cusa’s attitude towards Islam, criticizing previous work that has overlooked Cusa’s involvement in preparations for a crusade, and the significance of Cusa’s polemical A Scrutiny of the Koran (Cribratio Alkorani) of 1461. The book also addresses the prevailing image of Cusa as a dove of peace and champion of interreligious dialogue, and suggests an alternative and more complex picture which takes account of Cusa’s crusading activities and his attitude towards Muslims and Jews.

A significant new study, Nicolas of Cusa and Mohammed will appeal to students and scholars interested in the Renaissance, Humanism, church–state relations, the history of the crusades, and Nicholas of Cusa’s life and works.

"Nathan Ron sets the record straight about Nicholas of Cusa as so-called pioneer of ‘inter-religious dialogue’ based on a close reading of the irenic Peace of Faith and the polemical Scrutiny of the Koran, together with his role in mounting a crusade for Pope Pius II."

―Gerald Christianson, Professor Emeritus of Church History, United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg; Past President, American Cusanus Society

"Nicholas of Cusa often is presented as a champion of interreligious dialogue. This book rightly brings to the fore Cusanus’ often harsh polemic against Islam and his role in Pius II’s crusade against the Turks."

―Thomas Izbicki, Humanities librarian emeritus, Rutgers University

Nathan Ron is a Research Fellow at the School of History, University of Haifa, Israel. His research deals with key Renaissance scholars, particularly Erasmus of Rotterdam, Johannes Reuchlin, and Nicholas of Cusa. Ron also studies interreligious relationships in early modern Europe. His present research focuses on dialogue between Jewish and Christian scholars in early modern Germany, based on Caspar Amman’s correspondence in Hebrew.

Ron is the author of several books including Erasmus and the "Other": On Turks, Jews, Amerindians and Indigenous Peoples (2019); Erasmus: Intellectual of the 16th Century (2021); and Erasmus, the Turks, and Islam (2022).