Abstract

Nicholas of Cusa’s De pace fidei (1453) has often been regarded as an exemplary testimony of ecumenism, irenicism, relativism and even epistemological subjectivism. The aim of this essay is to take De pace fidei back to the events – the Council of Basel and the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople – which inspired its writing, considering the aporias behind the attempt at tollere differentiam rituum and, at the same time, servari pax inter fideles. It will be shown that the modernizing idea, first flaunted by Johannes Kymaeus, that Cusa inclines toward the doctrine of sola fides is unfounded. Concepts such as fides formata, opus, divina mandata, ritus, commutatio and baptismales lotiones will be discussed by scrutinizing the dialogue with the Tartar and that with the Armenian (De pace fidei XVI-XVII) in light of Cusa’s sources.