Nicholas of Cusa and the Challenge of Religious Plurality

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, religious plurality became a challenge with a new and particularly modern impact. It seems that an awareness of the real, historically formed differences between cultures (diachronous and synchronous) arose in the 15th century. This needed to be interpreted and coped with on new hermeneutical levels. Cusanus`s famous formula from De Pace Fidei that a religio una in rituum varietate would lead to peace indicates his goal of unifying various religions through dialogue. This is a different approach, sustained by Renaissance concordance optimism, compared to the later development of formalised legal methods and the separation of fields of competence as a means of overcoming conflict. Still, the question arises of whether it does not imply consequences for political ethics, demanding from members of different religions to interact without violence, acknowledging the respect for freedom of religious belief of each individual and a basic intrinsic value of plurality. The need for social improvements in order to strengthen religious maturity is also indicated by Nicholas. To my view, this is a Christian self enlightenment process so that Christianity would become capable of dialogue through development of an integrative philosophy of religion. To this end, Cusanus develops an epistemological and metaphysical paradigm which puts differing truth claims into perspective, aware of their relative nature, but without relativism. This shall be interpreted as a model for the creative handling of religious and cultural experiences of pluralism at the beginning of the modern age. This approach appears to be particularly interesting against the background of present discussions which render it unlikely that purely formal regulations can guarantee peaceful coexistence when fundamental disagreements about values based on religion surface. Inter religious and inter-cultural dialogue about truth claims is necessary and requires a hermeneutically enlightened basis in philosophy of religions. In the work of Cusanus we might find a recognition of the way in which history can be shaped and of man`s corresponding responsibility for this, stemming from the experience of the theoretical and moral appeal of the Divine. This constitutes a strong philosophical theological reason for responsible political action, without which history could not be shaped in a manner which is worthy of man and in accordance with the divine calling.